Giving & Receiving

There is one thing I can always count on…regardless of how tired I am, how grumpy I appear, how sad I feel, or how bad I hurt: I undergo a transformation when I am around children. I don’t know if it’s their innocence, optimism, or youthfulness, but their attributes are infectious. It is no wonder Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me” (Luke 18:16)! On Monday seven of us from Sesser began a week of “mission work” at Jesus es el Senor UMC near Cobden, IL. We joined a team from the Fairfield FUMC and served as tutors for over fifty Hispanic children, helping them hone their math, reading, and writing skills. Once again, I received so much more than I was able to give. Yesterday alone I came home with three new friends and a sense of accomplishment. It’s not that I was able to impart great knowledge or skills to them…it’s that I cared enough to show up. More than anything else, some of these kids desperately need to know someone cares. Not everyone can, or is able to spend a week or a day there, but we have a total of fourteen people who have decided to serve these children at least one day this week. Keep us and the team from Fairfield in your prayers, along with “these to whom the kingdom of God belongs.”