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!

Listening for God's Voice

I had the opportunity to catch the Storytelling room twice this month-with the kindergartners and the 3/4th graders. I loved the game of listening to your partner's voice while blindfolded. We had to listen carefully in order to distinguish the voice of our partner in the midst of the other voices. God's sheep (his followers) know His voice.

Do I know God's voice? To be honest, it's very hard for me to listen to God. I always find myself thinking about what to make for dinner, my to-do list, how annoyed I am with so-and-so, etc. It's hard just to think about nothing and to leave room for God to speak. But I find that when I make the effort, when I start this little time of "meditation" out with a prayer-asking God to speak to me, to empty my mind of all the distractions of my day so that I can hear His voice-I do hear Him. Often, God brings to my mind a person I may not have thought of in awhile. Or He'll lay on my heart, completely out of the blue, the burden to pray for a certain person or situation, to reconnect with an old friend, to right a wrong, to step up or speak out, to show someone an act of kindness. These thoughts don't come from me-I know because they seem to come out of nowhere. I believe that this is how God speaks to me-in quiet, provoking thoughts.

How does God speak to you? Everyone connects with God differently, and I'd love to hear your stories of how God has spoken to your heart to change, challenge, and love you personally. I'd love to share (anonymously if you'd prefer) a few stories in an upcoming newsletter. So, that's my challenge to you: email me a story!

Connection Studio comments

Today was a great day and the kids did really well with response time. As we were wondering today a child, who used to have major behavior issues, asked, "So these stories are, like, real? They really happened?"

We talked about the Bible and told them all the stories in the Bible are real, that they really happened. The little kid said, "Cool!" It was really cool!

Psalm 23

Last weekend I was priviledged to shepherd in the Art Studio with our kids.

They created a poster based on Psalms 23. Here are just a few items the kids

wrote on their posters:

Don't be afraid

Jesus has my heart

My cup overflows with blessing

I live in the Lord's house

Beth Shafer was our teacher and she continues to inspire me with her grace

and love for Jesus in spite of the hardships she has endured. What an amazing woman of God.