Excited about the idea about being a part of Impact, I applied to be a Team Lead right away. I was so set on being one that under the application I even marked that position for both my first and second choice, just so whoever reviewed them would just see how much I wanted it. However, when I received the email explaining my position as a helper, I felt it was a title
for the people they didn't have room for and I just thought to myself, how could I ever hope to change these kids behind a sign directing traffic? However, God still used me in more ways I could have imagined.
In the beginning of Impact, we started with a day of games. As a helper it was our job to set up the boundaries of cones, get supplies ready for the upcoming games and participate if needed to. Todays games happened to involve a lot of water like water balloon tosses and relay races with cups of water. Unfortunately, since one of the boys were sick, he couldn't get wet and had to sit out for all the games. I decided to talk to him and just keep him company. Somethings I found out about him surprised me. As I talked to him the subject of where he lived and the kind of people he played with had come up. He told me that all the kids in his apartment always said bad words and he didn't like it. And I was amazed. Here was this third grader who found it so wrong for other kids his age and older to be using foul language. His response reminded me that children were so pure, innocent and soft-hearted and that as they grow up in this world, their hearts were going to be subjected to hardening by what they saw around them. But in this moment I couldn't help but think that though these children are small, God is working in them and it is up to us to guide them in the right path. We continued to talk and it surprised me how he just wouldn't stop sharing more about himself to someone he just met. Later, the conversation ended with us just talking about our favorite Pokemon.
The next week I sat at the registration table while the kids lined up to be checked in. Next in line was the boy I kept company last week. He approached the table with the biggest smile ever, yelling “Hey Mr. Hugo!” While I was checking him in I noticed he looked from side to side as he reached into his pocket. Out he pulled out what seemed to be something flat. Covering it was scraps of line paper held loosely by pieces of bright lime green painters tape he probably found at home. It was probably the worst wrapping I've ever seen, but then he handed it to me. I asked him what it was and when I opened it I saw that there were two Pokemon cards. He remembered our conversation last week and so he got me those two cards as a present. I was so touched. I saw how these kids desired love and affection so easily and so much. And just in that one conversation I had in which I showed interest in him and his life, he did feel love and he felt like he could trust me. And just by looking at how this kid wanted love, I was reminded that this is the case for all of us adults as well we hide it. From his immediate response of kindness towards me, I knew that this kid along with the others in Impact were so easily molded and that was scary. However, when they came there on Sundays, it was our calling to love them and shape their hearts.
I realized that God never said that only people with certain important titles can make a difference in these kids' lives, but that we are called to love no matter what titles we hold. And in the weeks I have been a helper, I've actually seen these kids open up more and more and I've seen the opportunities that God has placed in front of me to love them. And when I notice all these opportunities, I know that these kids are just yearning for love. Though I came in with a bad attitude because I didn't get what I wanted, God said I still choose you to love these.