Around Freedom - June '19

While the 2018-2019 school year has come to an end, the Freedom Campus is still bustling with sweet kiddos! 

This week, we hit the road running with our Summer Program. We welcomed our new 3 year olds to the campus along with our soon-to-be Kindergarten kiddos ~ let's just say there have been a few tears and gnashing of teeth (literally!). Each week this summer, we will host different grades for a morning of English Enrichment and for the older kids - an afternoon of camp! We are praising the Lord for the opportunity to interact with our kids in a more relaxed atmosphere and at the same time, continuing to pour the truth of God's Word into their hearts. 

Joining us this week are 3 separate teams totaling 63 people - we are loving all the extra hands! Summer always brings lots of teams and lots of visible changes to the campus. While some of the team members are spending time with our sweet little ones, others are putting their hands to work in many other ways around the campus.  und the campus.  

There are more classroom walls going up, painting is being done and a retaining wall is being built. Also, our first cabin pod is going up out in our campground area! How exciting it is to see the camp taking shape! We are excited to see how the Lord will use this as yet another tool to challenge and grow these kids in their faith!

Something that Jason mentioned to the teams the other night really struck me. It's easy to look around at the end of the day and see all that was accomplished on the construction side. We see buildings that are now bright and colorful with a fresh coat of paint, new classroom walls that have been laid, cabin floors....all things that weren't there at the beginning of the day. It's easy to look around and know that you've accomplished something.

It's harder to keep that perspective when you are dealing with the kids. Especially new 3 year olds that won't stop screaming and can't understand a word you're saying. At the end of the day, when you've been peed on, bitten and are just plain exhausted from sprinting after that kid that just won't sit still, it's easy to wonder what you're doing here - Am I really making a difference? 

The answer is a resounding yes! While you may leave at the end of the week not seeing much of a change in the child, you've contributed priceless hours of discipleship. Discipleship is a journey - a process. It doesn't happen over night. God calls us to be faithful with the opportunities He's gifted us - we let Him do the rest.

While we may never know the impact we've made in the life of one of these kids this side of heaven, one day we will be rewarded for our faithfulness - whether we've planted the seed, watered or nurtured. A verse I've been clinging to lately is Galatians 6:9. 

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

So whether we are working with our hands and see the progress day to day, or we are being peed on all day by a screaming child, we cling to this verse. We know that everything is for the glory of God - whether we eat or drink!