In March, a volunteer group of students from the University of Virginia (UVA) and Virginia Tech (VT) spent one week serving with Little Lights by assisting with Homework Club and doing several service projects at our program sites. The trip is led by student leaders Michelle Lee, Ashley Woo, Dylan Do, and Justin Cho. Volunteer Coordinator Alizah Simek interviewed Dylan and Justin about their volunteer experience and what they learned through serving at Little Lights.
How long have you been connected to Little Lights?
Dylan: This is my second year serving at Little Lights! I started volunteering at Little Lights after I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, knowing the depths of His love and my desperate need for it. This understanding gave me the conviction to pour out what I have been given to those around me.
Justin: I’ve been connected to Little Lights for three years, ever since I started off in my college studies at Virginia Tech.
How did you become the group leaders for UVA and VT?
Dylan: Upon finishing my first visit here, I was praying and asking God for wisdom and counsel, as I knew there was a need for leadership for our UVA team next year. Though I initially shut it down, God placed in on my heart over that summer to lead, and after praying about it more, I ultimately took the privilege of being a group leader for our UVA/VT teams.
Justin: I became a group leader for VT because the previous leaders saw that I was able to go again this year, and thought I could do a good job leading the team spiritually and logistically.
How did UVA and VT first start coming to Little Lights? How many years has the group come?
Dylan: Servants Ministry is a network of campus fellowships throughout DMV colleges. Being that we wanted to make God’s name known across college campuses, Servants partnered with Little Lights over 20 years ago to extend that ministry through yearly mission trips, sending around 20 students from Grace Christian Fellowship (GCF) at the University of Virginia and Cornerstone Christian Fellowship (CCF) at Virginia Tech to share God’s love with the Southeast DC public housing communities.
Justin: I’ve heard that UVA and VT started coming to Little Lights around 20 years ago. I wasn’t even born then! If anything, that showed His faithfulness in both of our organizations, as He worked back and front to sustain us. Now I’m here today, coming from an umbrella organization called Servants Ministry.
As group leaders, how have you seen the group grow or bond through this process?
Dylan: What started off as a logistically heavy process of preparation has really come forth as something very genuine and beautiful. Our days for our service here consist of starting our days with worshipping God and reading His word, coming to the Little Lights sites and completing the various tasks asked of us, including deep cleaning sites and volunteering for Homework Club, and then coming back to the Retreat House to close off our day to worship God again and have a time of debriefing with anything that we experienced or that is on our hearts. Especially through the time of sharing our blessings but also our burdens with one another, I can confidently say that through the mountains and the valleys, God continues to remain faithful.
My biggest takeaway is that in the midst of our inherent differences, struggles, and backgrounds, we can only be unified under God and His Gospel truth. As we have served at Little Lights and gotten to know the staff and volunteers as well as the kids and families, we’ve grown and bonded not only amongst our team members but also with the members of this community in being empathetic as we love out of God’s overflowing and unceasing love for us. It’s so important for us to be vulnerable and care first for others to do the same with us— to feel safe to do the same with us.
Justin: I was super excited to see our group come together at Little Lights this year. I wasn’t disappointed- even in the slightest- with how Little Lights has been forming and molding our team chemistry together. I loved every part of Little Lights. What really made me stop and observe my team like a proud father was the evident love that came from our hearts as we served. We messed around while cleaning, enjoying our time with the site leaders. We laughed along with the kids that came in for school work. And we made sure to show them who’s boss when it came to the games.
Every single time I saw this love that carried our tired bodies, all I saw was the beauty and power of our Father’s love. No love would be crazy enough for a group of students, from ‘rival’ schools, to come together, plan for the school year, use up their spring break, all to listen, clean, and spend time with the kids in the community. But something about His love drew all of us together, united with the purpose and mindset of sharing the light of Jesus with the community. No matter how hard it gets, no matter how insignificant it seems. Jesus loves. Jesus sees. So Jesus sends. And we go.
Can you share an impactful story or moment you experienced this week during your time with us?
Dylan: When I came last year as a member, I was focused on serving the kids, making sure that they were given the attention and love that they deserved, whether it was through helping them with their studies, playing games, or even by just giving them a high-five and asking about their day. This year as a leader, however, my attention was drawn towards the staff and volunteers. As part of a group that comes here to serve with the heart of sharing God’s love, I deeply wanted to understand why they do what they do. This year, I primarily served at Hilltop under Amy McMahon, the site leader there. Being hesitant at first, I asked her about her motivations for working her occupation here and if it was at all faith-related. In the end, my team and I were able to hear about her story and how God has remained ever so present in her decisions and jobs in the past but also present in what she is doing today.
I learned that it isn’t out of the goodness of these people’s hearts that they work at Little Lights, but ultimately the sacrifice they bring stems from the love they have received from God in such an undeserving manner that fuels them to extend that love to this community, to bring justice according to God’s Word and His character. I have been so blessed by Amy and the other wonderful staff members I’ve been able to work with over the past couple of years, and I am so encouraged that they have a genuine love and affection for these kids through Christ.
Justin: Every time I saw Ms. Mary Park with us, I couldn’t help but smile and get excited. Cleaning alongside her and following her directions were such a pleasure for me to do. I was so touched by her heart for this community. I remember praying for the community with her one evening, and she shared how she simply wanted the kids to live a safer life and better life. When praying, I thought about how many teardrops fell, and how many cries that were made, seemingly unheard. 30 long years of a fight, to empower the community. A fight, to restore God’s justice and peace within the community. So many ups and downs. So many moments where the only response could be silence. Storms come and go, and the community here gets tossed in the waves of joy and tribulation. Yet, no matter how exhausting it got, Mary still prayed. She turned her eyes upon Jesus and kept pressing forward. In her life, I saw weakness. I saw desperation. But because she kept going and going to God, I most evidently found something rare to find in this life. Courage. I’ll never forget that.
