Children reach out to disadvantaged families around the globe

By MICHAEL WOJCIK
News Editor

Students of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish's Vacation Bible School last month not only thought "outside the box" on social justice issues, but also thought outside the boundaries of their rural, wooded town. These faith-minded young people decided to live out their Scripture lessons and "love big" by learning about and by reaching out to disadvantaged children and families far and wide - from across the United States to across the globe.

In late June, the 172 students of Vacation Bible School (VBS) at Queen of Peace School, here in the Hewitt section of West Milford, put their love into action, making 60 polyester blankets, destined for children in orphanages somewhere in the U.S. VBS organizers thought further "outside the box" by inviting a Dominican religious sister to speak to students about her ministry to the "poorest of the poor" in her native Pakistan.

"VBS students know Jesus, and they are going to do something about it," Janet Scheil, Queen of Peace's religious education coordinator, said of the social justice component of VBS.

Guided by the theme "Fiesta," this year's VBS infused Scripture lessons with fun, imparting to the pre-K through sixth-grade students Bible stories using a dazzling array of attention-grabbing songs, skits, arts and crafts and team-building sports activities. This year's VBS, for the area's public-school students, used a pre-packaged program published by Harcourt Press, "Fiesta," to express a celebration of Christian faith.

During the six-day VBS, students tied together orange blankets, emblazoned with "Jesus Loves Me," intended for poor orphans in the U.S. Harcourt provided the materials for the blanket, which the publisher states, "encourages children to think about children in need and then take action to make a difference in those children's lives." Supervised by a team leader, an older seventh- or eighth-grader, groups of several students placed one piece of the blanket on top of the other and tied together the pieces of fringe at the edges - and thus tying together the two pieces of the blanket.

"It was fun," said Allison Sullivan, a sixth-grader at Upper Greenwood Lake Elementary School, who worked on the blanket project with her fellow students in the basement of the school in the arts-and-crafts area. "I got to talk with my friends, who were next to me. It was easy to do. The blankets came out nice. They are nice gifts for the kids who will get them."

Pleased with finished blankets, DeLaina Repola, a sixth-grader at Westbrook School, remarked, "It made feel happy inside to help other kids." The blankets also were decorated with black lettering, sun-circle designs and the saying in Spanish, "Jesus Ma Ama" - Jesus Loves Me."

Queen of Peace's VBS went global with talks by Dominican Sister Livina Herman Gill, founder of the Women and Children's Development Organization: Good News of the Son of Mary in Pakistan. A slight woman with a quiet voice, Sister Gill nevertheless captivated several classes of students. Today in her native land, there are 10 centers that help more than 1,000 "children of the street," who have been abused, take drugs, beg and are child laborers.

"They are peace makers and peace builders," said Sister Gill. "We teach them to help each other, forgive each other and love each other. Love is the biggest thing God gives us."

At this weekend's Masses at Queen of Peace, Sister Gill will speak about her ministry, which provides food, counseling, medicine, books, recreation, work training and employment. Parishioners will be asked to help support her outreaches by buying scarves, fiesta dolls, doily sets and shawls - made by the Pakistani children - that she is selling. So far, Queen of Peace netted Sister Gill more than $600.

Then, Sister Gill - who also works with the United Nations to help spread peace worldwide - urged Queen of Peace's young people to pay attention to God's vocation for them, adding, "God might be calling you. Listen. He's always with you."

"I liked sister's talk a lot,"  said Repola, one of the most attentive students during Sister Gill's presentation; she not only asked questions, but also raised her hand to answer some of the Pakistani nun's questions. "It's interesting to hear about the (very poor) kids, hear their stories and then learn how to help them."

When asked about vocations, Repola replied, "It's a message from God. I will listen to God to see what he wants me to do."

Sister Gill's visit helped Queen of Peace's VBS continue its mission focus. Last year, students donated to a church destroyed by the December 2004 tsunami that devastated south east Asia, Scheil said.

During VBS, Queen of Peace School was a beehive of activity as groups of students raced to and from the various activities that took place in the basement, the gym and the classrooms. Harcourt's "Fiesta" program presents Bible lessons with a multitude of interactive activities - from songs and skits to team-building sports contests. Students finished craft projects, like tie-dyed shirts, and collected Bible Memory Buddies figures and People of Faith cards that help them remember the Scripture lessons all summer long, Scheil said.

These lessons include Fiesta's Daily Challenges. Students try hard to model the example of Christ by following VBS' daily themes, such as "Jesus Is Our Helper" and "Jesus Is Our Leader." One day, students emulated Jesus as leader by praying for their group leaders and members, forgiving someone who hurt their feelings and obeying their parents - the first time they are asked, she said.

VBS organizers brought Bible stories to life during daily Bible Adventures. One morning, two adults, Fran Turek and Eileen Thompson, Queen of Peace's health ministry director, strutted around the school's stage to become tour guides for the "Jerusalem Cave Cleaning Company." This offbeat, sometimes funny, sometimes serious skit, had re-imaged Christ's capture, death and resurrection story.

"Why are the Roman guards looking for Jesus' followers?" said one of the women of the Jerusalem Cave Cleaning Company, who overheard the story of Christ's arrest by the Romans and of his death, including that his disciples were in hiding.

The other woman remarked, "Jesus is dead on the cross. That's terrible." But the other woman replied, "Jesus is not dead. Jesus is alive. Jesus is more powerful than death. He died so we could be free from sin, so we can live with him forever."

During the week of VBS at Queen of Peace, the older students, seventh- and eighth-graders - many of whom served as VBS team leaders - explored Scripture on a higher level during evening Summer Junior High. The lessons included discussions, such as selecting the ideal qualities of a pastor, and activities such as writing a Gospel story in modern lingo.

The older students also watched movies such as "Seabiscuit," which explored the concept of "second chances" - and that God gives us many second chances, Scheil said. The night sessions also included a talk on vocations by Father Fred Walters, Queen of Peace's pastor; a Bible version of "Family Feud"; a question-and-answer periods; and prayer.

Of VBS - which this year had drawn a record number of students, Scheil noted, "The kids are learning about God and having fun doing it. They are getting up and getting moving."