Listen to this article
“He’s a big, big God!” Those were the words heard around the Del Oro Division this summer as a group of five teens, 13 to 16 years old, traveled throughout Northern California sharing the gospel through the presentation of the Bug Safari Vacation Bible School. Sonja Stires was the leader.
“This is great!” Major Estes of San Rafael said of the team’s visit. And it was great — not only for the corps, but for the teens as well! Volunteering for the trip were: Shannon Broadway and Darcy Broadway of Chico; Alice Stark of Manteca; Racquel Wrobel of Sacramento; and Jennifer Rea of Petaluma/Grand Junction.
The team visited the San Rafael, Yuba/Sutter and Oakland Chinatown corps. “It was awesome and I had a lot of fun. I think every teen should have this experience!” said Alice Stark.
Each corps was a unique opportunity for the teens to gain skills in teaching and working as a team. The 3 1/2 weeks were also a chance to be “set apart” for Christ. “The trip really helped me grow spiritually with Christ. I look at decisions I make differently now,” says Alice. “And it helped me to learn how to be more organized when teaching a class.”
Each of the team members was responsible for teaching different sessions throughout the VBS. At the first two corps they could share some of the responsibilities, but by the time the team arrived in Oakland Chinatown, where there were 100 children, each member was responsible for a separate element of the program.
Reflecting on her involvement Shannon Broadway remarked “The trip was an experience I will never forget. I met cool people while traveling, and I grew closer to God.”