UFO Days

I've been MIA the past couple weeks because this is PEAK season for me in Children's Ministry.  My plate is never fuller than in the month of July!!! 

On July 19-22, ministry leaders from 3 other local churches and myself organize a 4-day nightly outdoor adventure for the tweens in our community.  We gather together 4th-8th graders, feed them, and then cart them off to a different destination each night from 5-8 pm.  This year, we took them to the challenge course at UWStout, on a hiking/scavenger hunt at Menomin City Park, put them to work at Refuge Farms (a rescue for abused/abandoned horses), and then capped the week off by canoeing the Red Cedar River.  I'll share some photo highlights in a later post!!  It was tons of fun ... such a great opportunity to laugh and build relationship with these young people.

The following week, July 25-29, I partnered with another local church to offer Vacation Bible School for kiddos age 3 through 5th grade, also every night from 5-8pm ... and ALSO tons of fun.  Kids are SUCH good soil for planting seeds.  They really get God and His Love.  So fun to hang out with them and participate in their spiritual growth.  Will post pics from that later, too.

In between these two events was a fundraiser for my local mom ministry, SAMmy's, on July 23-24.

I just might be insane!  ;-P

Anyhoodle ...

I am posting a few pics from the fundraiser.  We set up a thrift sale, a snack stand, and face painting in Elmwood, Wisconsin during their UFO Days festival.  Yes, UFO Days.  Elmwood is the UFO capital of Wisconsin.  Now you know.  ;-)  If you're dying to know why, here are the deets.

This was huge undertaking, and I can only take minimal credit.  We had some rockin' volunteers who worked themselves silly putting this all together.  Our objective was 3-fold. 

1. To raise $$$ so that we can provide childcare weekly ... and offer scholarships to our mommies for annual Retreat in Bloomington, MN. 
2. To be visible in the community and connect with moms who are needing the sort of fellowship and encouagement that SAMmy's offers.
3. To work shoulder to shoulder with our sisters in Christ.  Nothing bonds us together like laboring together with a common heart and goal.

I think we succeeded on all counts!  Praise God!!!  :-)

On to the pics ...

Our very own SAMmy's face painting artist, S, who also serves on our Leadership Team.

S brought posters to inspire our customers.

Full face tattoo in progress.

My X gets a full tiger face.

We offered FREE ichthys (Jesus Fish) ... and had lots of takers.

Another Ichthys.

TJ and his best pal Z.

 Showing off their UFO head gear.

Loved these girls who LOVED our facepainting! 

How cute are they as they wait to race in UFO Days bed race?

Maybe I don't get out enough,

but this was the first time I've ever even heard of a bed race!

After the bed races, my boys and I hit the petting zoo.

Here's TJ wearing a shirt that he and his pal, Z,

decorated with fabric paint specifically for UFO Days; 

 it has aliens and space ships all over it. 

X and I with a new feline friend.

Blessings this day and ALL days!

In Him,

Kris Ann