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All across Botetourt County churches are holding Vacation Bible School. Most begin on Sunday night and run through Thursday night with a celebration on the last night. On Wednesday night, June 24, the Botetourt View traveled up Route 11 to Mill Creek Baptist Church for this week's Bible School. 85 children from Buchanan, Fincastle, Troutville, Daleville and even Vinton came to the VBS. Pastor Randy Daniels offered God's message of hope and the "ABC's of becoming a Christian" to the older kids in attendance and 25 answered the altar call.

At Mill Creek Baptist Church children traveled to the land down under with the Boomerang Express. MCBC is a big missions church so during that part of the evening the children have seen missionary work in other parts of the world and the United States as well. They learned of some of the mission work MCBC is either currently involved in or has been in the past. On Thursday morning, June 25, many church members headed out to a Philadelphia street mission and in a couple of weeks, many more will head out to the Standing Rock Reservation Mission trip in South Dakota. Last summer the church sent a large team to the Dominican Republic on a fresh water and VBS week in that country. Long time member and member missionary for the church, Judy Deel, explained the mission work to children of all ages when they came to her class during the week long event. She showed a video of Tanzania's street boys. She also told the children that the church sent member missionaries to that country 20 years ago to build a school.

Chick Fil A donated a free coupon for ice cream and a VBS certificate. Recreation, crafts, music and a snack rounded out the evening. Pat Shotwell, Sue Sweet, Sissy Austin, Donna Crawford and Peggy Arobgast also assisted registering and organizing the evening. For a picture gallery of the cute kids at the event!

Have a VBS in July or photos from one already held in June? Send the info about upcoming Bible schools or and pictures to news@botetourtview.com