They rolled up in a school bus. No really. They did. And I stood there wondering how a school bus would look as it parallel parked in downtown Washington D.C.
My 5th group of the summer shocked me…in the best way possible. I have found middle schoolers to be some of the most fun and real people, but the other hosts in the past few weeks had found them to be something else. So, I was nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. Our first night together we went to Ben’s Chili Bowl for dinner. They loved it. At every meal with my groups I start to become a little more a part of the family. This experience was no different. My leaders had stories to tell and jokes to crack which, as a host, is a breath of fresh air and makes my job easier. I was thankful for that.
And so our week of service began:
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Here are a few reasons I loved this group:
They were never entitled. I think, with age, groups start to believe that they should receive more, but these kids were always grateful for what they had.
They would do their devotions in sincerity. I remember walking through the hall one morning and seeing girls randomly spread out with a Bible opened, pen in hand, and their journals ready to be written in.
They made me smile. This group really got along well and they received me well too. Their playful attitudes and willingness to serve just made me happy.
Their generosity. One of our leaders bought us all Chick-fil-a one morning and I cannot explain how much my soul needed that chicken, egg, and cheese sandwich.
They valued family. This week looked very different from other weeks because in the middle of our week was the 4th of July. My grandparents flew up from Texas and wanted to spend some time with me. Not only did I spend 4th of July with them, but my group invited my grandparents to dinner with us and even told me to leave early one night to spend more time with them. Isn’t that crazy cool?! I thought so.
They uplifted each other. The last night of the week the leaders put together an award show where they handed out homemade awards that highlighted ways the students had served best that week. For example, the “Big Brother” award that went to a student who looked out for everyone in the group and had a tender heart or the “Salt & Pepper” award who went to a student that worked hard adding salt & pepper to all the food dishes at a food kitchen.
I won’t forget all these middle schoolers. They blessed me and worked just as hard if not harder than some of the older students I have had. To all the classic rock car rides, watermelon mint lemonades, worship sessions in the sanctuary, and hair net photo shoots, I am going to miss my Southport, Indiana family.
P.S. They swapped the school bus for two 15 passenger vans, so I only had to take one van while one of the other city hosts took the other! Whoop! Isn’t God good?!
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