For someone who lives in a senior community and has not had children of his own it is very tiring and stressful to work for a half day all last week at Vacation Bible School at Gila Mountain Methodist Church. Edna and I were the teachers (or guides) for a group of 28 boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 12 years of age. Because I've not had to deal with the antics of youngsters as a father I'm afraid I'm not a good disciplinarian. I think getting them to go to the right place at the right time was pretty much like leading a flock of sheep. While the week was tiring it was also very rewarding. Even though it was hard for them to sit down and mind their manners I know they learned about being good neighbors; not only where they live but in places all over the world. We learned about the peoples of Japan, Zimbabwe, the United Kingdom, Australia and Mexico. And they were competitive. By the time the week was over the 160 children in VBS had contributed over $800 to buy nets for Africa to try and stem the plight of malaria spread by mosquitoes. I'm sure the parents appreciated the fact that at the closing session each day the leaders really got the kids hyper after doing the high-activity music which was a part of the program. If we do it next year, however, Edna and I have decided that maybe helping with the snacks might be less stressful.
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