Anyways, here I am at the world's greatest internship, Project Transformation. This is now my third year at PT, my third year at Casa Linda, and my second year with youth. I love every minute of it and can't express how much I love my kids!
Today was a little hard for me. We did something called a privilege walk. All of the youth started on the half court line in our gym. Kim, one of the other youth interns, then read of different circumstances, such as having more than 20 books in the house, having both parents graduate from college, dealing with drugs or alcohol in your home, etc. If the youth had that experience, they would either take a step forward or back. In the end, all of the kids were pretty spread out across the floor. The ones that have lived very blessed, privileged lives were towards the front of the pack where those who, unfortunately, have lived a tougher life, were in the back. We had one girl absolutely break down crying. She is one of the greatest kids, but has low self-esteem, low confidence, seeks a lot of attention and doesn't really receive it. Angela, another youth intern, took her to talk away from the group. That was very hard for me to see. I love my kids with all of my heart and hate to see them in pain. The youth girl was eventually ok, but for the rest of the afternoon she was very reserved and drawn back. She obviously had an eye-opening experience, which was kind of what we were going for. We wanted the kids to see that they are very different and have grown up in different backgrounds. Some took it a little more serious than others, but it was still a great experience for them.
I thank God for these kids and for their growth through PT. I have seen so much growth in them that it just blows my mind. The other day in TAG (Talk About God) we talked a lot about prayer. We discussed how to pray, what the pray for, etc. At the end, we all gathered in a circle, held hands, and everybody prayed. I was shocked to hear some of them give a very sincere, heart-felt prayer. I was so happy to see God working in their lives!
There are only four more weeks of program and then Urban Camp, and I know that these kids still have a lot more growth to look forward to. I believe that God is really working through our youth team to bring them closer as a group and closer to God. I just pray that they are able to control their behavior so that they can make it Urban Camp, along with having an amazing summer.
I'll close in a short prayer:
Lord, I thank you for all of the kids in the PT program. I pray that they would look to you for strength and comfort. Allow them to be themselves this summer. Don't let them fall into the expectations of society or their friends. I ask that they would break out of their shell and mature in a positive way. God, I ask that you be with all of the interns as we continue to work with these kids. I pray that we would stay motivated and determined to transform their lives. I thank you for all that you have blessed us with. In your loving name I pray, Amen.
