Bubbles, sidewalk chalk, hammers, and nails. These are the makings of summer life in ministry on the Yakama Reservation. My ears hear children's laughter at kids club, my eyes see beautiful brown skin hopping off the church bus, I push the long, dark hair out of little ones faces in the Sunday preschool class, and I taste the huckleberry licorice that sweet Della shares. My senses take it all in daily.
These are the days I want to remember. Our first summer on the reservation full time. I don't feel hurried or rushed. We aren't here for just one week and I can imagine settling down and serving long term. It is a sweet, sweet feeling after being out of ministry for a few years.
We see pain and hardship, but that is not new to us. The main difference I see now is that at PHC, the children came to us. We had 24 hours a day to work with them as an entity. Now, we go to where the children live. The housing projects are sites for kids club. Bubbles and sidewalk chalk abound. We have 2-4 hours daily to spend with the children.
Food preparation, video making, re-roofing and painting of homes. Hammer and nails abound. This is the second summer of SRM Day Camp. Three weeks of loving on elementary age children for four hours daily at the church. Painting of a different kind happens here. ☺️
It takes many, many people to accomplish all this. Volunteers, interns, and staff working side by side in the Kingdom's work. Planning yet being flexible, yielding to our wants for the good of others, and training our minds to look Heavenward more each passing day. It is a beautiful thing.
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