Now that the school year is under way, we are beginning to see more kids come to club times and join in with afternoon activities. Our vacant club room quickly fills with kids once the clock strikes 3:00pm and organized chaos commences! Suddenly, the once silent space is filled with the sounds of Jenga towers collapsing, ping-pong balls flying, foosball goals, cheering video games, skateboard wheels, trampoline springs, colliding pool balls, Christian pop music, running sneakers, and constant friendly chatter. It may not be equivalent to a harmonious lullaby, but the sounds of these kids having fun is some of my favorite music.
Playing Jenga
Coloring Together at Club
Our new club in Boskovice is officially up and running! Recently, the students who have been coming to the club are actually kids we know from Letovice, but they have started high school in Boskovice. We hope that soon there will be more kids from Boskovice, and I am looking forward to meeting lots of new friends. While our club in Letovice is focused on Elementary aged kids, the club in Boskovice is catered to the High School crowd, so next week we will be going to a couple schools to invite the students to come for a mini-party and some table tennis and foosball tournaments!
Boskovice Club
Decorating Their Folders
We then began with an activity we called "Spiderman" where one child would take a ball of yarn across the circle and greet another student in English. Eventually, the circle became a spiderweb, and the students had to weave through the spaces to reach a friend to greet. It was definitely high on the list of favorite activities for the first day!
Playing Spiderman
Some of my favorite memories with the club kids are the trips we take as a group. Last Thursday, we took a bike trip with the kids, and it was my favorite bike trip yet! There were so many kids who came and even the smallest kids were pedaling hard and enjoying the time together. As we were coming to the last hill on the return from the bike trip, another leader and I noticed the little boy behind us was whispering encouragement to himself like "You can do it. You have made it this far. Almost there!" We chimed in to encourage him in the last stretch of the journey, and I was reminded of how much we get to share with these kids through our time with them and demonstrating God's love through our actions and words on each occasion.
Bike Trip!
Girl Time on the Bike Trip
Our destination for the bike trip was a nearby small town. At first, I didn't know what we would do in in this town since there is not much for a group of kids on bikes to do in a small town, but the group leader brought us to a field that proved to be an exciting adventure. We climbed on hay bales, made silhouette pictures with the afternoon sun, balanced on top of rolling hay bales, and even learned some history about the field area - (which had been planned by Adolf Hitler to be part of a highway into Poland during WWII, but the war ended before the road was finished). When we were leaving the field, one little girl looked to the group leader and asked if we could come back for the next bike trip. It was then that I realized the place itself doesn't make it fun - it really is just a field with hay bales - but the people we get to experience the time with makes the journey great!
The group leader created a video of our time on the bike trip, so you can also watch it here -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOBeCTJy1Bc
Brief History of the Field Area
Between club times and English classes, I also have time help with Sunday School, Kid's Friday Bible Class, and Youth Group. It brings me great joy to be a part of these groups as I can see how God is working through the youth of the church and raising up young leaders. (On a side note - it really is a bonus working with the youngest kids in Sunday School because I understand the majority of the lesson without translation! It is good to know I am almost at the same language level as some two and three year olds.)
These Crazy Kids at Bible Class
Sunday School Class
I am continuing to learn much with each new experience here! Recently, I have been enjoying the spontaneous adventures with friends to some nearby cities and exploring new areas. I look forward to the excitement each week brings and especially the time with all the kids and friends. It has been a great jumpstart week, and I am looking forward to the rest of the school year!