Toronto City Mission has helped me find my passion for being in the children's ministry, which led me to pursue a profession in teaching. I want to be able to guide young minds and encourage them in their walk with God while simultaneously strengthening mine. I am returning for a second year because I want to continue to build relationships with the children and families that I have connected with last summer. My heart still aches for the families that experience poverty, both financially and spiritually.
The past four and a half weeks of the internship has led me to encounter God in ways I never sought. To experience a connection with the staff and bond with one another, while also seeing my fellow colleagues join this internship with the intention of bringing God’s love into the lives of others.
Thus far, my faith has been both challenged and strengthened. This year, I am returning to Flemingdon Park as a summer intern. I had enjoyed my experience last year and expected something similar for summer 2023; of having close to 30 campers registered, to lead a small group of 6 of the youngest, and have those children participate and be attentive during Bible time. But to expect this year to be THE EXACT SAME is unrealistic when we were given a new set of kids, a new staff team, and TLCs (Teens Leading in Communities). How could I expect to copy and paste my experience?
I walked into the first day of camp this year with this mindset, forgetting that what I had been praying for was a challenge that would push me to become a better teacher and connect with kids of various ages. And so...ask and you shall receive they say...God gave us a challenging first week and a half of camp, with many children who were English language learners and just overall experiencing exhaustion that I hadn't remembered undergoing last year. I felt ready for camp, yet when it started I felt unprepared. However, it is through leading my devotion on patience through 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 that I was reminded that our goal is to lead transformative lives by being a Christ-like model for the kids. I was taught to love when it's hard, to be patient when feelings of frustration and irritation arise, because as much as it is hard for us to love easily, God loves each one of us in a heartbeat and forgives us over and over again. But even more so, that to love God is to love His children, as
"love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance"
and I know that my service to God is to love each child unconditionally like God does and to keep my faith strong knowing that this work glorifies Him.
I feel loved knowing that there are people that support me during camp. They encourage me to stay strong and steadfast as I embark on a new adventure this summer with brand new experiences and a fresh mindset to expect the unexpected. I am reminded that I have a support system that is praying for me and the camp and through that, I know that my team can gain the strength that we need as we continue for the next 5 weeks.