Last Friday, we had our swimming reward field trip. I think it was just as
much a reward for the interns as it was for the kids.
The kids were told for a couple weeks in advance that if they behaved well, didn’t get any strikes and showed up for class consistently, they would be able to go swimming on Friday for a special reward. Five kids from my class, Room Tank, got to go, and we matched up with the second youngest class, Room Journey to go to swim in the Winns’ pool (Thank you so much, Winns!). The kids had a blast, and I loved having the chance to bond with them outside of the classroom. It was awesome to be able to spend time with them without the responsibilities of class time.
The Winns’ pool had a slide, water squirters, and floaties for the kids to play
with, and we all had a blast splashing around in the pool. I spent most of my time catching Javier and Josh when they came down the slide, or supplying the foreboding music for Jadin’s shark attacks on the other interns. I loved seeing their little faces so full of joy as they splashed around in their star-shaped rings.
As we prepared for the reward field trip, we stressed to the kids that being “good” does not come from their own merits, and God is the only one who can make you truly good. Although we rewarded them for their behavior at GetAHEAD, Miriam told them that there is a much greater reward in heaven that we can only receive if we have God’s grace and Christ’s righteousness covering our sins. Every day before class we pray that God would take ahold of the kid’s hearts and show them their need for a Savior. None of the discipline or reward we give the kids can make them good; only God changing their hearts and removing their sins by His grace can give them the eternal reward of communion with God. Please pray with us that God would save these children.
Written by: Lydia Hazel
