English Kids' Camp

Since April last year Lorna has run two weekly English classes, one for younger elementary school age children and another for the older year groups. As well as teaching them English from a native speaker, there is the chance each week at the end to share a simple Bible story (in Japanese) with the children. Many of these children (and their parents) have come to different events we have held over the past year or so. This past weekend we held a camp for some of the English class children - not all were able to come so we had manageable numbers. It was great fun. We were helped by a team which is over here from the UK in July working at another church nearby and two of them also stayed overnight. We had games. We ate some British food for supper - mince, potatoes, carrots and peas followed by trifle! That seemed to go down well. In the evening we practised a play which Lorna had written in simple English telling the story of Daniel in the lions' den. The kids did a great job saying their lines and enjoyed making some masks and props together. The evening ended with fireworks (always part of a camp here). We expected the children to be up early - and they were. Morning exercises took the form of hip hop and then it was time for bread sticks baked over the barbecue. The camp ended with parents being invited to a time of games and food on the Sunday morning and a presentation of the play. It was so good to see many parents turning up, including several dads. The children have had many seeds sown in their hearts over these past months. We trust that in years to come, and even now, some of these children - and their parents - might find their way to Jesus.