As I get ready to fly out with my pup Ace in just a few hours to start a new adventure with CURE International in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, these are some memories from these past few months.... my summer of 2011.
Twice a week it's taking a bunch of energetic kids in The Ark's summer swim program to the Valley Tennis and Swim Club, Frances Slocum State Park, or Hickory Run State Park for the afternoon. It's having jumping competitions off the diving board. It's playing football, baseball, basketball, frisbee, bocce ball, and other made-up games with them. It's catching minnows and little catfish. It's chatting with them and learning about their families, their schools, their friends. It's eating watermelon and ice pops and swinging on the swings. It's taking advantage of "teachable moments" and trying to instill good behavior and respect in them, trying to pass on things that I'm learning. It's talking about how forgiveness is better than revenge. It's learning to take care of the earth and not litter. It's learning to take charge and be firm. It's also learning to be understanding and encouraging.
Every morning it's going to the Learning Center and tutoring underprivileged kids who need to be kept off the streets during the summer. It's being extra sympathetic towards them, knowing they don't have it easy. It's also being extra firm with them, showing them the importance of obedience and respect. Sometimes it's hard to find that balance. It's trying to reverse the mindset that they tell me they grew up learning; that's a tough one to change. It's learning that being lazy won't bring fulfillment. It's practicing Spanish with the Hispanic children and teaching them English. I'm so thankful for Sister Miriam and all the people who are so devoted to teaching these precious kids who have never been taught the truth. It's thinking often of all of their beautiful faces and crying over the destruction caused by sin. It's praying for them. Over and over again, knowing that they were meant for so much more than this.
It's driving back up the mountain in the afternoon. It's taking the horses out for a long ride on the trail. It's getting all my focus on riding and off of everything else for a couple hours. It's running up to the lake with Ace. It's jumping in the lake and swimming. Swimming to cool off, swimming to chill out, swimming to practice proper strokes and build a faster pace. Swimming to spend time with and be coached by my sister Sarah. It's going to the island to pick jumbo blueberries and going to the dike on the edge of the lake to pick the overabundance of wild blueberries, because I don't want to miss out on one of summer's best gifts. It's playing with my nieces and nephs and younger siblings and watching them enjoy nature and being kids. It's playing ping pong and sitting around the camp fire. It's missing my sis Emily, but it's building better relationships with the rest of my family and realizing that this is the best for all of us. It's enjoying the company of our many family and friends who come to enjoy the lake with us, so grateful for this beautiful place for all of us to gather. It's really super duper appreciating facebook for allowing us all to share our pictures.
It's going the Spanish service at Pocono Community Church and being so blessed by Pastor Emilio and the whole Body there. It's reading stellar, thought-provoking books like Francine River's Mark of the Lion series, Donald Miller's A Million Miles In A Thousand Years, Josh Harris's Boy Meets Girl, John Piper's Life As A Vapor, Roy Hession's The Calvary Road, Fenelon's The Seeking Heart, Francis Chan's The Forgotten God, and realizing that I need to become a faster reader because my list of books to read by the authors listed here and many more only continues to grow.
It's remembering the importance of being kinder that necessary, because everyone around us is fighting some kind of battle. It's continuing to learn that as a child of Christ, I am called to continually step outside of myself and my self-consciousness and seek to serve others. My time is not my own. My money is not my own. My possessions are not my own. They are all a gift to me from God and His purpose for giving them to me is so that I can bring His kingdom to earth, to be a part of His redeeming plan.
It's realizing that there is opportunity to help and be helped is everywhere we turn. Wherever we are. Opportunity is everywhere.
It's coming to the realization that although some moments and hours seem to take eternity to pass by, the whole summer passes by in the blink of an eye. I don't get how that works, but in realizing how time passes so quickly, I find that as much as I'm looking forward to following the Lord into this next chapter of life, it's really, really hard to see this summer end. But hey, the best is yet to come.
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