Past Events

           Over the years Rainbow's End has held many special events.   Most were educational and all glorified God.  Each was organized and presented by volunteers.  Joan welcomes new ideas which encourage children and/or adults to grow in faith.  She is especially excited when the person presenting the idea is also willing to organize the event, as her time is limited.  Below are descriptions of the main events held in the past at Rainbow's End Library.  Check out the Current Events page for a listing of the events planned for this year.

Puppet Shows

        May 12, 2007 saw a return of the popular puppet shows to Rainbow's End by a new team, Might God Ministries.

        First to appear were A. Mazy Grace the lamb and her owner, a little girl named Molly.  Mazy and Molly discovered why being sweet as sugar isn't nearly as important as being salt to the world. 

        Mitch the church mouse also appeared, giving his testimony of his former life as Rizzo the Rat...a hardened gang member who went to the country seeking new members for his gang.  His plans did not go as he intended and when he stumbled, terrified, into a country church he finally realized how much he needed God and accepted Christ as his Savior. 

        A total of 30 people attended this show...16 children, 4 teens, and 10 adults.  Mighty God Ministries is planning to return at regular intervals during the 2007-2008 year at Rainbow's End.  Check back in August for the exact dates. 

        The first puppet show was done by the VIP team (Victory in Puppets) in 1999.  M & M Kids (Miniature Missionaries) performed puppet shows in December of 2000 and 2001.   

Joan thanks the talented puppeteers of both teams.  What a fun way to minister to children!

Fall Story Fest

            On October 28, 2006 Rainbow's End Library held a fall event especially for young children.  Organized by volunteers, the event featured crafts and snacks based on a fall theme.  Afterwards there was a story time which encouraged children to follow Jesus.  Because this event was aimed at young children, it was held later than normal library hours. 

Mother's Only Breakfast

Outdoor Easter Scene

          For several years the Lanier family of Leavenworth produced a reenactment of the scenes of Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection at Rainbow's End Library. The goal of the reenactment was to clearly teach that Jesus Christ was crucified to pay for our sins.  Visitors were guided through a series of scenes on the grounds, beginning near the front door of the library.  During the tour they met different Biblical characters and heard their reactions to the events of Easter.  Among the portrayals were a Roman guard and a disciple.  Each tour concluded with an invitation to accept Christ.  Many families included this tour as a part of their annual Easter celebrations.  Unfortunately, because Easter is based upon the Jewish calendar (which follows the moon), the Lanier family has decided it will be too cold this year to be outside for several hours.   Joan thanks the Laniers for their faithful service and their eagerness to tell others about Christ. 

(Pictured is the Roman guard reading the proclamation which sentenced Jesus to death.)

Noah's Ark

           Below the main grounds of Rainbow's Ends is a hay field.   Several years ago Joan, with the help of some local families, measured out a rectangle the size of Noah's ark as stated in Genesis.  Metal posts were placed every ten yards, marking out 350 yards (1,050 feet) around the outside.  For every 5 books a child read, Joan cut 5 yards of baling twine and had the child tie the twine to the posts.  Periodically she also placed big wooden signs stating the length, which were visible from the play area.  Instead of mowing the entire area, Joan mowed a path following the posts.  Visiting children loved to explore the path, discovering with their feet exactly far it was all around the ark.  One of the fathers who helped maintain the display recently stated how even now, years later, this still helps him better appreciate the size of Noah's ark.  This event halted when the library began closing each summer.  While it is possible to create during the winter, shoveling 1,050 feet of snow is no fun!

Rainbow Reading Race

            Get Ready to Read!       Set your Goal!       GO! 

             The children attending Rainbow's End during the summer were challenged to reach reading goals set by their parents.  Each child had to be registered by June sixteenth in order to participate.  Pit stops were scheduled every Saturday and Sunday through the summer, when the children could come exchange finished books for new, exciting reading materials.  The finish line, nine weeks later, was on August eighteenth.  Prizes were handed out on the two weekends following the race's completion.  Each child received a prize for participation, and additional prizes were awarded to the winner in each category.  While this event was a great success, Rainbow's End is now closed during the summer as fewer families visit in June and July.  Currently Joan uses these months for vacations.

Herb Walks

           When the health shop "Cedar and Sage" was located in Leavenworth, the owner conducted several Herb Walks on the grounds of Rainbow's End.  Each person participating in the tour was given a list of 15 local plant species with the uses for the plants written at the bottom.  Mrs. Boyea, a descendent of the Cherokee Indians and a Master herbalist trained by the School of Natural Healing in Utah, led the group around the grounds, identifying each plant and more fully explaining its traditional medicinal properties.   Most of the plants were used for more than one remedy, each part of the plant having a different use. The tours lasted approximately 20 minutes.  Joan thanks Ms. Boyea for willingly sharing her knowledge in this series of walking lectures.

Mothers Only Breakfasts

           By invitation only, Joan hosted the first Mothers Only Breakfast in September 2005.   While the library warmly welcomes everyone in the family, Joan especially wanted to encourage the ladies, many of whom home school and therefore get few chances to socialize with other women without being distracted by their children.  Each guest received a charming postcard invitation with an encouragement to invite another woman as a means of spreading word about Rainbow's End.  The ladies ate a leisurely breakfast under elm trees, then helped Joan clean up.    Many visited a while longer before heading home with the materials they had selected.   

           The second Mothers Only Breakfast was held in September of 2006.  The day dawned chilly and rainy, so breakfast was served inside.  There were several ladies who had never visited Rainbow's End before, and they excitedly browsed the shelves both before and after breakfast.  Altogether nine ladies and one baby attended the event.  The ladies of both events thank Joan for a wonderful time of fellowship and a chance to meet new friends.

Story Time

           Volunteers in the past have organized various story times for children.  They have been quite popular among families.  Unfortunately the families doing these events moved away and Joan cannot read aloud and run the library at the same time.  Joan does thank these volunteers for giving so generously of their time while they were in this area. 

Origami Weekend

           This event was taught by a local family who wanted to share the delight of origami, the Japanese art of paper folding.  This was a highly popular event with people of all ages creating many unique works of art.  Joan thanks the volunteers who patiently taught this event.

Page last updated May 21, 2007.