Read Stories 

March 06, 2008

I work with UGM’s Children and Family Ministries, and we run a weekly program called Kidzone.  Each Saturday morning, we welcome 20 -30 children, ages 5-12, for breakfast, games, songs, crafts, and Bible stories.  We do this with the help of a group of amazing volunteers who are all students at Trinity Western University. Every week, these young leaders help transform our Cordova St. facility. They dream-up craft ideas, set-up sound equipment, and create the scene for our current Treasure Island theme by decorating with palm trees, ocean murals, and bright, colourful, tropical embellishments.
Their creativity and unique talents create a warm, inviting, energetic atmosphere for the children to come to each week.  Beside their creative contribution, however, what has really struck me is the positive relationships that form between these young leaders and the children. 

With the New Year we started a new session, and some children approached that first day with a bit of understandable shyness and trepidation.  Over the past few weeks, however, it’s been incredibly encouraging to see the positive relationships that are developing between the Trinity students and the kids.  Whether it’s a 5-year-old who always wants to sit next to her favourite volunteer, an 11-year-old girl who clearly looks up to one of the female students, or a 12-year-old boy who won’t leave the side of one of the male students, we are seeing a real desire on the kids’ part to spend time with these positive young role models.  

I feel such hope when I see this!  The children who come to Kidzone live in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and come from many different family situations, some more positive than others, but no matter what their home life is like, each week they are able to come to a warm, safe, caring environment and interact with a group of young leaders whose desire is simply to bless these children and show them God’s love!  For some children, the example set by older siblings and other family members has failed to show them even a glimmer of the best that life can offer.  

It’s my hope that through their interactions with UGM staff and the wonderful young leaders from Trinity Western University, the children would be able to imagine a life much bigger and brighter than they’d ever thought possible.