An Ark in the Desert
By Anne Crosby
What if the story of Noah’s ark didn’t just live on in Sabbath school lessons, but came to life in a kid-sized, climbable wonder? That’s exactly what Kayenta Seventh-day Adventist Church set out to do. Pastor James Crosby and his wife, Nancy, have long dreamed of bringing the Bible story to life by creating a modern-day adventure through the construction of a Noah’s Ark playground.
“In our area, the effects of the flood are evident all around us. We needed a safe place for kids to play at church, but we wanted something that would be special and a reminder of God’s word,” explained Pastor Crosby. When Katie Chitwood contacted the Crosbys to organize a mission trip, the ark became more than an idea.
A group of 25 volunteers from across the United States, including Montana, Tennessee, Michigan, and Florida, came together during the last week of May. They arrived on site in Kayenta, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, and immediately began to work. Three volunteers worked with Pastor Crosby to build a two-story ark, 10 feet wide and 35 feet long, complete with a ramp, a roof, and windows. The volunteers came with their families, and while the ark took shape, the rest of the volunteers, including the youngest, who was only 6 years old, worked in the church’s community garden and organized an engaging 4-day space-flight-themed vacation Bible school. On the first night, 25 children attended!
After the mission trip came to an end, work continued on the ark. Pastor Crosby finished staining the wood and added a slide, climbing wall, and upper deck.
Once the ark was finished, the kindergarten and primary Sabbath school class sat in the completed project for the first time and listened to the story of Noah’s ark and its significance to their lives. Now, after church and during community events, children can enjoy the ark playground.
The ark has become a talking point in the community as children walk by on their way home from school and express their curiosity at the big boat. One child noted, “I read about a man named Noah in a book, and that looks like his ark!” A mother said that her children have been begging to play on the ark every time they pass by. Pastor and Nancy Crosby are always ready to welcome visitors and retell the story behind this boat in the desert.
