So far...

I have enjoyed Sparrow’s Nest a lot more than I thought I would. The first night, I was assigned to nursery, and I was very uneasy about it. I have little to no experience with babies, and I had no idea what to expect. Luckily, one other person was appointed the position, and Elizabeth and I had only three babies to take care of. Of course, there was an extremely dirty diaper from the youngest and some rough play among the two year olds, but other than that, the night went considerably well. Babies can be very easily amused, you don’t have to juggle or do handstands to keep them interested. I personally have found that a box full of balls is the best way to keep them happy and occupied.

Each week the nursery has doubled in size, but we have acquired an additional volunteer to help with the added babies. My favorite week has probably been the second week when we had a two-week old named Brandon. He started off the night asleep in his car seat, and I have to admit, I prayed that he would stay that way. But eventually, he woke up, and surprisingly, he was very sweet. I thought that he would awake with a crying fit, but he was actually very well behaved and rested quietly in my arms for the remainder of the night.

The middle and high schoolers are definitely harder to get to know. The leaders told the volunteers that the older kids might not acknowledge us for a while, that it might take some time to earn their trust. With babies, of course, it is the exact opposite, but by the end of the year, I’m hoping to develop relationships with some of the youth as well.

Since freshman year, I have been involved in the Wesley Foundation campus ministry. This year I became a part of their leadership group and chose to work with one of their affiliate ministries, "Sparrow's Nest." Sparrow's Nest is a church dedicated to reaching out to the underprivileged youth of the community, and I am both excited and nervous to work with them. I was never that good with kids, so it will definitely be a growing process.

In this blog I will be writing of my experiences, both good and bad, with the kids and the ministry. Hopefully it will make for an interesting read!