First Base Tutoring... from a player's perspective

The First Base tutoring program was set up by the youth in response to the needs unprivileged elementary school students in south Austin. Janie, a Cornerstoner, went for the first time this past January and shares how God not only used her to help a 5th grader, but also used this opportunity to encourage her! Thanks for sharing with us, Janie!

When I showed up for February's First Base tutoring, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had no idea how many students were coming, how many other fellow volunteers would be helping out, or how to even approach a tutoring situation. I don't have a lot of personal experience working with children, so I was feeling a significant amount of anxiety: How am I going to communicate with the students? Will we be able to connect? Will we have anything to talk about? Will they even like me??

It was a huge encouragement to see about 50 other volunteers show up that morning from all different lifestages in the English Congregation, and I think that was the first of many ways God showed how thoroughly his faithfulness can work that day. I personally had a lot of fun partnering up with one fifth grade student on some really difficult reading tasks because we took several breaks (mostly for my sake), where we had opportunities to talk about her interests and goals for the future. My student was very excited to tell me about how she wants to be a doctor and work with very young children, and it was very cool to be able to encourage her about her future and her interests. We also talked about the scary transition to middle school and her family before I realized we still had some more reading inferences to finish.

Since graduating from college, I've realized that personal leisure time shrinks in alarming ways, and it becomes harder and harder to be intentional with what is left of that time when it makes a lot more sense to use it for my own benefit or enjoyment. I'm grateful for the opportunity to go tutor because I was reminded of how investing in the Kingdom is worth the personal sacrafice it sometimes takes. Several of the students were asking if we came from Ms. Wong's church, and even though we may not have been in the best situation to talk explicitly about Jesus and his Gospel, it was so cool to see fellow congregation members show Christ's love and a little of who he is to the students who came for tutoring. I hope that people continue to pray for or help out with the tutoring program at the school, and that God will use this opportunity to continue drawing the students and their families to him.