Tricky Horses Entertain at VBS

If you happened down East Washington Street on Wednesday morning, the city’s “road closed” barriers might have caused some brief befuddlement. After all, no branches were down, no parades were scheduled, and no one was in sight. But just inside the walls of neighboring Winterset Community Church, Vacation Bible School was in full swing. Enjoying a week of learning about God—with a western theme—the little cowboys and cowgirls could hardly wait for locals Denny and Renee Simmons to arrive with their special assistants.
 
Around 9:00 AM the trailer rolled onto the street. Though the babies in the nursery couldn’t quite see out of the windows, the older kids noticed as Stetson and Digger ambled out to greet the morning. Pretty soon, 75 kids—from toddlers in the nursery to fourth graders about to graduate from the VBS scene—found a place on the big tarps covering the damp ground on the south side of the church. Directing seating arrangements came more than 25 leaders and helpers, also excited for the show.
 
Denny stepped to the front of the crowd, his big Bible in one hand. He led the children in prayer, asking that the drops of rain dripping from the sky would subside. After awhile, they did sure enough—but by then the kids hardly noticed they’d been getting wet.
 
For the next 30 minutes, Denny and Renee led their horses through the many tricks they’d learned and practiced over the chilly winter months. Kids giggled with glee as one horse “cleaned his room,” picking towels and toys off the damp street and dropping them in a waiting basket. Another trick involved one horse snatching a “blanket of sin” off of his buddy’s back and tossing it away (an illustration of what Jesus did in the New Testament). Stetson and Digger also gave kisses, played instruments, and “answered” questions by stomping their feet and shaking their heads on cue. The kids (okay, and the grown ups too) loved it!
 
When the show came to its end, the children were invited up to pet the horses—and a few received a complimentary equine kiss on the cheek. Now that’s a memory.
 
Wednesday’s VBS performance at WCC was the first of the year for Mr. and Mrs. Simmons’ trained horses. As you might guess, they are booked for several more appearances throughout the summer Vacation Bible School season. It is their free gift to the community and a delight to every boy, girl, and kid-at-heart.
 
To visit with Denny and Renee about booking a performance, give them a call at 462-3720.
As printed in the Winterset Madisonian 7/7/10