Today was our first day of KSE! We had a later start at 2 p.m., which gave us a slower morning to do our quiet times, review our book study, & enjoy breakfast before heading over to set up.

We began KSE with worship led by Mark, and it was such a great way to start the week. Many of the kids already knew the songs and were excitedly practicing before we even started! We also had a special appearance from the K-S-BEE himself… Rich-san! You won’t bee-lieve how big the costume is or how crazy the kids went for it. 

Today’s lesson was about how God created everything there is, and yet He still wants to spend time with us. Seichi taught the older kids while I taught Yochien. We looked at John 1:1–3 and Mark 10:13–16, teaching the kids that God sees us because He created us and loves us. They also learned about how Jesus welcomed the children who came to Him. Just as Jesus saw, welcomed, and loved those children, He sees us and wants us to come to Him too.

For games, Dani led the kids in telephone charades where they acted out different things for their friends to guess. It was a fun reminder that everything they were acting out was created by God!

For snacks, Gloria made edible magnifying glasses with an oreo and pretzel stick, along with gummy worms and teddy grahams. She talked about how a magnifying glass helps us see things more clearly and notice tiny details, but God doesn’t need a magnifying glass, He sees everything, both big and small!

For crafts, Cindy had the kids decorate the classic first day of VBS tote bags that they all know and love. It was so fun to see each child’s creativity come through in their designs. Each one was different and unique, just like how God created each of them.

It was a sweet first day of getting to know the kids and beginning to build relationships with the mom volunteers. Many of them have attended KSE before, so it’s a big blessing that they’re experienced and always willing to jump in wherever they’re needed. We’re so thankful for them and the way they’ve welcomed us and served alongside us!

Afterward, we had dinner together as a team at Yakiniku King and it was delicious! We realized we hadn’t eaten since 9 a.m., so the Lord definitely sustained us throughout the day. It was nice to slow down, enjoy a meal together, & reflect on our first day as a team.

Praise God for a smooth first day! We’re so thankful for the opportunity to be here and excited to see how the Lord continues to work through KSE this week.

Prayer Requests:

• Pray that the children would remember what they learned and grow in their understanding of who God is and how much He loves them
• We have some room conflicts tomorrow and won’t have access to the craft room. We’ve figured out a plan, so please pray that everything would go smoothly and that we would remain flexible and joyful.
• Pray for our lunch with the families after, that it would be a fruitful time to build relationships and share about Christ
• Pray for continued strength and rest for our team as we have an early start tomorrow