Kids Being Kids
By Megan Fountain, Director of Latino Kids Ministries
One of the best parts of my job is getting to see the kids be kids! All of us can agree that this year has been one of many ups and downs. This is especially true for the kids of our community as they are navigating online school, socially-distanced programs, and a pause in many of their favorite activities.
You know what, though? Even though it has been challenging, the kids of Mission Adelante have had amazing attitudes and have been so positive! I was especially proud of the children involved in our Leaders in Training program. We typically plan a huge overnight trip to Great Wolf Lodge every December and because of co-vid, we had to cancel it. They handled the news so well and with such grace! I still wanted them to be rewarded for all of their effort so I got to work planning a socially-distanced field trip for them.
They were so excited when I told them we would be spending the day at Power Play! We organized for them to have way too much pizza, wings, nachos, cheese sticks, and even funnel cakes. Afterwards, the kids got to ride together on a roller coaster, play skee ball, get dizzy on the tilt-a-whirl, practice their driving skills at bumper cars, and try their hand at a variety of games. When I asked a few of the kids what their favorite part was, they mentioned that the tilt-a-whirl was scary at first but then fun. Another girl said her favorite part was that all of us got to spend time together.
My favorite part was seeing the kids giggle, play together, and having FUN! It seems like it has been such a long time since I have seen them shed the anxiety of this season and just be kids! I am so grateful that we were able to celebrate their hard work and play together as a family!