The Peru Gazette

By John T. Ryan

Over the past few days The Peru Gazette received two phone calls asking if we had seen the beautiful work done by Lauren Lawliss for this week’s Vacation Bible School (VBS). When the program’s 162 students descended the Peru Community Church’s Fellowship Center stairs to the VBS classrooms, they passed through a multitude of Lauren Lawliss’s artwork that traces the life of Moses through the Bible. Manna and the quail, the Passover, the parting of the Red Sea, Moses and the Amalekites and receiving the Ten Commandments are beautifully depicted.

The daughter of Michael and Lisa Lawliss and soon to be a Peru High School 10^th grader, Lauren Lawliss illustrated the VBS theme for the 3^rd consecutive year. She began working in June and estimates that it took her over 100 hours to reach her goal. She explained, “I attended the Vacation Bible School from Pre-K through the 6th grade and I loved it. I want to give back to the community and I love seeing the faces of the children when they walk down the classroom hallway.”

Lauren Lawliss also volunteers to assist in the VBS classroom. Today she was working with 1^st graders. She’s just one of 82 volunteers who are working to make the program a success. Students return year after year because the program is focused on being educational and fun.

St. Augustine’s Church and the Peru Community Church jointly sponsor the Vacation Bible School. Children from many faith traditions participate in the five-day program.