a rollercoaster..

  and what a ride it has been. full speed. with numerous ups and downs along the way.

 

   each day this week I have come home from camp with so many stories, so much less energy than I started the day with, and many new lessons learned. i would be lying if I said this week was easy.  i love my girls, Samara and K'yanna but they don't make my job easy.

 

   K'yanna/KK is very outspoken, you will often hear her ranting. one of her famous lines is, "i'm gonna pop you on the head." the first two days of camp I was busy taking care of Samara's needs that I didn't spend as much time with K'yanna. by the third day I could tell that was bothering her. so we had a talk and it ended with a hug and her saying, "your my favorite staff." she comes across with an attitude at times and will often ask me to not touch her or her things. so i have learned to only show her affection when she either asks for it or she gives it to me first. while she may come across at first as very confident and almost obnoxious at times but throughout the week i saw glimpses of a softer and more sensitive side. i look forward to continuing to build a friendship with her as the weeks go on.

 

   Samara/Mar Mar is less outspoken. small for her age, but sometimes you would be surprised with how loud she could be. the first day her and her best friend Skyla shared with the class their best friend rap: "skyla and samara this is all we be about, your papa's so fat i got cheese on my Minnie mouse" now don't ask me what that means but they sure do love it. one of my favorite memories with Mar Mar was both on Monday and Tuesday during Bible story time she decided to fart on me. Monday's were small and not so loud but then Tuesday came around and let me tell ya it was explosive. both times she was rolling on the floor laughing and so was i. from then on i knew she was comfortable with me. i also learned that to get attention Samara likes to pout. it was a struggle for me to know how much attention i should give her. i say all this, and at the same time i still love Samara. even though she gives me trouble i still love her. unconditional love, that is what the camp is all about.

 

  now even though those are the girls i have been asked to closely mentor i have also started to build friendships with the other fourth graders. Imani, quiet personality, cute outfits, and beautiful smiles. Lillian, soft voice, always doing the right thing, is a helper. Fara, smart, likes to say "hi", and she enjoys camp. Savannah, quite a handful, tells it like it is, likes to be the one in charge. Skyla, loves hugs, very outspoken, loves to laugh. And Corian, the only boy in a class of 7 girls, lady's man, loves hugs, responds better to female staff. its been such a joy getting to know all of them.

 

first impressions are always interesting. i look forward to learning more about and from the kids as the summer goes on.

 

each night i have made it my duty to no matter how hard the day was to write down in my journal a list of things i was grateful for from that day. i have found it to be a good way of ending the day well no matter how it might have gone. its good for me to reflect and to be grateful. because there is always something to be grateful for.

 

thank you so much for your continued support and prayers. even though the hardest part may be over i still have a lot to learn and a lot more days ahead. while i really look forward to them, i know they will not all be easy.

 

take care.

 

 

prepared, inspired, and anxious..

on Monday of this week I woke up at around 6:30AM. the first thing I did was open my Jesus Calling devotional book to June 10th. and this is what was written...

"Rest in Me, My child. Give your mind a break from planning and trying to anticipate what will happen. Pray continually, asking My Spirit to take charge of the details of this day. Remember that you are on a journey with Me. When you try to peer into the future and plan for every possibility, you ignore your constant Companion who sustains you moment by moment. As you gaze anxiously into the distance, you don't even feel the strong grip of My hand holding yours. How foolish you are, My child! Remembrance of Me is a daily discipline. Never lose sight of My Presence with you. This will keep you resting in Me all day, everyday."

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him." -Psalm 62:5

 

   before reading this on Monday morning I had overwhelmed myself with worry, fear, and nervousness. all the new that I was about to encounter was causing me to ignore my constant Companion. I was gazing anxiously into the distance, not remembering the strong grip of God's hand holding mine. when I read this I immediately felt at peace. one of the most bizarre feelings ever. although I did go into the day at peace, taking all that "new" in was very exhausting.

 

   I carpooled with 3 other teens to Belden Elementary School in Canton, Ohio where I would be spending the majority of my summer working. This past week each day we focused on how to be best prepared for when the kids would arrive. each morning we watched a TED talk. these talks sparked good discussion as we answered questions like: what is this telling us about who we are as humans? how is the speaker challenging us as educators? what steps can we take to create a positive atmosphere for our students?

 

   another form of training we went through in the afternoon was called MANDT training. the MANDT system teaches that all people are important. at the most basic level, relationships are formed to satisfy human needs for human safety and security and needed for people to grow and develop. building positive healthy relationships is the ultimate goal of their training system. Darin Nissley, one of the directors, led this part of the training. I was very impressed and encouraged hearing his words and wisdom. some of the key things he said during this time were:

-Jesus died for them (kids) as much as He died for me.

-This camp is about power under. We are not here to stand on top of these kids and share our power that way, but we are to about power under. Helping these kids to be empowered.

-All this camp cares about is the heart.

 

   so Monday went and came, and the rest of the week went smoothly. I learned to get to know the rest of my team. many smiles were shared as we talked about how excited we all were to meet the kids. towards the end of the week we found out the names of the kids we each would be individually mentoring throughout the summer. I found out that I have two girls. Samara and Kyanna. I look forward to building a relationship with them both. I feel as though I am as ready to learn from my mistakes and grow as I invest in both of them. i believe this week was really beneficial. i learned a lot. i feel as though i am prepared. and although I am very excited to meet the kids, I also find myself a little anxious about the unknown. then I am reminded of this verse.

 

 "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him." -Psalm 62:5

 

i hope to keep you updated on how next week goes for me. thanks for your prayers and your support. i appreciate it so very much!

take care.

 

 

an opened door.

To my friends and family,

   I am so excited to inform you of a very exciting and special dream of mine that has begun to take shape. I have been accepted to work with Lighthouse Ministries in Canton, OH this summer! Each summer Lighthouse Ministries leads what they call a Summer Enrichment Camp. They have both college and high school students help minister and walk alongside kids predominantly elementary aged.
   I will be living with my grandparents who live in Kidron, Ohio during that time. I leave Sunday June 9th and training begins on June 10th. I will be in Kidron for the majority of the summer all except for 2 weeks. I am grateful to be allowed to still be able to allow time off to go to Convention in Arizona and enjoy time with my extended Kauffman family. My official last day working will be August 1st.    The Lighthouse Summer Enrichment camp focuses on nurturing kid’s needs academically, physically, and spiritually. We will spend time each day exercising, learning math, science, arts, and reading, and finishing the  day with worship and a Bible study.
   As a high school intern, I’ll be placed in either the 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade class and I’ll be assigned to one or two kids for the summer. My job is to be their encourager, motivator, supervisor and friend. Many of the children in this program have very little knowledge of God or the Bible. The goal is to plant seeds of faith in their young lives and let them know how much Jesus loves each and every one of them.

  

 

I would really appreciate your prayers throughout this summer. Prayers for an open mind, an open heart, and open arms to all that God has in store for me. I plan on using my blog as a way of updating and sharing my experiences throughout this summer.

take care.