Jan Basemann, Linda Knoll, Jonathon Knoll, Aaron Nord and Irene Reinking, all members of Trinity Lutheran Church, Cedar Rapids, taught VBS in Healy, Alaska, July 2006
Healy is a coal mining town located on a spur road (lumpy, bumpy and dusty) near the entrance to Denali Park. Approximately 1,000, middle class people with jobs and nice homes live there. Their problem is they have no Lutheran Church and no Pastor. We held VBS in the small Catholic Church. More than 30 children ages 3-13 attended every day. That kept “The Trinity Five” very busy.
The high light of the week was the 47 Bibles we presented to all the VBS children and other children in the community who were unable to attend VBS. These NIV, Old and New Testament, hard cover, picture Bibles were provided by the Trinity Lutheran School Children. These Trinity children brought offerings of pennies on Monday, nickels on Tuesday, dimes on Wednesday, quarters on Thursday and dollars on Friday. The total check they presented to our VBS Team was for $875.00. This covered the cost of the 47 Bibles and most all of the craft items. What a wonderful gift these young missionaries provided for the children of Healy. The VBS students proudly carried their new Bibles back and forth from VBS to home and back again. Daily they told us how someone had read to them from their Bible or how they had read to someone else. Sharing the Gospel message of “Jesus Love and Salvation For All People” is what mission work is all about.
