Community Service

Do you ever have those days when you're just struck by how much you love your job? That happens pretty frequently to me during the summer (let's face it...I have a dream job), but yesterday stood out as one of those "I really, really love my job" days. I headed out with 30 of our 2nd year campers to do some community service in Durango, and it was easily one of the best days I've had this summer!

We spent the afternoon at Manna Soup Kitchen, a ministry whose mission statement is "To provide, in the name and Spirit of Jesus Christ, nourishing meals and supportive services in an atmosphere of acceptance and caring for those in need". What a blessing for us to join hands with this group of people, even if just for a few hours! We helped with a simple task that usually takes the soup kitchen months to achieve: counting and rolling tokens for an annual fundraiser. It was an example of something tangible that we can do both here in Durango and in our home communities to give of ourselves, and it was such a joy to watch the campers serve alongside each other! The activity also allowed for great conversation, and I overheard at least a few girls sharing their stories as they counted tokens.

We left before dinner was served, but did have a quick opportunity to chat with some of the people waiting for the meal. That was a blessing, and the whole experience was a great reminder to look beyond ourselves. As followers of Jesus, we've been called to love and serve others. That's our motto here at Kivu: love God and love others (Matt 22:37-40). Philippians 2:3-5 says, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." Similarly, in Mark 10:45 Jesus says, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” If Jesus came to serve, shouldn't we be doing the same?

The day was topped off with a fun van ride home full of laughter and singing. I could not imagine a better way to wrap up our day together! Thanks, Term 4, for being a blast and making it so easy for us to love our jobs!