Coming into this year at Camp Qwanoes one of the things I was most exited for was being plugged into a church and being given a great opportunity to serve in the body of Christ. This year didn't disappoint! Looking back as the year is coming to a close and I am graduating one of the things I am most thankful for is being given the opportunity to serve at Camp and in my Church. It has been a great season of growth and learning for me and I am so appreciative. Over the last eight months between my Pastor and the students who also went to my church, we ran an Awana program (childrens club) for grades 3 to 6. That has been at times a little challenging a little stretching but most of all so rewarding. It has been so neat to so kids come out of their shell and enjoy this time so much, and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to build into these young Kids lives. In my camp and youth ministry class we read a book called raising spiritual champions and one of the facts in the book was this; which said, between the ages of 8-12 is the most instrumental time of growth and that by the time kids hit around11 or 12 they have already formed their own worldview. Between my time serving in my church and consoling kids at Jr.s retreats I am so thankful for the time I got to spend pouring into this important stage in kids lives.
I was defiantly stretched quite first semester when I counselled Jr.s retreat in the first semester. It was a wild and crazy experience being accountable for 8 energetic, hyper children. I found it difficult to earn the respect and get on the kids level to show my care for them, however one of the most rewarding things was having the ability to have a second go at councoling Jr.s and seeing the growth in my capability to minister to kids. In general I my patience was also stretched but wven this was another thing I could thank the lord for, to have the ability to work in a way that cost me something (my sleep specifically) which made doing kingdom work feel so much more worth it.
Another way I was stretched was just being continually pushed outside my comfort zone through the Kaleo program year in general. Sounds cliché and vague but it would impossible to list all the ways I have been pushed outside my comfort wether speaking in front of a crowd of strangers either during camp weekend or on missions trip, or going and talking to a homeless person on the missions trip, or in my church Awana program or others, all this is to say I have been pushed outside my comfort zone a lot. This is however one of the things I defiantly most thankful for and I hope to seek out being pushed outside my comfort zone in the future. This being pushed has made me so much more confident in my self and understanding that my identity is in christ. I no longer fear failure or rejection nearly as much as I used to and I can very clearly see a transition of maturity in my life happen over this time and I am so thankful for this pressure cooker of growth I have lived within for the last Eight months.
What I am going to miss the most is also very cliché, but it is so true and something is messed up if you you went through this program and agree on some level. What I am going to miss the most is the people. I have built so many close friends who have supported me and pushed and I am so thankful for them. I am so thankful and going to miss the leaders I have had who have lovingly pushed us to our limits. And I have fallen in love with the Church I have been attending. There has bee so many people who have lovingly poured int my life this year and so many people I have been able to pour into as well and I have as you can expect built up an attachment to many of them and I am going to miss them all so much!
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