Program for our 2015 VBS in Waterloo, Ontario

Singing Time!

August 31, 2015

Wow! What a great Vacation Bible School week we had last week!

Each group sang in front of the whole camp

Without any advertising about the camp, we had twenty six children registered and nine high school students volunteered in the camp for the entire week.

It might be messy but kids love to paint!

We worked hard to make sure that all the children had a great time.

Building things with paper

The day camp provided a full time program so that parents could drop off the kids in the morning before work and picked them at the end of their working day.

We even provided extended care for those parents who needed it.

A bible story play- Lifting Moses' hands!

The camp ran like clock work with a variety of activities.

Daily outdoor games allow children to exercise and enjoy fresh air

Morning:
1. Activity Station
2. Singing - church and camp songs
3. Outdoor activities
4. Snacks/ Washroom break
5. Bible Drama Presentation
6. Crafts

Lunch time - free hot lunches for volunteer leaders

   Lunch was at 12:00p.m.

Volunteers came every day to prepare food for the children

Adult volunteers came daily and prepared a hot delicious lunch for our volunteer leaders.

Children ate lunch in their groups together

The children brought their lunches from home and ate in their own group.

Structured free play time !

After lunch, it was followed by structured free play time.

No video games but card games only at camp

Activity stations were set up and children were free to choose to work on their favourite activity.

Chess games stimulate the brain of children

We found that children handled their structured free time very well.

Working together on a floor puzzle

This free play time allowed them to interact and develop social skills with their peers.

When given choices, children would choose a variety of activities. They didn't just choose games to play.

If we made good books available, they also chose reading as one of the activities.

They chose activities that challenged their intellect as well.

The Sudoku was quite popular among the older kids.

Creating something together from legos

Afternoon:

1.  Fun with Science lessons
2.  Science craft
3.  Snacks / Washroom break
4.  Indoor/ outdoor games
5.  Songs / Ready for home
6.  Extended care

Bible story time

This year we did the stories of Moses and the ten commandments.

High school students volunteered in the camp

I modified the scripts so that the people assuming the different roles would not have to memorize long speeches with the narrator reading the background information etc.

Indoor group games

Judging from the feedback we received, from both the students and volunteers, it was a fantastic week!

We even held a special VBS Sunday Service and invited all the parents to come and join in the celebration.

I could not believe that a number of children volunteered enthusiastically to play their musical instruments in front of their parents and peers. They did an impressive job!

An outdoor guessing game

However, one thing we did not foresee was the large number of extra young children who came with their parents to watch their older siblings to perform.

Kids love group games!

There was a need to look after a group of around fifteen  to twenty children while the Sunday message was being delivered.

Learning to listen to instructions

Next year, we must plan to have a program for our little guests so that their parents would be able to sit and enjoy the program in the chapel!

We can always learn something when we organize a public event and make it better next time!

Learning to pray at VBS camp

We thank God that we had a great and safe week for all the children and volunteers in this year's VBS!

R.T.
Director - TECA
Toronto Education &
Communications Associates
Conducting training and running
VBS, Waterloo

An Inspiring Message from Arnold Chan, a Canadian Federal Member of Parliament

This evening was pretty special. Along with four mothers, I started a summer camp for disadvantaged kids in the Scarborough area of Toronto in the late 1990's. The summer camp was well received from the beginning by the community and has been running for almost twenty years!

My husband and I were invited back for the summer camp's celebration dinner and we were placed beside Arnold Chan, the Federal  Member of Parliament for the Scarborough/ Agincourt riding. What an honour it was!  Mr. Arnold Chan was elected in a by-election last year replacing a retiring M.P.

Arnold Chan - Member of Parliament, Scarborough-Agincourt

We did not have an opportunity to meet him until now. What a pleasant meeting it was! He was very interested in knowing what the mandates of our camp and how it helped the young people in the community.

After dinner, Arnold was asked to address the volunteers of the camp briefly regarding how to achieve their career goals.

He gave an inspirational, concise and powerful speech which he termed the three P's ingredients of success:

1. Passion - you must go with your heart and do things that you are passionate about. For Arnold, he was interested in politics and has been involved in volunteering in politics and election activities since he was very young. So running for public office was a natural path for him after becoming a lawyer in Toronto.

2. Persistence - No matter what you are interested in or how talented you are, persistence is the key
to achieving your goals. If you are not successful, keep trying and don't give up!

3. Peers - He always wants to be with people who are smarter than he is so that he could learn from them. Your peers have a great influence on you so choose them wisely!

I was involved in helping out some politicians for a number of elections and was elected riding president for a period of time. But the more I was involved in the inner working of politics, the more disappointed I became as I learned about the corruption and tricks some politicians used to get elected. After a few months, I resigned completely.

With the Senate scandal involving our prime minster's office and the corruptions happened in Montreal city politics, many Canadians were disappointed in our politicians and didn't bother about voting in recent elections.

Though still recovering from his post cancer surgery, Arnold fights hard in the upcoming Canadian federal election. He amazes us with his passion of what he believes, his energy for his work and the interest he shows in the constituents he represents.

It has been a little while since I met a political candidate with such passion, honesty and integrity.
All the best to you, Mr. Arnold Chan, in your upcoming federal election!

R.T.
Vintage Garden
Scarborough, Ontario
P.S. Mr. Arnold Chan was elected as a Federal Member of Parliament by his constituents in the Scarborough/ Agincourt riding on October 19 during the Canadian Federal Election. Congratulataions, Mr. Chan! 

Starting a New Life in China!

August 19, 2015

Our son is starting a new chapter in his life - working and living in China!

It was so exciting to hear from our son all the way from Asia this morning! My husband almost tripped over the furniture trying to answer the phone.

J. left S. Korea last week and arrived safely in one of the largest cities in China. Our younger son has an adventurous spirit and he has been trekking around the world for the past few years.

Traveling solo on a moped,  he was in different parts of Italy a few years ago. After landing a job in South Korea, he worked and lived there for almost a year and half.  He loved working and living in South Korea so much that he is continuing his adventure into China!

J. enjoys his experience and captures the daily life of Chinese people

Though the weather was quite hot and humid for the past few days, J. did not mind it at all.
He has met some of his colleagues and is going through an orientation program for new staff members which would last for two weeks.

The hang out spot for young people

Traveling around with his new friends, J. is taking in the sights and sound of China. Learning a new language and immersing in a new culture is a great experience! We are glad to know that our son is very happy and excited about his new experience in a new country.

We thank God and grateful for J.'s new experience and opportunity in China and pray that God will continue to protect him and guide him in his future career. Amen!

Our son's recent trip to Wah San during the National Day holiday

 R.T. Toronto
Grateful for our son's opportunity in China
P.s. We also talked to E. on the weekend. He's got some good news for us too!
Praise God for His mercy and grace! Can't wait to see him back in Toronto for a visit soon.

updated Oct. 2015

Fruits of Our VBS - Our Pride and Joy!

Our volunteers for the VBS camp this year

August 8, 2015

I have been organizing a church summer camp for years since the late 1990's. It has brought me lots of joy and satisfaction seeing kids having fun each summer.

The most rewarding part for me is watching our young campers coming through the camp years after years and maturing into responsible young adults.

Training volunteers in our song preparation for the camp

Some of the campers like the experience so much that they start volunteering in the camp when they get older. Consequently,  he/ she becomes a camp leader followed by finding a paid summer job as a camp counselor a few years later!

Eventually,  some young people progress to becoming the assistant directors or director of the camp helping to train other volunteers.

This process has repeated a number of times. There have been a number of young people coming through the camp and pursuing a profession in teaching due to the experiences they have gained over the previous camp years.

J. is one of the fruits of our VBS camp

Beside Y., J. is my proudest student from all the Vacation Bible School camps we have organized in the Greater Toronto Area over the years!  J. was one of my campers when I organized the first VBS in Waterloo. He was not a willing participant at the beginning.

 But somehow after the first week of camp, he liked it and continued to attend our VBS year after year. There was one year when his family planned a vacation during the VBS time period. He refused to go on the family holiday and stayed to help out in the camp instead!

Trying the games on the Volunteer Training Day

J. has been coming to our VBS since 2008.  He just graduated from university in May and already landed a teaching job in South Korea!

Before he left Canada, I asked him to help me to train this year's volunteers for camp. He gladly accepted and did a really good job sharing his experience and training the next generation of VBS helpers.

Seeing young people benefiting from the VBS camp experience and maturing to responsible young adults and helping others - that was one of the proudest moments in my teaching life!

R.T.
Director  - TECA
Toronto Education &
Communications Associates
Conducting
VBS Training Camp
Waterloo, Ontario
p.s. Both young people gained a lot of teaching experience from teaching VBS.
       J. is leaving Canada for S. Korea on Sunday, Aug 16, 2015
      Y. is leaving S. Korea for China on the same day! They just missed each other!

Audience Participatory Games Played in Para Pan Am Games!

Mattamy Athletic Centre, Ryerson University located in downtown Toronto

Though we enjoy outdoor activities. We are not great sports fan.

We were there to cheer on our para athletes

 Our ideal kind of weekend activities are hiking on beautiful trails and relaxing in front of our waterfront cabin with a great book.

The Mexican Para Pan Am Wheel Chair Team

Consequently, we rarely attend any live sports event save for some very special playoff games.

Some of the wheel chair athletes representing Canada!

This time we wanted to show our support and cheer on the para Pan Am athletes, therefore, we attended a couple of games at the
Mattamy Athletic Centre located inside the renovated Maple Leaf Garden.

We enjoyed those games tremendously!!!

Wheel chair basketball game -A great game!

The para Pan Am athletes really worked hard to perform their best.

Watching the game was an inspiring experience!

We were absolutely inspired by the athletes' handwork, determination and positive attitude towards the sporting events in which they were representing their countries.

Fans cheering for their para athletes loudly and enthusiastically!

We found the live games were a lot of fun and very enjoyable.

There was hardly any dull moment throughout the entire game!

The DJ and volunteers working hard to encourage spectator participation

The DJ and the Pan Am volunteers worked very hard keeping the fans entertained and involved from the beginning till the end.

Whenever the game had to stop due to various reasons, the DJ sprang to his feet, along with his crew, came up with some interesting activities or games to have the spectators,  young and old, engaged.

Lots of fun watching the game

The audiences responded with enthusiasm, participating in these games, doing what was asked of them.

There was a lot of spectator participation!

 Audiences were involved in playing numerous games throughout the wheel chair quarter finals. Some of them were:

Playing air guitar

1. Playing air guitar to the music being played over the PA system 

Flexing your muscles

 2. Playing air drums to the beat of the music being played








 3. Flexing your muscles and matching your face and arms to the muscular biceps showing on the screen.

Playing Head and Tail

4. Playing head and tail

This was my most favorite game of all the games played with the fans.

The elimination rounds for the Head and Tail game

It was amazing how this one game could involve everyone in that huge stadium!

The lively DJ had a coin in his hand. He asked people to choose either head or tail. Everyone stood up and put their hands on their heads if they chose head while those chose tail putting their hands on their behinds.

Only a few people remained after the first eliminating rounds

As people were eliminated, the number of spectators remained standing got smaller.

Eventually, a small group was asked to go down to the floor and played the eliminating rounds there.

After a few rounds, a child remained and was the winner winning a prize at the end!

A fantastic experience at the Para Pan Am games!

It was a fantastic experience attending the para Wheel Chair basketball games!

Hats off and a big thank you to the Toronto Pan Am / Para Pan Am Organizing Committee and all the volunteers for making the Pan Am games such a safe and an enjoyable experience!

You have made us proud of being Canadians!

R.T.
A Proud Toronto Resident
Toronto