Service Continued

So we have wrapped up our Grayson "summer of service" and it was a wild success.  I am so please with how everything went that I just might do it again.

Yesterday we went to clean the church.  Despite the grumbles I endured earlier there were none when the big day came.  None!  And I didn't even have to threaten their little lives!  I'm so proud.  We finished our dinner here at home, got our shoes on, and left in the middle of a monsoon heading towards the church.  The kids were a huge help.  They went through the chapel collecting trash and straightening up in the pews and then they went to each and every classroom to empty the waste baskets.  They didn't complain.  They didn't fight.  They didn't run away to play chase up and down the hall ways.  They worked diligently until it was done.  I am so proud of the work they did.

Our final project was making lunches for a women's/children's shelter.  I bought some plain, white lunch bags and zoo stickers so the kids could personalize each bag.  This was the result of our Family Home Evening project.

Our Stickers

Stickers and Bags - A Beginning

After much concentration...

unfailing diligence...

and some hard, hard work...

we were done.  Here are some examples of the masterpieces that were created.

Livvy

Ellie

Ashton

The next step in the process was stuffing baggies with carrots...  

and apples.

I really felt like all of the food groups should be represented - fruit, vegetables, meat/protein, grain, and fruit snacks.  This is the only part the process the kids grew a bit bored with.  They hung in there till the end though.  Even Ashton stayed for all the hard work.  Of course that could be because he sat in the middle and was effectively trapped.

I set up the staging areas...

And we got to work.  At first our "to do" pile was much bigger...

than our "done" pile.

But we persevered.

Always working with a smile.

And our "to do" pile got smaller...

and smaller...

and smaller.

And we kept smiling...

as our "done" pile got bigger...

and bigger.

Eventually, as with all things, we came to the end.  We were very sad.

But proud of all the work we had done.

Once everything was put in bags the kids helped me pack it all in boxes and carry everything to the car.  We then drove down to the shelter and they helped me unload.  Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of those things because I was loading and carrying as well.  The lack of pictures, though, is in no way indicative of less work.  In fact, I think they worked harder towards the end in stifling heat.  There was no complaining, no tears, no abject refusals.  These kids were awesome.  And, as if that were not enough, my girls came to me at the end of the day and suggested that we give their old backpacks to some kids who maybe don't have any.  

I joke quite a bit about my kids but the truth is that I have been richly blessed.  Blessed beyond my imaginings with kind, empathetic, good children who have spent the last couple weeks making their world a little bit better.  The strength of their spirits astound me.  I am better because of them.