A Blessed Friday

Last year, our Community Groups at church decided to start doing a service project - serving anywhere in our community that we felt led.  Our group decided to serve at Stone Soup - a camp for Friends of All Abilities.  Once a month parents that have children with special abilities can bring their children for some time of socialization and the parents can have a much needed night off.  We originally signed up to serve during the month of May, but our floods cancelled their camp for that month.

This past Friday was the next time that we were able to serve.  The children can be dropped off at 6:30 and picked up at 9:30 - so we have them for three hours.  I'm not going to lie - I was pretty nervous going into this.  I knew it would be fine, but anytime I do something for the first time and don't know what to expect - it can be pretty nerve wracking.  Basically - they pair you up with one friend, so you are responsible for that friend the rest of the evening.  Of course, we are all together and you can socialize with other friends and counselors, but it is a one-on-one evening.  

It is a very structured evening - a camp-like environment.  They have time of free play, craft time, game time and more time of free play.  You basically take the time to get to know your friend and then spend the evening doing what they like to do.

I was paired up with a little friend that was non-verbal and she was wheelchair bound.  For a lot of the evening she slept because they had just started her on some new medicine, but she woke up for the crafts and I got her to smile a little while we were working.  After crafts we headed into the gym for game time.  We all sat around for a game of duck, duck, goose.  I was a little nervous playing the game with her because I was going to have to push her chair around the circle chasing someone, but all of the friends play, no matter their ability - so we joined in.  When it came our turn to chase - I took off around the circle cheering my friend on.  I so wish I could have seen her face because everyone said she was smiling so big and had so much fun.

Nate and I got to meet a lot of new friends on Friday night and we were so blessed by the people that were there.  Both those serving as counselors and those there as campers.  It was a sweet night of fellowship and service and we plan to go back and serve again.

They are always looking for volunteers - the link is at the top of my page if you have a group that would like to do a service project, or if you would just like to go volunteer.