Yesterday was our last Kids Club of the school year.
We watched a movie.
We had snacks.
We thanked our volunteers.
It was such a fun time.
And it got me thinking about Kids Club over the years...
A few years after I first arrived in Dakar, I asked if we could reinstate a kids' program which had been cancelled a few years prior. It'd be similar to Children's Church back in the States. It'd be the little kid version of the weekly Youth Group held at the school.
We'd hear a Bible lesson, play games, do crafts, sing in Worship, eat snacks, and just have a good ol' time together each week, while learning more about our Savior.
Then I left for 2 years. And that first sweet lady who helped us kept Kids Club going. I was so happy to hear all the incredible reports of kids coming each week and continuing to draw closer and closer to our Heavenly Father. I loved it!
Then I came back and that sweet lady left. So back to it, I went, leading Kids Club.
And last year, I had 5 other adults working with me. We joked that sometimes we were stepping over each other because we had so many helping. These ladies were such an incredible blessing to me last year. I was so grateful for their work.
This year, I was alone again, in leading it. While I definitely enjoyed it, it was hard. Eventually we had another adult come in to help out some. So that, combined with our middle school helpers, was such a blessing.
My goal in reinstating this program at my school was to provide the opportunity for our youngest students to have that extra time to learn about the love of God and His Word. And for some of our kids, school is the only place where they can have this opportunity. So it's extra special and meaningful for me that we can have this club, to add to what the kids are already learning in their Bible classes each day and chapel each week.
Wednesday is my longest day each week.
But I love it.
I love working with these kids.
I love teaching them.
I love sharing all about the love of Jesus. I love seeing them working together in games and crafts. I love hearing their sweet voices singing during Worship time.
I love seeing their eagerness to learn more about the Word of God.
I love it all.
And while I'd love to say that I'll definitely continue to lead Kids Club this upcoming school year and beyond, at this point, I just don't know...
My class is tripling in size from what I had at the beginning of the year this year. As a result, I'll be stretched a little (well, actually a lot) more than I was this school year. So, lately I've been thinking that it might be best for me to step down from leading Kids Club. And that's a hard, hard decision to make. But I just don't know if I can do it on top of the extra responsibilities and prep time (outside of normal school hours) that automatically come with teaching a class like mine.
But we'll see.
I have an idea of how it might work. And hopefully there will be more interest from our Staff to help next year, so I won't be all alone in leading it. If so, then it might work out. So again, we'll see.
But one thing I know for sure is, whether this is my last year or not, I have thoroughly enjoyed leading Kids Club each week. My time with these precious elementary schoolers has been such a blessing - one I'm so very grateful for.
We watched a movie.
We had snacks.
We thanked our volunteers.
It was such a fun time.
And it got me thinking about Kids Club over the years...
A few years after I first arrived in Dakar, I asked if we could reinstate a kids' program which had been cancelled a few years prior. It'd be similar to Children's Church back in the States. It'd be the little kid version of the weekly Youth Group held at the school.
We'd hear a Bible lesson, play games, do crafts, sing in Worship, eat snacks, and just have a good ol' time together each week, while learning more about our Savior.
Then I left for 2 years. And that first sweet lady who helped us kept Kids Club going. I was so happy to hear all the incredible reports of kids coming each week and continuing to draw closer and closer to our Heavenly Father. I loved it!
Then I came back and that sweet lady left. So back to it, I went, leading Kids Club.
And last year, I had 5 other adults working with me. We joked that sometimes we were stepping over each other because we had so many helping. These ladies were such an incredible blessing to me last year. I was so grateful for their work.
This year, I was alone again, in leading it. While I definitely enjoyed it, it was hard. Eventually we had another adult come in to help out some. So that, combined with our middle school helpers, was such a blessing.
My goal in reinstating this program at my school was to provide the opportunity for our youngest students to have that extra time to learn about the love of God and His Word. And for some of our kids, school is the only place where they can have this opportunity. So it's extra special and meaningful for me that we can have this club, to add to what the kids are already learning in their Bible classes each day and chapel each week.
Wednesday is my longest day each week.
But I love it.
I love working with these kids.
I love teaching them.
I love sharing all about the love of Jesus. I love seeing them working together in games and crafts. I love hearing their sweet voices singing during Worship time.
I love seeing their eagerness to learn more about the Word of God.
I love it all.
And while I'd love to say that I'll definitely continue to lead Kids Club this upcoming school year and beyond, at this point, I just don't know...
My class is tripling in size from what I had at the beginning of the year this year. As a result, I'll be stretched a little (well, actually a lot) more than I was this school year. So, lately I've been thinking that it might be best for me to step down from leading Kids Club. And that's a hard, hard decision to make. But I just don't know if I can do it on top of the extra responsibilities and prep time (outside of normal school hours) that automatically come with teaching a class like mine.
But we'll see.
I have an idea of how it might work. And hopefully there will be more interest from our Staff to help next year, so I won't be all alone in leading it. If so, then it might work out. So again, we'll see.
But one thing I know for sure is, whether this is my last year or not, I have thoroughly enjoyed leading Kids Club each week. My time with these precious elementary schoolers has been such a blessing - one I'm so very grateful for.
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