A Smile Goes a Long Way

This past Monday wwKids had the opportunity to go and help out at the Salvation Army handing out fresh produce to those in need. What they were able to do is a kindergartener was able to hand out four pears and some older girls could hand out 4 peppers, while the boys went to work bagging a dozen ears of corn to give away. It was amazing to get to see children help out in their community in a way that impacted many, and it was not that difficult to do for any age.

There are many people out there looking for that helping hand and we were able to provide that for them, but this also got me thinking about what exactly service is. There are opportunities out there to do many things as big as becoming a missionary overseas or there are even projects in this community like picking up trash in a parking lot. It all depends on your view of service. Even a simple smile to someone who is having a rough day can be an act of service because it is helping someone in the community have a better day.

So no matter your age or your position in life, it is not hard to reach out and lend a helping hand. Those helping hands, are the ones that will heal the world. Serve and Surf was an experience that helped these children see that they can make a big difference with some food and a simple smile that could have made a big impact on those people they were able to meet, and maybe the people we serve can serve others and create that chain of love that will help heal the world.

Remember to watch out for more summer opportunities to “Serve and Surf” with wwKids!

Connections

Connections are key, and not connections that just benefit you. Some of the best connections are the ones made simply to gain the loving community they bring. This is the kind of connection that turns into friendship and is growing in the church.

This is especially true in kids because of how genuine their emotions are. Sometimes the greatest teachers in the world can be found in kids and often many adults don’t even realize it. In the simplicity of life and the relationships built by these children, there is a genuineness that is amazing. They make friendships based on how they feel, there is no ulterior motive and they build friendships that may last for the rest of their lives. It is such a blessing to be able to be here and work with this team to see those relationships being born and forming the future of the Church.

"This is for you to eat"

Looking through a child’s perspective can be an awarding and view changing experience. One of the major ways that I have seen a new perspective is through the kind hearts of children and how their focus can easily change from infancy, where it is all about them, to elementary, where they learn how to focus on others also.

In the Garden this summer, the kids are learning about giving away the fruits of their labor. I especially saw this giving concept when I looked at the cards that the kids wrote for the families who are receiving the fresh produce to. These cards say things such as “this is for you to eat” and “we are going to give you fruit” in these simple sentences it is amazing to see how easy it is for them to give this away with so much love dripping from every word, and then from this, these families are able to see the fruits of God’s spirit in these kids through actual fresh produce. Seeing all of this come full circle is a rewarding experience that has help me see that we do not always need extravagant words and long stories to be able to reach out and show Gods love, sometimes it can be as simple as a bag of lettuce and a sentence that can lead to the changing of that particular persons’ life. But, this is part of the magic of being a child and knowing that they can change the world one person at a time.

The Garden

The 2000 census found that 12.4 percent of kids under the age of 18 in Jackson County live in poverty. Can you imagine what those numbers are today, ten years later? At Paragon Academy alone over 40 percent of its enrollees receive food assistance.

This summer wwKids' Journey is adopting two families from Paragon Academy for the gardening season.

Under the experienced leadership of Sarah Crane, the wwKids' Experience Studios have put in a vegetable garden. With a budget of $300, we expect to produce 2,000 pounds of food, valued at $3,000! We anticipate that we will be able to provide 2 families with fresh produce from mid-June to September.

The Garden is part of our summer wwKids' theme "Helping Hands Heal the World." Each week the kids will learn about justice, mercy, and serving others (Micah 6:8). In the Garden Studio they will learn how God created the earth to provide food for us, how we care for the earth and how we can use what we grow to help those who are in need. The world is big and kids may feel that their hands are too small to make a difference, but by tending the garden they will learn hoe to be Jesus' hands and help heal a corner of the world!