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“Kendall , you need to pick out a book to read this semester.” I let one of our 9th grade boys know as I walked past him to talk to another student who’s hand was raised. As I was walking back to the front of the sanctuary I saw the Kendal, the young man I had spoken to earlier, still looking through all the books and reading the backs of them. I stopped for a moments taking the scene in. There was nothing extraordinary about it. He was being obedient and trying to find a book. But his mannerisms spoke volumes. He was really looking and not just grabbing one so I would be satisfied; but was taking his time to find a book that he would enjoy.

                 All of a sudden I remembered a book that I had ordered, ( The Story Of Bilma – A Holocaust Survivor) with Kendall in mind and I hadn’t shown it to him yet.  --- 2 summers ago we took the Middle and High School students to Washington DC for Summer Camp. While we were there we visited the Holocaust Museum.  The students were taken back, sad and angry as they finished the exhibit of the horrific acts that happened in the not so distant past. On the way out Kendall and few others met Mr. Alfred Philip Feldman, a Jewish Holocaust Survivor.  The Kids had found a HERO and Mr. Feldman had found a group of students that knew very little about the Holocaust and were eager to listen to his story. We took a group picture with Mr. Feldman and bought a copy of his book that he happily autographed for us. When we got home different students wanted to borrow the book to read. And found out quickly that it was at a reading level that they had not attained yet. So Mr. Feldman’s book was returned in reverence to my book shelf.---

                I came back by about 10 min latter to find Kendall completely wrapped up in “The Story Of Bilma” with his hand raised.  As I walked over he kept his eyes on the page yet asked me for a piece of paper so that he could write the name of the book down for his teacher. “I’m going to give this to my teacher,” he informed me, “We should read THIS in class!” To me it was a small miracle. To others it may be nothing. But, here was a boy with has plenty of struggles of his own that had made a connection with history. He is learning to hurt along with others, to be angry at injustice, and to speak up! And even though he doesn’t realize it, he is learning the invaluable lesson of reading for knowledge and not only because the teacher says so.  Yes, this indeed a day worth writing about.

 
 
 
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Traditionally the Glenwood Camp has been a fast-paced affair, filled with places to be and things to do. We have visited major cities like Atlanta, GA and Washington, DC and tried to soak in as much of the history and culture as we could in a four-day time frame. This year, due to budget limitations, we took a more laid back approach, trading in hotels and big cities for a rustic campground in eastern NC. Going into the week I thought we had a recipe for disaster with no AC, lots of bugs, and not as many things to do and places to be. Our theme for the week was “Pirates” and visions of a possible mutiny crossed my mind.

            Instead, what we received was a tremendous gift from God. Camp wasn’t flashy or fast-paced, but it offered plenty of time and space, which, as it turns out, is just what the doctor ordered for our Glenwood youth. Time and space to play cards, swim in a lake, go fishing, shoot hoops, and watch one of the four snakes that crossed our path during the week. Time and space for daily small groups centered on Bible passages that related to their lives. Time and space to rest and enjoy being away from the things in life that crowd their hearts and minds.

            As kids let their guard down, there were very real conversations about faith and forgiveness, about the role of God in our everyday life, and a path for the kids of our neighborhood to be a part of our church’s youth program was made clearer and more open because of the relationships developed with the adult volunteers. Seeds of love were truly sown, and hearts were changed.

 

(Excerpt Taken From Marshall Benbow’s  Intervarsity Newsletter)
 
The Glenwood Tutoring Program exists to break cycles of poverty and hopelessness in the lives of families in Glenwood and surrounding neighborhoods.