Making an Impact
Impact is a ministry that is very dear to me not only because I was once a part of it, but mostly because I had the privilege to witness these children grow and open up to me. I remember that I initially signed up for Impact again during the 2nd Springfest, not because I really wanted to but because I just felt obligated to. However, God still used this selfish undeserving person like me to show these kids about his wonderful love. I remember during Springfest and the weeks following, I had a really hard time trying to get my girls to say more than one word when I asked them a question. There were times when I questioned myself and wondered why I get up so early every Sunday to serve them. However, as time went on, my kids started to open up to me because they were more comfortable and even told me that they missed me. During class time and Joyland, as I watched them learn and absorb everything that was presented to them, I was just in awe. I must admit that there were mornings when I just wished that I didn’t have Impact so that I could sleep in more, but when I got there and saw my girls running to me after they registered, I knew that it was all worth it.
I still remembered one Sunday when one of my girls came to Impact even though she had been having stomachaches on and off for the past few days. I had never seen her without a smile on her face, but on that Sunday she was just clutching her stomach after she arrived. Just seeing her in pain really broke my heart and I wished I could make that pain go away for her, but of course I didn’t have that ability. I took her into one of the classrooms and asked if she wanted me to take her home because obviously she was in so much pain, she was tearing up. She told me that she didn’t want to go home and just requested some water. I remember wondering why she didn’t just want to go home, but didn’t ponder much after it. After about 20 minutes of just rubbing her stomach and trying to find different ways to make her feel better, I asked her again if she wanted to go home. Finally, because of the sheer pain, she responded yes. When I got to her house, her mom was just thanking me for taking her home and apologizing for all the inconvenience. I told her that her daughter was having stomachaches and asked her to just give her some medicine. The mom then told me that she has been having stomachaches for the past few days, but she really wanted to go to Impact, so she told her mom she was feeling better so that she could attend. After I heard that, I was just in such shock. I thought that I wasn’t making that much of a difference in these kids’ lives, but the fact is that I am. I felt yet again so undeserving to be able to serve these precious kids.
As my last Sunday was quickly approaching, I began to become more attached to my kids. In the beginning, I remember thinking to myself that I don’t mind transitioning to college ministry because these kids were not opening up to me no matter how hard I tried. However, as the weeks passed, the girls started to open up to me more and were very comfortable around me. In particular, this one girl who never said more than a word and only smiled when I asked her a question actually responded to my questions and comments. I was surprised and also ashamed that I had no faith and was losing hope in them. Through this, God really reminded me that when it comes to reaching out to others, whether they are old or young, it really takes a lot of patience and love. I will never forget all the precious time and memories that were given to me. Yes, there were times when I questioned if the girls were bored of playing duck duck goose every week, or just having me ask them the same questions every week, I know that all that doesn’t matter because they just enjoy our presence and guidance.
Even though I didn’t particularly enjoy the times when I had to discipline my kids or had to deal with bad behavior, I must admit that it was still such a big privilege and joy to serve in Impact. It has only been one weekend since the transition and I already miss the kids so much. I am going to miss seeing their giant smiles every Sunday morning. I am going to miss watching them grow and learn more about God. I am even going to miss trying to get them to write down what they learn, but despite all that I know that God has plans for them to prosper even though I am no longer their team lead.