ARTS CAMP
by Mikya Wright, Children Ministry Apprentice
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalms 139:14.
That was the theme of this year's Arts Camp because we believe wholeheartedly that every child is fearfully and wonderfully made! The Lord is faithful as always, and that was shown time and time again during our Arts Camp last week.
This past Monday through Thursday our building was so full of excitement and laughter! We welcomed over 100 kids through our doors, and over 20 volunteers helped pull this huge event together. I am beyond grateful for the generosity and the love shown by our amazing volunteers who took time out of their super busy schedules to come serve with us! We had awesome community presenters come and share with the kids about the different arts. We had Caroline from Epic Clay Studio share about pottery, and Liz from UMKC came and played the flute for the kids, and even made up a song with their help!
We had 11 classes - arts & crafts, crochet, jewelry, sports, keyboard, guitar, keyboard, dance, theater, cooking, and candlemaking. The kids had a blast learning new skills and developing friendships with other students and teachers! On top of all the fun, the week went so smoothly and everyone stayed safe, which is just as important to us as the fun times. On the last day, we had a water party to celebrate! We had two waterslides, a dunk tank, face painting, lots of food, and a huge water balloon fight to end the week!
I want to say a huge, huge thank you to Carla Garcia, Patrique Harris, Erick Flores, and the interns! Carla and I have been planning Arts Camp 2024 since last year, and I truly would not have been able to lead last week without all of her guidance and support. She has been the best mentor and supervisor that I could have ever asked for, and she has empowered me to be the best version of myself.
Patrique has also been one of my mentors since I did the summer internship three years ago! She supported me so much during camp, as she does every day! And, she taught her dance class the Wacky Dip which was so fun to watch. I have known Erick for a while because we both went to the Teens Program back in the day! He started working as an apprentice a few weeks ago, so we have partnered very closely with the interns leading various programs. He was a fantastic co-leader! Even though this was his first Arts Camp, he dove right in and didn’t hesitate to do what needed to be done. He goes above and beyond for the kids here at MA, and I can already tell how deeply he cares for each of the kids here.
Lastly, thank you to our amazing summer interns, Eli, Sonia, Unisha, and Keziah! They got to camp early and stayed late, and they went the extra mile the whole week to make everything go as smoothly and as fun as possible. It has been a full summer for them, but they never cease to show up with the most energy in the room, ready to serve our community! Carla, Patrique, Erick, and the interns - I love you all so dearly and am overwhelmed by how much you all mean to me!
I think it is safe to say that Arts Camp 2024 was a success! As I was walking a few kids home after the first day, I asked them how their day was, and the 6-year-old boy, whose family just moved to KC as refugees said, “It. was. perfect.” And I can’t help but agree! Thank you to all the kids, volunteers, and staff for making Arts Camp perfect!!
BE PART OF OUR PROGRAMS!
We are so excited for everything that is happening in our programs and we are grateful for all our volunteers who make everything possible. Would you consider partnering with us next trimester?
How can you help?
Pray for our program participants would create an impact in our community and grow with their walk with the Lord.
Volunteer – Come to our volunteer Orientation. For more information visit: http://www.missionadelante.org/serve
Donate to join us in building a multicultural community of disciples making disciples.