Thursday morning we loaded our (not-so-lite) bags into the trunk of my car and headed to the airport. With passports in hands and excited hearts we boarded the plane to… WASHINGTON DC!
Thursday and Friday were full of ministry set up. Saturday was packed with hours of walking and site seeing. And Sunday was the BIG day of welcoming 40 students/ leaders to DC to start an amazing week.
This week we had three youth groups with several different ministry opportunities. One group had 30 people. They worked at Cherrydale Assisted Living in the morning and served in the community in the afternoons.
The other group, which I was with all week, served at Jills House (www.jillshouse.org). Their mission statement is: “We serve boys and girls, ages six through seventeen, with intellectual disabilities without regard to race, religion, or ethnicity. Our mission is to be a safe haven to which parents can entrust their children, allowing the parents a time of rest.”
With little expectations, yet anxious hearts, we walked into this beautiful home.
To be honest, I was a little nervous about ministry. It easy for me to do service work or prayer walks, but its hard when you are asked to step out of your comfort zone. Working with children with special needs can be scary. It can require a lot of patience. It can be a lot of work. BUT it doesn’t have to be!
As soon as we walked through the sliding glass doors, we entered a whole new world. We could feel peace and the presence of the Lord consuming every inch of this place. We could hear laughter echoing through the hallways. We could see staff members smiling and loving on the children. We made our way to the second floor for a brief orientation, and then it was time for us to take part in the fun.
We played with them in the bounce house, we swam with them in the pool, we ran laps with them around the track, we helped feed them, we cleaned up after them, we read their favorite books to them, we sang songs with them, we prayed for and with them, and so much more.
Here are some photos from Jill’s House
After the first day, our group started to fall in love with the kids. Minute by minute, lap after lap the children’s personalities started to burst forth and capture each one of our hearts.
By the end of the week, our expectations had been blown out of the water. Our fears had been trampled on and joy overtook any anxiety we had. The precious spirits of the kids and the staff members had stolen our hearts.
This was a week that every person in my group will remember.
