For the 5th Summer, Rocky Point Family of God hosted a Summer Extravaganza for Children here in Puerto Peñasco. This one-week program was offered for all children ages 5-12. This year’s event’s name was “Submerged” based on curriculum from Lifeway Christian Resources. The underwater theme was to help children to ‘submerge’ themselves in God’s Word and discover that Jesus didn’t just see what’s on the outside of people but looked deep down on the inside.

As the children were taught the Biblical stories of Jesus relating to Zacchaeus, the woman at the well, Nicodemus, the blind man and the little children who came to him, they were busy each day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Each day began with a fun filled Worship Rally where a team of children sang and danced to songs on a stage situated in a large cardboard and wire rendition of a brightly lit submarine interior. Walls covered with blue fabric and hundreds of fish cutouts as well as cleverly crafted jellyfish hanging from the ceiling lights along with many inflatable fish and sea creatures created a magical underwater world. A fog machine as well as bubble machines and multicolored lights brought much delight and screams of joy from the children (and adults).

From the initial rally, based on their age groups, the children continued in an underwater world throughout the next 3 hours each day to various stations. Seven locations – the Observation Station to hear the daily Bible Story, Deep Sea Crafts to help them remember the Bible stories each day, Deep Sea Verses to creatively learn the different Bible Verses through a variety of fun and energetic activities, Deep Sea Snacks (a full nutritional meal), Deep Sea Missions to learn about missions in other countries, Deep Sea Recreations to enjoy outdoor water games/activities and Deep Sea Music to learn the daily songs and choreography – provided action packed days for all. Each station was creatively decorated and fashioned an incredible ambiance for which the kids to escape into a make believe world beneath the sea!

More than 200 children registered and attended throughout the week even in a week which included many graduation ceremonies from the local Kindergarten and Elementary Schools, as well as required attendance for some of the children at their various schools to receive their grades for the year.

As in the past few years, one of the many highlights of the week was the attendance of many children from the local Special Needs school, La Montaña. Volunteers from both Highlands Church in Scottsdale along with their summer interns from Joni and Friends as well as local volunteers from Family of God escorted between 9-14 of these students daily through the fun filled days.

It was a magical week not only for the children but for the many volunteers including not only those listed above but also the Children’s Ministry Volunteers at Family of God, numerous teens and youth from the Church Youth Group, a group from Immanuel Church in El Paso, Texas as well as many Americans who call Peñasco at least a part-time home. As we say, God is Good, All the Time!! It was a Great Week!