Wiggins Pass Swim and BBQ Day for Fifth Graders

On August 3rd, Ms Sally and Ms. Caitlin loaded seven 5th graders into their cars and headed for Wiggins Pass State Park. They all enjoyed a fun day swimming and floating on noodles, playing in the sand, eating watemelon, hot dogs and hamburgers, and S'MORES! What a great place to talk about God's creation and all the beauty around us, as well as His plan for each one of us.

Our graduating girls are Adaly Bautista, Jazlyn Nunez, Ana Chavez, Angela Juarez, Vanessa Martinez, Jennifer Maldonado, Elizabeth Angon, Isabel Arroyo and Emily Garcia.

We will miss them, and we will pray for them all going into sixth grade. We ask for your prayers as well

Jazlyn, Adaly, Angela and Vanessa have been attending Super Kids club after school tutoring since they were in Kindergarten!

I am glad we have a teen program right here in Rosemary Park that these girls will attend. What a blessing!

Girls visit the Holy Land Experience in Orlando

Sixteen girls made the trip to Orlando on May 14th, accompanied by Lu Burkell, Mary Ann Hopkins, Caitlin Roberts, Rosemary Luna and Sally Ritter. What a great time! Feeling like we had been transported back to old Jerusalem, we walked the dusty streets and enjoyed the drama unfolding all around us. Communion with Jesus was first, then time in the Smile of A Child area with rock climbing.

After checking out Jonah in the belly of the whale and Jesus walking on water, we headed over to a show about the angels in our lives.
The girls really enjoyed Parables with Jesus, where they had a chance to act out the Good Samaritan and the lost sheep.

The play about the four women who loved Jesus was spellbinding, as some favorite Bible stories came to life.
This was followed by the Passion Play, followed by Jesus in the second coming when he returns as conquerer. This was the most impactful play, and left us all emotionally touched.





What a fabulous day, topped off with a trip to McDonalds.
Praise God, we did it all for less than the $800 the girls raised at their yard sale!
Thank you Ms Lu and Ms Mary Ann for the goodie bags for the girls!

Girls Club visits Estero Life Care

Seventeen girls spent last Saturday morning visiting the residents of Estero Life Care in Estero. Armed with homemade baskets filled with cookies and handmade cards, the girls went from one end of the facility to the other. They stopped to chat along the way and to share the songs that they know so well, singing of God's great love for all of us.

Adaly handing out cookie baskets

They loved to talk to a lady who spoke their native tongue, Spanish. She called them all her "ninos" (children)

Many of the residents had very interesting stories to tell. One lady had been a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall!

Lu Burkell and Mary Ann Hopkins treated everyone to lunch at Ci Ci's pizza, a favorite spot. We rounded out the day with a stop at the ice cream parlor. It was a fun day, but also a day for the girls to learn compassion and the importance of serving others.

Our Sewing Project is Finished!

Last Friday, the girls finished their aprons! With the skillful help of our team of sewing ladies! Great job girls! Several of the girls really enjoyed the sewing and would love to learn more. That is what it is all about at Girls Club, just giving girls an experience that would not otherwise have.

This was the first sewing project I ever made with my mother. There were four of us great friends who formed a club, and she taught all of us! She was a tea drinker, and every year we have a real English tea at Girls Club.
-Sally Ritter

Jane Breeze and Ana Chavez

Barbara Hay with Norma

The Sewing Ladies have returned!

Armed with sewing machines and nerves of steel, our Sewing Ladies have returned! Lu Burkell and Jane Breeze worked on patterns, organized the donated fabrics and made a sample apron. Linda Swank, Barbara Hays, Sue Price and Carol Knowles also returned from their "tour of duty" last year. The girls were so glad to see them all! They love working one on one.

Lu Burkell with Vanessa

Jane Breeze helping Elizabeth pin

Caitlin teaching Vanessa how to baste

Girls Club turns into a nail spa!

Last Friday was manicure day, as the girls soaked, filed, trimmed and finally painted their nails. The french tips came out great, and the designs were very creative. Angela chose tiny shamrocks, Emily liked the paw prints, Dianneth has rainbow swirls, and Ana picked stars.

We ended the day with the Bible lesson on the different parts of the body, based on 1 Corinthians 12, learning how all are important. Working in pairs, they were given a slip of paper with a part of the body on it. They then had to explain why their body part was the most important. The girls learned that just as many different people make up the body of Christ, so all the parts of the body work together, each one as important as the others. God created us all and He loves diversity!

The finished "works of art", each one as individual as the girls themselves!

Jazlyn working hard on Ana's french tips. Great job Jazlyn!

Adaly, Ana, Jazlyn and Isabel show off their lovely nails.

Jewelry Class by Ashley and Katie

Lu Burkell's two granddaughters visited Girls Club to show the girls how to make earrings. Ashley and Katie, 12 and 14, had a great time helping the girls select colors and construct their earrings. They all had a great time!

Ashley helping Elizabeth, Norma and Litzy pick out colors

Katie with Gisel, proudly showing off a finished pair.

Create a picture slideshow

Girls Club learns first aid

     Last Friday, Mary Ann Hopkins, a retired nurse, taught the girls basic first aid.  Starting with the correct way to wash hands  and covering small cuts and wounds, she ended with how to bandage a head wound.  The girls learned the right way to apply a band aid, and how to put on rubber gloves.  It was very informative and useful for girls who are often in charge of younger brothers and sisters.  They learned what they could handle and when to call 911.  Mary Ann will finish up next week with sprains and slings.  What fun!

They got this part down pat, and after the lesson turned them into balloons!

Everyone got a wound with fake blood

Learning what to when feeling fain

The head wound victims.

Mary Ann explaining about nosebleeds

Valentine's Day Dinner Party a Hit!

 On Friday, February 11th, the girls hosted their 2nd annual Valentines Dinner party and mentor appreciation.  They invited the ladies who had helped them in their many activities this year.  Nineteen girls and eight ladies gathered for a feast of spaghetti and meatballs, salad, dessert and Ms. Sally's famous punch.   The tables looked beautiful, as the girls had worked hard making place cards, centerpieces and decorations.  Ms. Lu provided all the paper goods and candy favors, Ms. Carol brought a yummy red jello salad and more favors, Ms. Judy the bread, and Ms Mary Ann brought the delicious cupcakes.  Ms. Caitlin even folded all the red napkins into hearts!

After a fun game on their knowledge of etiquette, they all learned the proper way to set a table.  Manners were also discussed, with lots of laughs on what was proper and what was not.  Candles and soft piano music (cd) really set the mood.  The day ended with listening to the Fathers Love Letter a collection of over 50 bible verses telling of God's great love for us. (Go to fathersloveletter.com to experience this)

It was truly a day filled with love.

The girls getting ready to start, napkins in their laps.

The whole group of friends!

 



Jazlyn learning the proper technique for cutting a meatball.