Washington DC Mission Trip - Day 3

Wednesday was our second day learning and serving with Little Lights Ministry. In the morning, we learned about their College and Career program. This program works with families to create a post high school plan for each child. Right now there are 100 students in the program, ranging from upper elementary school through college. This may seem like a wide range, but we learned that students in Washington DC have the ability to apply to different schools through a lottery system. The program also helps families navigate applying for scholarships and college. Through this process, Little Lights is dedicated to providing mentorship and tutoring to help students succeed and feel loved. 

In the middle of the day, we were able to take a walk. Amazingly, three of the centers which we are serving are just a 25 minute walk from the Capitol Building. We enjoyed seeing many beautiful trees and flowers along the way. We look forward to seeing and learning more about Washington DC in the days to come. 

Here are some reflections from three students about their afternoon experience serving with the Homework Club: 

“Today, I feel that I am beginning to understand the ministry more and the schedule they follow, so I felt more comfortable. I found it really cool how well they take care of the kids, always paying attention to them, making sure someone is with them and being intentional about building meaningful relationships. Sarah, Sadie and I led the opening community time with the children. We did an icebreaker activity, sang the “Father Abraham" song along with motions, and played Simon Says. The children were very engaged and it was fun!”  ~ Emily  

“Today, we were able to bond and felt more comfortable with the students. This was evident in how we interacted and played with them. We were also able to share the gospel and have conversations about Jesus with some of them.”   ~ Mason

“I really appreciated that we joined their Bible study. I feel Little Lights is trying to build a Christian community among the kids, and so glad to see kids asking questions and having a great understanding of the gospel. The teachers and volunteers help the students so much academically, spiritually and physically. They model what it means to really care for others.”

 ~ Elisa