At the University of California-Berkeley, InterVarsity students are serving the Oakland community in the name of Christ. Elaine tells of her experience tutoring children.
When I first started tutoring elementary school children, I wasn’t sure if I knew how to love them or if I was capable of loving them. Many of them come from broken homes and live in this neighborhood where addictions and poverty are reality. I came in with the expectation that I would be changing children’s lives, but I was wrong.
One of the kids I embraced was Amy. I first met her when she was five-years old and now she’s seven-years old. I was taken aback by her academic level, which was worse than the national expectation. By the time she entered first grade, she could recite the alphabet, but not read or write. After finding out about her learning disability and her drug-oriented family background, I began to understand her low self-esteem. I began to pray for her. I asked God how I could serve and love her. He told me to put away society’s expectations of what she was ‘supposed’ to be doing for her grade level and provide encouragement to boost her self-esteem. She needed to know her worth in God’s eyes.
“I can’t do it,” Tears streaming down her face, Amy whimpered at my request to read “bat.” After several attempts of teaching her how to sound out a word, she forgot. She crossed her arms and pouted. She didn’t even want to try.
I became frustrated and pondered, why can’t she read it? I didn’t know how to motivate her or teach her. I felt helpless. “Jesus, can’t you help me out here?” After 15 minutes of coaxing her to try again, she finally sounded the word out and she smiled at me, knowing she had gained an ounce of confidence that day.
My heart changed when God helped me to see Amy through His eyes. This sweet child wanted nothing but love; even though I never asked for it, she offered her love so freely. As we progressed slowly through the alphabet and numbers, I also learned how to discipline her and encourage her in a gentle way.
As I reflect on the past two years with Amy, I am filled with joy to see how God has been working in her life. Though she is still not at state level in her education, she is starting to catch up with her peers. Her math ability has actually surpassed that of her classmates. When I look into her face, I see that she has a sense of confidence that wasn’t there before.
InterVarsity trains student leaders to share the Gospel and love of Christ by serving people in their communities and neighborhoods throughout the world.
