Where Did August Go?

As I look at my calendar, I can scarcely believe that it is almost September. This past month seemed to fly by, probably because it was so busy with various things…

The first week of August we had the team from Chicago here (see blog entry below). After that, we spent a week preparing for VBS and also doing team-building. While some people do not always enjoy team-building games and such, I am actually usually a fan of them. (In fact, I was the only one of all my Samford friends that loved Connections/ Freshmen Orientation!) We had a digital camera scavenger hunt that was a lot of fun, and we did some other classics like not falling off a board while you arrange yourselves in a certain order and 2 truths and a lie. My favorite part though was when we all went around and shared what we hoped God would do through our ministry this year and also in our personal walks with Him. It was so encouraging to hear everyone’s responses, and I look forward to seeing how God works this year in and through each one of us.

The third week of August was VBS. We had around 200 kids at VBS each night, and it was great to see them excitedly come and enjoy the songs, lesson, small-group review, crafts, and more. I only got to participate in the first two days of VBS though because this week also included a quick and unplanned trip to the U.S. for me—to attend my grandmother’s funeral. While flying all day on Thursday and then again on Sunday was quite exhausting, I am so thankful that I could be there with my family to weep for our own loss but rejoice at my grandmother’s wonderful gain (Philippians 1:21). I will miss her dearly, but I thank God for the many years I had with my grandmother and for her strong faith.

Finally, this last week of August, we have begun our regular ministry year. It has been a busy but good week. Our 3 different Clubs have begun, and we have also started visiting the children in our respective groups. More on this later! For now, I’m off to enjoy the last few days of August…

VBS

Futbol y Mas

This past week, we had a small team from Chicago come here. The majority of the team was comprised of college soccer players, and they came to do sports outreaches (soccer and baseball) for the kids here. The first session was Sunday afternoon, and then we had sessions both in the morning and in the afternoon the next two days, and we ended with a morning session on Wednesday. The sessions were a mix of playing soccer or baseball games, learning a few new skills or drills, and times where the guys would share with the kids. During these times, the guys took turns sharing their testimonies or explaining the Gospel and doing short illustrations of it. A lot of prayer went into the week, and God definitely answered those prayers as the sports events and the entire week in general really went great. We are also hoping and praying that some of the new kids that attended this past week will come to VBS and Club in the future.

Personally, I really enjoyed the week. As I left the first session on Sunday evening with a sore throat and a huge smile on my face, I was reminded of how much I love recreational ministry. I love playing sports (even ones I’m not good at like soccer), but even more so, I love cheering for kids, helping them understand teamwork, and getting excited with them over even the smallest accomplishment. To a see a child’s face light up when they score a goal for the first time or to give them that high-five and encouraging word when they try their best and still don’t make it yet again, brings me so much joy. Several times this week, I thought about how much I loved doing Challenge Circle in the New Orleans projects and all the cheers we used to do to get the kids pumped up about Jesus and to teach them about the importance of teamwork and not giving up. Challenge Circle in the sultry, New Orleans summer evenings (and my whole summer in general at UIM) is one of my very favorite memories and experiences, and it was so fun to experience something similar to that this week. Encouraging kids and "cheering them on" is one of the parts I love most about being a teacher as well.

I had a few other highlights as well from this week. It was neat to have other Americans around this week and especially more people to speak English with. :) Also, I really enjoyed getting to know some of the ladies and teens from the church better when they would help us prepare the meals for the team. As we’d work together to get the meals ready, shared conversations and laughter would help ease my tiredness and make it fun. Finally, I am thankful for the fact that I didn’t have to say goodbye to kids this week. As the team took last day pictures and headed back to the U.S., I was glad for the fact that I am here for longer…to keep reaching out to these children day after day, in the name of Jesus.