This past week was my final week at PTM, and I couldn't be more upset. I hate to "leave" all of the children I've come to love and care for - even though I know I'll be returning for their after school program! The past week was a "PTM Bonus Week". We had a group of 30 VBS children from First Presbyterian Church come and "buddy up" with 30 special PTM children. The goal of the week: work on reading skills and have fun! The adult volunteers ran the reading classes, so my fellow worker (George) and I did games outside. On Monday we had a fun game of kickball, Tuesday we had a water balloon toss, Wednesday we played a HOT game of soccer, Thursday we took a felid trip to the pool, and Friday we played capture the flag with water balloons. Each day brought new excitement and enjoyment. The kids had such a fun time at bonus week, as well as myself. I especially enjoyed not having to plan a curriculum for the week, but having the opportunity to just play with the kids.
Another point I loved about the bonus week was watching the two completely different groups of children come together and form friendships almost instantly. Every morning we sang a song called "Diverse City" which talked about how God made each of us different and how He wants us to grow in fellowship with each other. I truly enjoyed seeing both groups get along.
Bonus week was a perfect last week, filled with lots of fun, yet heart-breaking goodbyes. Working at PTM taught me countless lessons this summer that will (God-willing) stick with me throughout my life. One of my most important lessons, I believe, was learning self-confidence in my decisions. Many times I don't have the courage to make decisions without double-checking, but having so much responsibility put me in a position where it was necessary to make decisions on my own. I also witnessed God's work this summer and His spirit in so many children. I only hope that their example of unconditional love towards me will translate to my life. I couldn't be more thankful for a perfect summer!
PS - I'll upload pictures from our field trips to Centennial park and the bank!
Taking a break from our scavenger hunt
