Students learn the power of God at Vacation Bible School

Friday, Jul. 24, 2015

SANDY — Students aged 3 through third grade learned how to ask for forgiveness and to forgive others on the fourth day of Vacation Bible School at Saint Thomas More Parish July 6-10.

The theme “Mount Everest” had them walking past waterfalls, through ice tunnels and climbing mountains as they listened, shared and rotated between activities learning lessons from the Bible verses and themes of the day. 

The themes were: God has the power to provide, to comfort, to heal, to forgive and to love people forever.

St. Thomas More Parish traditions started with the late Joe Dorsett, a grandfather known as Papa Joe, who helped start the VBS. One tradition was gathering each morning to hear a Bible story, another was ending the day with the Papa Joe cheer. 

“The kids loved Papa Joe,” said Elizabeth Smith, VBS coordinator. “It melts Mama Jo’s heart to see the kids do the Papa Joe cheer every day.” Mama Jo was Papa Joe’s wife and she still attends VBS.

During VBS, the children rotate between sports activities, a snack, a video, a craft and a skit; all reinforcing the theme with a lesson. For example, a map was needed to climb “Mount Everest,” so on the fourth day the craft was to color a map; without a map or a guide, life can be difficult, said Emily Fernandez, who taught the lesson. 

“It’s difficult to ask for forgiveness and to forgive others who have hurt us,” Fernandez said.

To find their way and to overcome challenges, the children made binoculars out of toilet paper rolls.

The children were accompanied each day by the character Trek. He too, got lost climbing Mount Everest and needed a map to find his way. The previous day, Trek became ill and needed a Bible verse to heal him.

The kids at St. Thomas More VBS learned lessons in various ways.

Brendan O’Hara, 8, had fun playing games, he said. He learned that “God has the power to forgive.” 

“I liked learning about God,” said Madison Hammond, who is 9. “We learned how God provides for us and comforts us.”

Shannon Fassler, a VBS assistant, remembers attending VBS when she was 3, she said. “I really looked forward to coming because I had a lot of friends here and I loved doing the crafts and getting to see all the characters. When I got older and realized I could help, I wanted to help the kids have the same experience that I had – it was always the most fun way to spend the summer,” said Fassler, who is now a sophomore at Hillcrest High School.

Another part of VBS was collecting donations for the Muscular Dystrophy Association Camp in Utah. The MDA sponsors the camp nationwide for children aged 6-18 with any form of muscular dystrophy; families do not have to pay for their child to attend the camp.

The VBS students collected construction paper, arts and crafts, sports supplies, games, fishing poles and gear to donate to the MDA for the one-week benefit camp in honor of 5-year-old Marcus Fernandez, who attended the St. Thomas More VBS. Fernandez has Duchenne muscular dystrophy and he will attend the MDA benefit camp.

“It’s a sleep-away camp and I’m a little nervous about that,” said Marcus’ mother, Emily Fernandez. “Moms and dads don’t get to go. The camp adapts the sports and activities so that all the children can participate. There are hundreds of volunteers there who help the kids forget that they have muscular dystrophy for a week.”