Equipping Volunteers

Many of you know that besides being part of the Emanate staff I work in MK Care and Education.  So as part of MK Care I try to encourage and connect with our college age MK's as they transition to life back here in North America.  Yesterday afternoon I was baking five different types of cookies to send five different college age MK's.  As parents we have tried modeling serving and ministering to people.  We also tried to minister with our children in many different ways overseas and here in North America.  In each place, with each child it looked a little different.  While we were in Venezuela our kids would help when our supplies came in off the plane.  They helped cut the grass, delivered food to the our sick people in need, helped cut up logs into usable slabs of wood, at times helped Vern while he was treating someone medically, helped host many people in our home and the list goes on.  Here in North America our children have helped us in ministering here at Emanate.  They were especially a big help in jungle camp, in putting together socials, in babysitting for our student's children, helping in cooking and serving many meals and snacks to people coming in and out of our house.  We also tried to get them involved in church through ministering in children's ministry with them.  We feel as Christians we are called to serve.  One of our hopes in serving  the Lord and people with our children was so that they would grow up to have a heart for God's work and have a love for people.  We are by no means a perfect family but I do believe that our children are serving and do have a heart for God.  We deeply love our grandchildren and pray for them faithfully.  With our grandchildren being so close there is lots of opportunity to do things with them.  Yesterday, Jeremiah, Aubrey, and Gavin were over.  As I was beginning to work on my cookie project Jeremiah asked, "Grandma, can I help?"  Now he has helped me before.  However, it was so fun to have Jeremiah there and to talk about why we were making cookies and what we were going to do with them.  I know he is too young to know what an MK is.  So in simple terms I tried to explain to Jeremiah that we were making cookies for kids like his Uncle Titus  whose parents live very far away.  I am hoping that these cookies will make those kids happy.  I know at his age it really didn't mean a lot but I look forward to more opportunities where he can help me serve. How I pray and invest in our grandchildren so that they will grow up to have a heart for God and love for people.