Part One | Part Two | Part 2 ½ | Part Three
This is the last entry in my series on our "Mission Trip" to Watonga, OK, where a group of us shared Vacation Bible School with local children (from about 3-5 years old). Unlike Wednesday and Thursday, I don't recall that Saturday had a particular theme. My assumption had been that the theme would be that humanity is one big family, and I was prepared to sing a song to that effect, but the structure of the day was a different than the previous two.
I was much more relaxed about leading the music Saturday morning. The previous two mornings, I was focused on playing only certified "religious" music. Since the kids weren't hanging on every note, I felt free to just sing stuff I enjoyed out of the Rise Up Singing book (published by Sing Out). This once again gave me a chance to sing with Nicole, whose voice blends so well with mine. And she clearly enjoyed it as well.
The goal for the day was to take the kids to Roman Nose State Park to go swimming. So — as best as I can remember — there was not a story highlighting a particular culture. Nor was the service bilingual. We did a service, which was followed by outdoor games until all was prepared for our Roman Nose trip.
One charming moment occurred while we were waiting to go to the park. Once of the kids shared her sun block with near-by counselors, including myself. Since I burn easily, I was very grateful for her generosity.
Once at the park, I chose to stay in the shade rather than play life guard. Since I was already feeling mildly dehydrated (perhaps a hold-over from the sweat), this seemed the wiser course. All the kids went swimming, under the supervision of a number of adults and a number of Youth Counselors, and reportedly had a very good time. They were sent home with the bags they made on Thursday, filled with their crafts, Polaroids, and song books, along with small bags of candy.
Let's review: I had three motivators for the trip — the sweat, the historical tour, and an opportunity for ministry, as recommended by Dean Back. I've written about the first two, and feel they were positive. But how did I do as a minister?
Going in, I wasn't sure I would have much to offer. I expected to be part of a choir led by someone else, and to help kids with the crafts. As it turned out, I became the leader of the choir, and was mostly moral support as far as the crafts went. By moral support, I mean I kept walking around the room and praising the work the kids were doing.
I received a great deal of praise for how well the music went. That is one of my gifts, and one of my joys, and it might make sense to focus my energy there. Having been twice burned in a church choir, I'm reluctant to pursue that official venue.
Did I "play well with others"? Well, I did my best to share the responsibilities, but the members of the choir seemed to drop off day by day. Not sure why. Maybe they felt more useful elsewhere; maybe I could have thanked them more, or been more proactive in seeking their help.
I suppose I still have as many questions and self-doubts as I did before I went to Watonga. Somehow, that doesn't surprise me.
One last note: I now measure the experience of heat against my time in the sweat lodge. It was 90° with 48% humidity when I walked back from lunch today. My thought was: "Not bad."
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