Today was a busy day for the whole team. We were divided into two groups, one group went into the community and visited Agape Christian School to help with the repairing of the classrooms inside the gym. These classrooms will be used for high school students to take college courses in the upcoming school year. The other group helped Lisa Berg run a camp to assist kids who did not have access to schooling due to Hurricane Dorian and Covid.
For those who helped Lisa with the reading camp, we got to hang out with kids who are in 2nd and 3rd grade. We all got split into three groups with different colors. Each group had 4-5 kids. The kids arrived and we all played volleyball, soccer, basketball, and jumped roped outside. We then went inside, and each group did different activities or games to help with the kids’ reading and spelling. We all had lunch together and got to spend time with the visiting kids. We played a few more reading games then we all headed out to the ocean and played one more game. The kids got to play in the water and splash one another and get cooled off. We played some more outside and then it was time to go home. Some of the highlights that were shared were, once the kids got here they would come up to us and grab us and want to play with us. Aston and Ian played basketball with the boys, Kayden, Julie, and Chloe all played volleyball with some of the girls, and Haylie, Carys, Nanci-Lynn, and Norah jump-roped with everyone else. Getting to meet all of the kids was really special for all of us they touched each of our hearts and made us smile all day long. They wanted to know everything about us and wanted us to play with them all day long. Saying goodbye was probably the hardest thing for all of us to do. Seeing them wave goodbye with their big smiles made me (Nanci-Lynn) personally sad. It was hard to see them go because we don’t know exactly where they are going home to and what home looks like for them. When we get to head home, we have a nice bed to sleep in with a family who loves us, and plenty of food to eat. Through this trip and especially throughout today, we all are thankful for what we have and we pray for those who struggle with making ends meet. We can see God working through IMPACT and through the staff, and with all of the kids, and seeing it change all of our lives.
As for the other group, we painted a classroom at Agape Christian School and played sports with the kids in grade nine. We had a blast even while working in the heat. We loved getting a chance to talk with some of the locals and meet with some of the school staff that told us the story of the gym. It was funded by a family who suffered a great loss, and they turned that sadness into something beautiful that would impact the lives of their community for years and generations to come. It was a beautiful experience that we loved to share with each other and those around us.
