After
learning I would be in Kids Club this week Sunday night, my first reaction was
frustration. Even though I had done a
week of it before in Newport, I only wanted to go to service projects, but
continued to put a smile on my face to try and seem happy about. Looking back, I realize why God put me there,
despite my prayers beforehand to put me anywhere else. At the beginning of the week, I met a girl
named Mia who captured my attention by trying to take my glasses on the first
day (don’t worry I got them back). Over
time, I learned along with Sabrina that she wanted to be a singing, ballet
dancing, cheerleading gymnast. God knows
I’m not any of things but my attempts to sing and dance always put a smile on
her face and demonstrated I was where I was supposed to be. Later that week, I had the pleasure of
meeting Gavin who was about the opposite.
We played Super Mario around the park all day and I was excited to find
out he didn’t want to participate in water day, saving me from being drenched
like the rest of my crew. The thing that
stuck out to me most was his genuine curiosity in how the world works and his
constant questions, which I was happy to try and answer. Overall, both of them were extremely
difficult to say goodbye to today, and I was silently hoping that the next
group will give them the same love and attention. Both reminded me how God, even when we feel
uncomfortable, bends us so that we can still make an impact in another’s life. In theme with the lesson this week about God’s
love for us and our response, I would have to leave saying thanks to Troy (and
God) for putting me in this group where I know I made a difference in two kids’
lives and making two new friends. -Evan
Looking
at the job list on Sunday night, the only thing I could think was that I am NOT
a physical labor kind of girl. But just as I always try to do, I aimed to go
into the first day with a smile. God treated me well this week to say the
least. The heat index was supposed to be between 95 and 103 degrees, but we
ended up with breezy clear skies with plenty of shade. As I spent the time
scraping paint off of old wooden posts and painting the ceilings of smelly boys
locker rooms, I started to realize that the company I was surrounded by and the
positive attitudes of everyone I encountered was going to make my week
fantastic. I started to realize day by day that this trip and this job was
exactly where God wanted me to be. It pushed my comfort levels and patience but
I made the most out of it. One of the houses I had been painting, edging,
sanding, and scraping for a few days was finished today and sitting back and
seeing how far that house had come was so rewarding. As hesitant as I was when
Troy placed me in this group with this work, I am so thankful that God placed
me here. -Lauren
My day
started out at the Outrageous Sports Camp where we played basketball with the
older kids and tag and other outdoor games with the younger children. While I
was disappointed to hear I would have to interact with other human beings at the
beginning of the week, it turned out okay in the end. I ended up becoming good
friends with a girl, Alaina, and that was a good thing to know leaving the site
today. When coming into the site I had
feared that I would not be able to have the patience required to handle
children, especially those who were around my own age. But my friendship with
Alaina changed that. I am no longer fearful of working with kids. This is one
more reason why I am grateful for what this trip has provided me with. Once we
left the site we went to our work project where we pulled weeds so that the
carrots could grow for the Bemidji Food Shelf Farm. The work we did there was
very visible, so it filled us with a sense of accomplishment when we finished
up. Once we came back to the high school we had free time and an afternoon
activity and then we went into the foot washing portion of the evening. The
foot washing ceremony is one of my favorite moments of the year because I can talk
to my friends while I feel at the peak of my closeness with God of the week. It
is a great feeling to interact with your friends at this time because it is the
end of the long week of hard work and you experience a closeness which our time
together and with God has brought about. I am so very grateful to have come on
this trip, however I am very happy to be coming home soon. -Rachel
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