The first day we went to Morristown, the interns were divided into four groups. One of the groups was to facilitate a VBS at an apartment complex, in which I was a part of. Some of our friends from the Morristown church came to serve with us, and I saw several of the youth choose to give up their Saturday to serve and love on the kids who came. I was inspired by them – they served well, considered the kids, and did not have a moment where they were distracted. It was a gift to watch, as this next generation of leaders in our Morristown community are stepping up and giving themselves over to serving God.
As the VBS progressed, there was an impromptu game of soccer with several adults, youth, and kids who were all in attendance. I knew I wasn’t a great soccer player and felt as though I woudn’t contribute much, however, they insisted I play. Philippians 2 came to mind in the moment and I felt the conviction to put their interests above my own I joined a team with youth and adults who spoke very little English. In that moment, I needed to humble myself to the point where I would go where I was told and really be engaged and attentive to their direction, as well as figure out how to communicate through a language barrier. We played for over an hour and there was constant non-verbal communication and each of us watching for each other’s direction. We even monitored each other’s positions and movements on the field so that we could be ready to respond. This was a humbling experience. I had to make several considerations in my communication that I don’t need to on the day-to-day. Being vigilant, observant, and attentive to your team in moments where you cannot communicate as you usually do, can still be very effective. It causes an increased amount of unity as you have to focus on them and their positions and support them as they go. Even when I would have the ball or need to be defending, they would support me. It was a unified team.
About halfway through the game, the other team told us that, if they score, we have to take off our shirts and play the rest of the game. They wanted to see just how white I was! However, in the end, my team won! It was a wonderful experience, and I am excited to return and see my teammates again.