Restoration Ministries

My last winter break of undergrad has been consisted of bumming around (watching movies, not showering, sleeping in, watching more movies), getting sick, hanging out with some people, and eating good home cooked meals by my mom. Bumming around resulted in me having a huge motivation to go cleaning crazy one day. I basically organized tearing down our room which was way long overdue. There were clothes that needed to have been donated awhile back. I also found myself not being able to stick around in one place for a long time.

I slept over my friends' houses trying to make the most of my time left before heading to Ecuador for three months. I also decided to spontaneously join the interim at Restoration Ministries, which I was a part of three years ago in my freshman year at Trinity. I was only supposed to stay the first week, but I loved it so much that I went home for the weekend and came back the following Monday.

Restoration Ministries has become my family to me. I first got introduced to this ministry when I went during my interim my freshman year, as I mentioned before. I've wanted to help out, but I wasn't able to due to rides and schedules for almost two years before I returned again.

I was involved with receiving a scholarship if I completed 300 hours of service within the year. I chose Restoration Ministries as my main service site. I officially started volunteering last January of 2010 and have been hooked ever since. I was assigned to volunteering with the afterschool program while working with the 2nd and 3rd grade class, and I have loved every moment of it. While working with these kids, I've seen the failing education system. 2nd and 3rd graders don't know how to read still, but they pass through their grade levels because teachers don't want to deal with helping them. Many of these kids also come from broken homes or homes with only Spanish speaking parents, so the help they receive from home is inadequate for their needs to be met. Some days, or many days, it takes so much patience working with students on their homework because they don't even have patience within themselves. I'm sure they stare at a worksheet full of letters they can't understand and wonder how they are even going to complete that homework assignment. But it really is a blessing to see kids that I helped last year coming back with their report cards this quarter showing us that they have all As and Bs with huge cheesy smiles on their face. Or those times when those who are struggling on a problem or assignment finally complete it and get so happy when given a high five.

As I spent almost two consecutive weeks with my kids, I feel like I understand love finally. Yes yes, going back to the theme of love. Even when I'm disciplining a kid for choking another kid or when I'm giving a huge hug to one of them, I feel like I understand the love God has for us. He loves us despite our mistakes and still loves us when we make him happy. 

I have a sense of peace, belonging and comfort as I see these children. They make me so happy. They have taught me a lot. I see their potential and hope that they can see hope in their lives as well.