Category: Mission

Mission

Get Grenada Swimming – Part 3

Amanda Kinsella

Here’s to all the moms and dads out there that do their best to make sure their kids get the best educational experience they can receive.

One day I got to bond with five-year-old Peyton. She was dropped off at Easter for kids, and about five minutes later she ended up in a meltdown because she missed her mommy. I felt sorry for her. She was just a little girl in a new place, and sometimes mornings can be a struggle. After calming down, we decided to sit next to a banner in the church with a painted cross and some colorful butterflies. Peyton and I talked about which butterflies were our favorites, and then we talked about the cross. I told her about God and how he sent his son Jesus to be our Savior. I assured her that when we are sometimes missing our moms and dads we can remember that God is always with us and that he is watching over us wherever we go.

On the flip-side, I sometimes get very sad as a parent when I have to leave Isaak at daycare or even at home if I’m traveling for work. I wonder about him a lot, and imagine what he is doing throughout the day. I miss him.

Whether you are the parent or the child, love is a two-way street, It’s natural to think about and miss the people you leave behind each day. I find peace in Proverbs 22:6… “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” As a parent you can find confidence in God’s word when you are actively finding new ways to teach your kids about Jesus – even if that means placing them in the care of others during the day.

Meanwhilie, 12-year-old Deon was picked up from swimming lessons by his mom one day. She asked me if I was Deon’s teacher, and I told her I was responsible for him at the pool. She said he loved the swimming, and every night he came home to tell her about what he learned in Christ Light (our daily Bible lesson). Deon’s mom was gushing about how enthusiastic Deon’s attitude has been through the week, and how he was very happy when he could share his stories of the day. We had numerous opportunities just like Deon’s story here Grenada – kids sharing the good news with others out of excitement that was produced at the camp.

Throughout the week, Kingdom Workers were able to assist with in FREE public swim lessons after the VBS wrapped up each day. Claire worked with an 11-year old girl named Mckayla. Mckayla had been coming to the free lessons provided by Grace Lutheran because her family planned on spending a day at the beach the following weekend. Mckayla was very excited to hang out with her cousins and this time swim in the ocean with them. Mckayla desperately hoped her dad would be coming to the party too. She really wanted to spend time with him and show him that she is capable of achieving her goals such as learning to swim. She wanted to show him that she is a strong, young lady. She anxiously hoped her dad will celebrate this accomplishment with her.

Parent/child relationships are full of wonder and anticipation from both sides. Have you recently made plans to spend some special time with your kids? Is there something you’ve been wanting to share with your parents lately? Rejoice knowing that no matter what happens with our parent/child relationships here on Earth, God our Father is ALWAYS there for us no matter what, where, when, or why. He hears us, and He is always there to celebrate all of our accomplishments.

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Mission

Get Grenada Swimming – Part 2

Amanda Kinsella

So there’s much more to my Grenada story than my last post about it.
Before we headed out to camp one day my roommate, Claire and I walked the entire Grand Anse Beach. It was a great workout and we picked up a companion beach dog that decided to walk much of beach with us as well. He even followed us back to our hotel. There are so many dogs that live on the beach in Grenada. They remind me of the Moroccan cats. While we walked the beach huge waves were breaking on the shore. They were beautiful, of course, because that was the morning I forgot my camera. ((Sorry friends, no photos to share.))
While working at the camp, there were so many wonderful kids that I met while I was there. There was this girl, Chelsea who is eight, and the second we met it’s like we became instant buddies. She’s got the brightest personality, and it’s hard not to just love her. All of the kids were so sweet and so interested to learn about swimming. All of them want your attention, some of them demanded it more than others. The bigger kids really wanted a workout at the pool one day so we introduced them to the game Sharks and Minnows. It was fun — lots of good energy, joy and giggles.
Another one of the kids that melted my heart was Mackyle. He claims to be from California, but he lives in Grenada now because his mom is in medical school. I asked Mackyle if he’s likes swimming, and he says he does enjoy it but he’s not a fast swimmer. I assured him that it’s okay to be a slow swimmer and that the great thing about swimming is that everyone can have fun by working at their own pace. He seems to be reassured by that so we learned to float, kick, and how to play sharks and minnows.
At the end of one of the lessons, I asked Mackyle if he was going to come back to class for more fun tomorrow, he said he wasn’t sure. I asked him why he wouldn’t come back. He immediately started telling me about his future plans. He is moving within a year to London since his mom will be starting her medical practice soon. He says he wants to live in the U.K. for the rest of his life, and he plans on being an international race car driver. This little guy is so transient, it was evident he has a hard time focusing on the present.
I sympathized with him. I think it’s an easy trap for many of us to fall into— not focusing on the present, worrying about the future, and constantly asking what’s next? Do you find yourself racing into the future and forgetting about what’s in front of you? It’s a problem for many many of us. Phillipians 4:6 is a good reminder… don’t be anxious about anything!!
We helped this little guy get faster in the water with his swimming skills, but we also reassured him to slow down mentally — reminding him that wherever his mom and his life takes him, that it is okay to be present and not worry about ‘what’s next’ in life. The PEACE of God will protect and guard his heart/mind and lead him in the right direction… With
Mckyle learning about God’s ever-abiding, never-changing peace At Easter for Kids, I think this kid’s soul will be on the right track and headed for spiritual victory… and maybe a victory on that racetrack he wants to drive on someday.
Today, slow down and take a moment to ask God to help your heart/mind at peace.

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Featured Content, Mission

Get Grenada Swimming – My First Mission Trip

Amanda Kinsella

It’s been two weeks since I’ve been back from my mission trip to Grenada, and I’ve finally got all 1,500 of my pictures organized and sorted down to tell you my story. If you have a couple minutes, please read on and enjoy!
I signed up for a Kingdom Workers trip after finding a Facebook ad that appealed to me. It was for teaching swimming lessons in the island country of Grenada. It looked like a fun opportunity to help me live outside my box a little bit, and dive into the world of mission work. What I didn’t understand is why Grenada? Why swimming lessons? Why me? And what will be the end result of all of this?
It didn’t take long to figure out the connection between swimming lessons and the Easter for Kids VBS program. A leading cause of death among children here in Grenada is drowning. A very kind woman named Deb moved to Grenada about ten years ago and started swimming lessons. She has built her program up to include a “National Learn to Swim Week” (the week after Easter) to help enhance her purpose. Easter is culturally important here in Grenada. Most of the island is Christian. Children have the weeks before and after Easter off of school so timing is perfect for people wanting to take swimming lessons. (Did I mention they are FREE!) Deb offers lessons at 14 locations around the island. Last year, Grace Lutheran joined up in this public event building an Easter for Kids VBS around the swim lessons. What makes the swimming lessons offered through Grace Lutheran unique is that we offer water safety AND also the saving message of Jesus. It’s a dual purpose camp with both physical and spiritual life saving efforts.
If you think that just Grenadian children and families will benefit from Easter for Kids, think again. Grenada is home to a large medical college. Students come from all over the world come to Grenada to study at this school. Many of the students at Grace Lutheran are international students – not just Grenadians. Rena, one of the teachers at Grace who is helping out with Easter for Kids explained that children from the United States, Germany, China and even Pakistan attend the event. What a melting pot! What an opportunity! What a way to turn Grenada into a hub for global outreach!! Little children from around the world are learning about Jesus and taking the information home… most likely home to their temporary housing here in Grenada and also to their country of origin. How cool is that?!
Kids left the camp on day one saying that their favorite part of the day was swimming. Swimming is so much fun, and it’s so exciting to learn. I was so excited to be here to swim. I had a blast meeting and playing with all of the kids on day one, but the moment that almost brought tears to my eyes is when we wrapped up the day with the story of Jesus hugging the little children. Teach a child to swim and potentially have that child tell the world about Jesus. He hugs little children, and He offers us ways for us to use our talents (even swimming) to connect people to His Word locally, regionally, and globally. That’s what’s going on here.
He hugs the children with two loving arms…. So here’s the only other question to be answered: Are we now ready to jump in with two feet?

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