Hello!
This semester, I will select a new person once a week to post their journal entry, or part of the entry on the blog. Each time I do that, I WILL be asking for the writers permission about what I post and you have the right to say no if you do not want something displayed. Every time an entry is posted, I will email you all to go to the blog and then you have a week or so to respond or ask a question. If you are the person who happens to have their journal up that particular week, you are also responsible for posting answers to questions asked. I hope this will open lines of communications even just a tiny bit between you all.
This is Taylor's journal entry. Please read it, respond or ask Taylor a question. I would like you all to be actively involved in each others experiences. I know that's hard to achieve, but lets attempt to at least interact on the blog.
Well, seeing that this is the second semester I’ll have been serving at the Boys and Girls club of Abilene, I found myself noticing aspects of my service that I had previously failed to see. The most exciting thing to notice was the relationships between the kids and how I saw them developing, both as a response to time and through their interactions with me. The three kids I find myself getting to know the best are the following three: Hunter, a too-cool-for-school fourth grader who enjoys playing video games; Carlos, the Hispanic boy with glasses who told me that there’s no such thing as “nerdy;” and Patricia, a young African-American girl from New Orleans who regularly wears a pair of scrubs. Having been introduced to each of these individuals in a somewhat random and unexpected conversation last semester, I found myself indescribably pleased when I witnessed the three former acquaintances all getting along while taking turns playing Ping Pong. In the past, I never saw the three together, and although I was in no way the primary catalyst of any change, I thought it was thrilling to watch these three kids begin to develop a deeper friendship.
Another exciting thing to witness is my own relationship with fellow workers developing as I continue to volunteer at the Boys & Girls Club. Zach, the director at this particular club, has always been friendly and cordial and knew my name immediately. Other workers, though, took some time to warm up to me. Mallory Watson, a friend who worked with me their last semester, introduced me to nearly all of the other student workers and volunteers, and now I find myself helping other workers with their closing duties and playing with them and the kids they’ve gotten to know as well. I guess the point I’m attempting to make in this particular journal concerns the necessity of community. As time has gone on, I’ve seen relationships forming amongst the children with whom I interact with and between myself and new kids each time. I also have gotten to know other staff members better and see an increasing spirit of support developing, at least where I’m concerned. As time meets spirits engaged in helping others, the spirit of the Lord ensures a community that fosters and grows.
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Hi Taylor,
ReplyDeleteI think it is great that you have allowed yourself to reflect how relationships have grown and developed at Boys and Girls club over the last semester. It is always awesome to see how investing your time in other people has a positive and nourishing effect in other people's lives. There is nothing like serving and being a servant. I hope your relationships continue to grow, and that your time there is a blessing to you and those around you.
Hey Taylor,
ReplyDeleteI think it's awesome that you are working with younger kids too!! I work with middle school kids and it's one of the best experiences I've ever had. I hope that all is going well for you, and that you continue to allow this kids to shape you as a leader and as a follower of Christ.
Hey Taylor,
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about the Boys and Girls club, but volunteering there sounds like a great way to give back to kids in the community. If you wouldn't mind filling me in, what exactly does the Boys and Girls club do for kids? Regardless of the goal, it's amazing that you are there as a role model for these kids, and that you are able to help them form relationships with each other and you. Kudos on everything you're doing!
Taylor,
ReplyDeleteReading your journal entry made me smile. Throughout my senior year of high school I was an active volunteer at my local Boys and Girls Club. It truly is an amazing opportunity to witness how friendship and building relationships truly can have such an impact on everyone involved. I'm glad that you are realizing that instead of just volunteering and getting nothing out of it.
Taylor,
ReplyDeleteI really love that you have been with boys and girls club for a long time. I love it when people start to plant roots at a place. It is something that I feel like our society has lost sight of and it really brings me joy that you have started doing this. Like you said, I feel like the Lord is revealed when we join in community the way he intended it. So I just want to encourage you to keep doing what you are doing because great things will happen!
Taylor,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading about your experience at the Boys and Girls Club. I have a friend who works at one branch and I love hearing stories about how different all of the kids are, but how they can come together when they want to. This is a great comparison to how the body of Christ should be. Great observations!
Taylor,
ReplyDeleteI think it's amazing that you've grown close to such a diverse group of kids. I also think it's amazing that kids can seem to bond over such a simple experience, such as ping pong.
I also think it's great you've been there for 2 semesters! Service like that is very rewarding, especially over time.
Ok, I can't figure out how to respond to individual comments, and while I thought I was required to respond to all of you, according to the e-mail I think I'm just supposed to respond to questions and comments as a whole. To begin, the purpose of the Boys & Girls club of Abilene is providing an after-school program to children whose parents need to work/are incapable of picking them up immediately after school. Generally, from what I’ve been capable of seeing and understanding, these students tend to come from lower income families and households, though that is in no way true of every student. The real joy of working in this location is the ability to get to know the students who attend regularly. I am so glad you all enjoyed reading about my experience though, and I hope that each of you get to develop fulfilling and blessed relationships as a result of your Service Learning!
ReplyDeleteTaylor,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed how you discussed your relationship with your fellow volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club. The community that we establish between the people we are serving is always important; however, I think that the community built between the other volunteers is also something that is an important and impacting part of the experience!
Taylor, I loved your comment about community. I agree with you in that community and relationships that we are forming with other people are far more important than any class room setting could teach us. In whatever jobs or paths we pursue after graduating from ACU, I really want to continue servicing the community in this way for the rest of my life. Because no matter what earns us money in this world, it's not nearly as important as serving others and forming bonds with other people around us. God made us relational beings, now it's our chance to use that gift, and give back to the community in our lives!
ReplyDelete