Week 1 at YES

I have just completed my first week of working at the Youth Encouragement Services' Lindsley Center. During the summer, YES runs a toddler daycare program as well as a summer camp for grade school children. I work as a counselor at the latter.

Here is a glimpse of my typical day at YES: At around 8:30 in the morning, I arrive at YES, sign in, and say hello to Mr. Elliot, my supervisor. I am so lucky to have him as a boss because he is friendly, down-to-earth, and displays an awesome passion for his work. For the next several hours, I monitor the gym while the arriving kids begin to play. To my delight, the campers are obsessed with the basketball game "Gotcha," my all-time favorite PE/Extended Care activity from Lower School. My fellow counselors and I have such a fun time playing this with the kids. At 10:00 I help lead worship songs in the auditorium and then Mr. Elliot or his assistant counselor gives a devotional. After this, the kids are divided into three age groups and are sent to participate in various activities. I am usually assigned to help lead activities for the youngest children whose ages range from around four to eight. Our activity for Monday was arts and crafts. My fellow counselor Jereka and I drew pictures of the kids with sidewalk chalk and later we helped the kids make pictures with foam decorations. I help serve lunch at around 12:00, continue the pre-lunch activity afterwards, and then the counselors and I hand out snacks. Beginning at 3:00, the kids begin to leave for home, and I leave at 4:00.

My first week at YES was especially memorable because a mission trip group called M-FUGE visited us Tuesday through Friday. This team was composed of around twenty teenagers and chaperones from across the country who traveled to Nashville this week to pursue God's work. During their visit, M-FUGE led worship time for the kids every afternoon, led games, and performed puppet shows. All the YES counselors were assigned to help with various M-FUGE activities, and I assisted the mission team by preparing the arts and crafts projects they brought with them. On M-FUGE's last day with YES, we all took the kids on a field trip to Centennial Park. I had such wonderful fun with my new YES and M-FUGE friends there when we played catch, Connect Four, and parachute games (M-FUGE brought a giant, colorful parachute for the children to play with). When we said good-bye to the mission team, I felt sorry for them because they would not have the chance to spend more time with the amazing kids at YES; unlike me, they wouldn't be coming back to the Lindsley Center on Monday. This revelation reminded me of the devotional Antoine, Mr. Elliott's assistant counselor, gave on Monday. He reminded the kids of the blessings they receive daily such as food, clothing, and love which others in the world lack, and then he encouraged them to be grateful always. Personally, I am incredibly thankful that I have five more weeks to spend at YES. The campers and counselors act as one big family, and they have graciously welcomed me in as a new member. I can't wait to continue my work at YES and write all about it here!