Page 281 - Neglected Arabia Vol 1 (3)_Neat

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14 NEGLECTED ARABIA

THE FIRST DAILY VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL IN ARABIA
An entirely new approach was made in Basrah during1 the sum*
mcr months in the organization of a Daily Vacation Bible School *
which reached a class of children hitherto untouched by any mode :s
of work. We quote Mrs. Van Ess: “The Daily Vacation Bible
School which was held for a month this summer was a joint educa* 'i
tional and evangelistic enterprise. Dr. Van Ess, Muallim Jalil and ,-i
I conducted it for two and a half hours daily, live days a week,
using the new school building. We limited the membership Iq-'\
Moslem boys who had never been in any school whatever, as we
wished to benefit the entirely unpriviledged class. Fifty boys were
enrolled and most of them came for a good proportion of the time.
The average attendance was twenty, but the absentees were never ..
the same from day to day. Our program began with a very
thorough wash-up at the water tap outside the boarding school j
kitchen, after which the boys marched into the assembly r<jprn, and J
Dr. Van Ess gave them the ‘Health and Habit talks. The la«t
two weeks he illustrated the health talks by use of the physiology I
charts from the new school laboratory and the boys showed a keen i
and intelligent interest in them. After this came singing; they p
learned some hymns, and a few simple motion songs. Ho you know 3
how does the farmer?’ and ‘Crossing the Bridge were le inou •
popular. The Bible lesson came next. Dr. Van Ess told a Bible ;
story, two weeks from the Old Testament and two wee's rom the ,
life of Christ. This period often included dramatization, and the ]
Children of Israel crossing the Red Sea, the Good Samaritan, tb, ,
Lost Sheep, and David and Goliath, were acted out with great spmj |
and <*111 lui.siasni and vivid local color. I hen Mualln glVf 1
lhen a period of brisk gymnastics, or gan.es, ch.iosmg,11.0 lalltf J
with a view to developing a spirit of teamwork. . t,y ikt fl
they were divided into two groups and alternate ? !* ■
Jalil and me for Simple Arabic and Handwork lhe andwok* 9
eluded cutting colored paper and making chains c°'°rmg Jjictur^ I
freehand drawing and coloring—often fear u iHustntinir BILL "

£“,*1, g« Smto a saba.aa.ini I

Oil that day.
"The whole experience was a most interesting and satisfactory
demonstrated the feasibility of using this method to tour*
one, and ordinarily reached by our
a class of children who arc not
schools.”
TOURS AND ITINERATING
Touring and itinerating has been carried on as far as possiblcw
our entire field from Amarah in the north to the environs of Mu**
hi the south. Mr. and Mrs. Dykstra made a last tour in the Milu^
Stewart” in the river country just before their departure on .
lough. Our colporteur in Nasariych made a tour along the: Hai
l igris and returned to the station by way of the Euphrates m*,J