For the past few months, I've been a part of an awesome community service project called Create. We meet every other Thursday at the Manter House – a beautiful, yellow house in the middle of the roughest neighborhood in Anderson – and we host games and art projects for all the kids who live nearby.
Today, sadly, was one of our last days for this school year. We played tag, cut out a bunch of paper transformer masks for the kids to wear, and started making word-stencils for one of our biggest pieces of art yet: a set of paintings listing the four core values that the kids have learned throughout their time at Create. When those are done, we're going to hang them on the walls all over Manter House.
I love playing sharks and minnows with the boys. I love to watch them have a great time. They get to run around and exhaust themselves, but in an organized setting under the control of leaders who love to pour into them, and teach them leadership skills along the way.
At the end of the day, we all gathered on the lawn to pray, and share about the good things that have been happening in our lives.
This perhaps, is my favorite part of our time together, because it can be so eye-opening.
Before Create, I had always associated poor kids and bad neighborhoods with terrible grades, lack of motivation, and constant fighting. No doubt, some of that is true. But when I talk to these kids, that isn't what I see. Every single one of them has something to be passionate about, whether that be video games, playing the tuba, or even (a real shocker) math. When I'm with them, I can see God at work in their hearts, bringing those passions to life and fruition.
Today, two of our girls, named Winter and Jessica, told us they were thankful for each other. One of our boys let us pray for his hurting foot. And it's in times like these that I think, this is why we're here. This is what Create is all about.
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