Day Camps are Coming! Day Camps are Coming!



Mrs. Lass teaching an object lesson



I have been so busy preparing for our Day Camps lately that I haven't been blogging as much this week. Last week was a boon for my blog posts because of the "Five Days of..." Blog Hop and other reviews that I had due. This week has kind of been a flop because I've been working around the house and our mission building to get it ready for our annual summer big event - Day Camp!

This year we are hosting three mini day camps here at Good News Mission. I call them "mini" Day Camps because they only last about four - five hours. It is very difficult to get the kids that live in the projects up early in the morning so we don't really begin until 10am. We serve breakfast before that, but that isn't included in the camp program. We end camp around 2pm.

Trust me, it is a wild and woolly day in between 10am and 2pm! We start off with a big game that is designed to be able to add kids in as we go since some kids are always straggling in late. This game is strategically played in our front area where the neighborhood kids can see. Any kids that might have had second thoughts about coming that day are soon convinced after seeing the fun that we are having. After the opening game and a cool drink of water (it gets hot even in the mornings here in TN), we start our Bible time. The public school system has a wonderful summer lunch program where they deliver to set locations in our town every week day. We are very fortunate to be one of those locations but we have to be flexible so that we can be ready when the lunch lady comes at around 11:15 - 11:30. For that reason my opening Bible time is usually rule reminders, contest announcements, some songs and the verse - things that I can end quickly and come back to after lunch.

Bible Time



After lunch we finish up loose ends from the opening then divide up the kids - usually in older/younger groups for our Bible time. While I teach the Bible lesson to one group, the other group goes into another room with our dear friend and fellow missionary Lois Lass to review the verse and work on a project that complements the story. After about a half an hour we switch.

After Bible time we finish our day with crafts, more games, or some other special activity. We then hand them a snack on their way out the door to return home around two in the afternoon. Mrs. Lass and I do the teaching and Sarah runs around (sometimes like a chicken with her head cut off!) and acts as trouble shooter. We also have a wonderful volunteer group of five or six teens that come every week to help lead games, listen to verses, help with crafts and act as general crowd control.

To finish off the week Friday is always water day. We have a giant slip and slide, watar balloon battles, shaving cream fights, water wally-ball and a whole host of other wet games! Trust me, by the time the week is over we are tired and ready for a break.

Faithful Volunteers



Last year we averaged around 25-30 low income kids per week. This year many of our kids have moved away, but many others have moved in. Please pray for a good reception as we go around the neighborhood and pass out fliers over the next few days and pray for all of the work and planning that still needs to get done. We are excited but a little overwhelmed right now.

Also pray for additional funding. Good News Mission is run by donations and the money that comes in monthly barely pays for the electric, phone and insurance for our ministry building. Sarah and I are full time missionaries and are supported separately by churches and individuals. With all of the trips back and forth that Sarah will have to make to be with her sister this summer (see below) we may not have extra funds to pay for things out of pocket as we did in the past.

We had more ministry planned but had to cancel some things because of extended family health reasons. Sarah's sister is probably facing brain surgery in June for a non-malignant tumor and we wanted to be available to help when needed. Please pray for Sarah's sister Phene and her daughter Olivia as they deal with all of this and pray for Sarah as she may have to miss a few days of Day Camp (and many days in between day camp) to run to Oak Ridge, about 1 1/2 hours away, to be with her family.

Only one person on the slip and slide at a time please!



We appreciate and covet your prayers. If you want to know more about Day Camps or our ministry here at Good News Mission you can contact us at the address/email below.

Summer 2012 Schedule:

June 4-8 Day Camp One
June 18-22 Day Camp Two
July 16-20 Day Camp Third
July 30-August 3 VBS in Toccoa, GA with Mrs. Lass

For more information on our ministry please contact:

Tim and Sarah Tinkel
Good News Mission
829 Hi Tech Drive
Livingston, TN 38570
Email - tink38570@yahoo.com
Phone - 931-823-9320