Hello all,
Last Saturday I went with Street Grace to do a volunteer day with one of the ministries they partner with, Bright Futures Atl. I think I mentioned in a previous post that Street Grace does Volunteer days so you can get to know a ministry and see if it is where God is leading you to get plugged into.
This was the first time I have done anything with Street Grace and the first time I went somewhere to volunteer by myself. I was a bit nervous because Bright Futures is west of Atlanta, in the "not-so-great" part of town. I thankfully had no problem getting there. The ministry is located in a residential area and it was a nice house that the kids in the area can go to. Bright Futures provides after school and summer programs for the kids to encourage them to stay in school and graduate and keep them off the streets. The people at Bright Futures also use this time to pour into the lives of the kids and give the Gospel at any opportunity. Recently, they started a school for middle and high school grades. They have 13 enrolled in the school and they tutor and mentor many more.
Saturday, me and about 20 volunteers helped BFA do some maintenance around the property. I helped clean the inside of the house, others picked up trash and rake leaves and things like that outside. I met a few other volunteers with Street Grace and it was encouraging to talk with others who want to minister in the way I do--to get involved with aftercare of trafficked children. BFA does not work with that audience so I probably will not volunteer there, but it was good to see the place and learn what God is doing in the Atlanta area.
After we cleaned, we ate pizza with some of the kids and played volley ball. It was fun to hang out with the kids, but a part of me felt guilty that I was only going to be there that day and more than likely I will never see those kids again. I question what the point of it is? I know I helped out a little and it was appreciated, but what did I do that one day to encourage or spread the Gospel? I did something good, but did it speak Truth into the kids who worked along side me? I felt good about myself, but that is not the point of serving. I do know that day taught me that I should be willing to commit more time than I originally thought. For example, I was talking to one of the volunteers, Nicole, and she was telling me about if we volunteered to mentor a child who has been trafficked we had to make a serious commitment. If we say we are going to be there at such and such a time, we better be there. I didn't realize until then what a big commitment it will be and how unprepared I feel/am. So, for now, I wait for God's timing. I am going to see about getting training through Street Grace to mentor a trafficked victim and hope I can commit time and not back out because of fear. Continued prayer is asked for and appreciated.
Thanks for reading!
oh, and if you are interested in learning more about BFA here is their website: bright futures atl
