Easter weekend was full of activities for Fourtwelve youth group. Friday night we stuffed Easter eggs with candy for Saturday’s egg hunt, and Saturday Curtis and I took the kids to the Veteran Center in Norman for some Easter community service. It turned out to be the highlight of the weekend. The kids had so much fun they want to go back next month.
Most of the residents were with their families for Easter, but we did get to meet Tom, Hank, Gary, Bill, and Lila. Lila was not actually a resident. Her husband Bill was, but she comes to eat lunch with him every day. They were very sweet and had been married over thirty years. (I love old couples so much. They make me smile.)
The above picture is Tom, who introduced himself to the kids as “Tom, T-O-M. Not Thomas, just Tom.” He’s a picture buff, has a really nice camera, and had us take the picture of him with the kids.
We also met Hank and Gary. I didn’t get to talk to Gary much, but I met Hank in the diner with Bill and Lila. He’s hard of hearing but such a jokester. He introduced himself to me as “Mahikalaka,” but then said, “I’m just kiddin’! My name’s Hank.”
Overall, it was a super successful venture, and I’m so glad the kids were enjoyed the community service aspect of the weekend. Volunteering to help with the youth group was intimidating for me a first because I felt like I was too young to do something like that. Now, I’ve been doing it for three months, and I love the kids so much. We’ve gotten so much positive feedback from the parents as of late, which is encouraging. And after this weekend, I got a little bit more confidence that God is using me in a powerful way. I’m truly blessed.
