Serve and Surf #3

This week wwkids had the opportunity to have the third serve and surf of the summer. This week we had the opportunity of going to the Ganton Center to spend time with the elderly residents of our community. The kids had a great time and it was amazing to get to see different generations of people interacting in a positive way.

During this event, it was amazing to see how much enjoyment the residents got out of simply seeing the children. At first the kids were hesitant, but by the end everyone was smiling and having a good time. Not because there was a lot of deep meaningful conversation, but because they got to see the children. Some of the kids simply said hello and then played the Wii, which the elderly enjoyed watching them do. It was a great experience and it is amazing what can happen when a little bit of time is given up so that many may benefit from simple actions.

Eco-Adventures Camp

This week some of the wwKids experienced the eco-adventures camp. During this week they we able to realize that nature was a part of what God created and that he has given us the duty to take care of it. Some of the activities included a bug hunt, working with the garden, learning that our food comes from the ground and how God uses nature to create it, making new objects out of trash and learning how to reduce/reuse/recycle. Overall, for everyone involved this was a great week of fun and learning that will help everyone to realize that there is a beauty to nature that we need to preserve. Overall, it was a wonderful week that was enjoyed by all.

One of the major points that did stick out this past week was that God gave us the five senses and that they define us as different from other animals with a purpose. It was great to see the kids interact with each other, but also interact with who they are and that they have a purpose. The kids all began to realize that they can do more things to make a difference, which is the point of the summer theme of helping hands heal the world. This was great to see in the kids, and they are helping to create a better world for tomorrow.

The Heart of the Matter

This week wwKids had the opportunity to go to the Second serve and surf of the summer;

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 bag up and hand out 4 ears of corn and bag some peppers to hand out also. 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.

At this event, the kids were able to see the type of food given out. Some of the peppers had been frozen and were mushy, while the corn was a little moldy on the outside. It was a sad thing to see at first, but then we all realized with the corn that it was moldy on the outside but underneath there was good corn. This is a great lesson for anyone because it shows that God’s creation is a good thing even if it may not look so great on the outside, like this corn, there are some people out there who look moldy but may have an amazing story with a kind heart. It is worth looking past the bad to see the great in people. That is something everyone can learn to do and wwKids got to experience firsthand.

Walking with others

This week, the wwKids in the discovery studio had the opportunity to learn to walk in someone else’s shoes. This is a concept that many people have already heard of but seldom think of. When there is a problem it is so easy to quickly judge instead of thinking from their perspective. This can even be put into technical terms when it comes to personality traits and learning styles, because we are all wired differently, and part of that is because of the environment that we were in growing up and are in now.

Even though this is the case, it can still be hard to remember this and be willing to show mercy to those who may need it. So this week, because I had the ability to teach and interact with this lesson first-hand, I now want to be able to practice what I teach and encourage you to do the same. Be willing to show the love of God even though it is not always the first thing instinctively done. People still need it.

When do I need help?

In the past two weeks wwKids has had the opportunity to experience yoga in the motion studio. I was able to sit in on this experience and see what they did. A few of the poses they did involved another person and they would have fallen on their own. This made me think about the Helping Hands theme of the summer and brought on the question of when do I realize I need help and then ask for it.

Often when we think of helping hands we think of people needing our help. We don’t then reflect back and see when we need help. That is the other half of helping, realizing when we need it and being willing to accept it. Often we want to solve things on our own and not ask for help, but it is a necessity in human life to give AND take. So this week, just realizing when I need help and then being willing to ask for it may change my perspective and I can help someone else be able to help heal the world through me. It is something for everyone to consider.

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.