I spent last weekend with 48 students and adults at a two day event called "Do Something." The greatest challenge for me was speaking. I actually lost my voice. I felt fine, but my voice was gone. I was was supposed to speak two different times. I was able to use a sound system to attempt saying a few things when we kicked off the event, but that was about it. I'm sure there were some who thought this was great. I had to work with another leader to speak for me in the evening.
We served at Lower Lights, a compassionate ministry center, in Columbus.
We worked on four different apartments that will be used for families needing housing.
Students painted, moved appliances, and did minor demolition.
They even cleaned floors. I should probably send some of these pictures to their parents.
It was a great weekend. What was most frustrating to me were the conversations that I wasn't able to have with many of the thirty-eight students who signed up to go. So many times I would stand and try to talk. I would then get this strange look and the question, "What did you say?" Eventually you just want to give up.
We actually stayed a few miles away from Lower Lights at Fort Rapids where there was an indoor water park. The water park was great, but we used the dichotomy between Fort Rapids and the needs that were just a few miles away, to point out how we often become numb to the needs that are around us everyday.
It wasn't about serving at Lower Lights. It was about noticing the needs that are around us in our own community and schools. The focus was on our theme "Do Something." We intentionally challenged these students to become more aware of the needs of others and to do something about meeting those needs.
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