Arg! KMC children find hidden treasure

***image1***More than 200 children throughout the KMC have been
looking for treasure all week and are about to find it today at noon.

Since Monday, they’ve been searching for clues four hours a day at the 2006 KMC Protestant Vacation Bible School.

The week-long Bible school is themed as Son Treasure Island and takes
place at the Kaiserslautern American Elementary School on Vogelweh.

“They’re looking for the secret treasure,” said Tech. Sgt. Lisa Mays,
this year’s VBS director. “Each day the kids get a little bit more of
the story so at the end when they put all the clues together, they will
know what the treasure is.”

Parents will be able to share in the treasure at the VBS closing
ceremony noon today at the Vogelweh Chapel. Clues were hidden
everywhere. The treasure seekers, ages 3 to 12, had to uncover them at
Dragonfly Falls while doing crafts or while singing at Songs of Praise
or while listening at Treasure Point, the secret code for story time.

***image2***“Every thing − even the snack at our Coconut Snack Shack is a story
that goes along with the theme (of finding the secret treasure),” said
Sergeant Mays, who is the Allied Component Command Headquarters
Ramstein’s support group NCO in charge when she’s not helping children
find treasure.

But, the young treasure hunters were not set adrift alone in their
quest. More than 80 volunteers from all corners of life in the KMC
ensured the hunters did not lose their way by being crew leaders,
performing skits, telling stories, preparing snacks and leading the way
by example.

“They love learning and singing the songs,” said Kristina Murphy, whose
children, ages 11, 7 and 3, also attended last year’s VBS. “Weeks after
they were still singing the songs from last year, and they were so
excited to come back here.”

For at least 20 years, VBS has been sponsored here by the KMC Army and
Air Force chapels. This year’s VBS is using the Son Treasure Island
curriculum from Gospel Light, a publisher of Sunday school curriculum
since 1933 and based out of Ventura, Calif. Son Treasure Island
curriculum comes right out of the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:3-8.

Oh, the treasure is, said Sergeant Mays, “God’s love.”