Discipleship Weekend Volunteer Experience

A Work in Progress

Because the meal times were very strict, we had a certain amount of tasks that we HAD to get done by a certain time. So, we had to plan out how far in advance to start setting up to where we could get everything done, and for the first couple of meals we did not a lot enough time and ended up being very rushed and delayed. Together we all realized that we needed to give ourselves more time, which is something that I have noticed is very applicable in my life. Often times I will expect too much out of myself or others, and set deadlines for projects that are not attainable. This experience helped me realize that I did not like the feeling of being rushed or not giving myself enough time for something, which has helped me set more attainable goals in my life. To the right is a picture of some of the girls i served with.

Going to Malibu, Canada

During memorial day weekend last year I volunteered at a Young Life camp for an event called “discipleship weekend”. During this weekend me and a bunch of other college-aged students traveled out to the camp in Malibu, Canada to serve all of the campers there. My specific assignment was on dining hall which included setting up and putting away all meals, as well as serving the meals. This may sound pretty easy, however we were on our feet all day from 6am to 8pm doing all of this. To the left is a picture of a boat ride from one of the two boats we had to take to get there! This experience was very valuable to me because it helped me realize how working as a team can help push each other to get something done that we didn’t think was attainable.

Tasks Accomplished

Set up all the tables for every meal including table cloths, silverware, plates, glasses, and other utensils needed for serving
Served meals to all campers (ended up being about 3-4 tables per servers) as well as checked in and provided extra requests
Cleaned up after all meals sorting out all waste, and carrying all the dishes back to the dish pit and sweeping/mopping
Created a positive and empowering environment for campers, and participated in other minor roles throughout the camp
Served the staff and facilitators of the camp

Competencies Gained

Systems thinking

The tasks we were doing required a very methodical plan that was facilitated by our group leader, however we exercised continuous changes. At the beginning we tried to disperse the tasks among people in the group, however we quickly figured out that the tasks have an order to them, and we didn’t want people sitting around while they waited for their task to come around. Instead of designating two people to put plates on all the tables, we decided to all do it and work together at each step, and move on to the next step together. The system we ultimately developed took a more broad and collective approach than sending out individual tasks to subgroups.

Productive Relationships

After looking back on this experience I realized that a lot of the work we were doing would not have gone as smoothly or productively as it had if we did not get to know each other before hand. I had a friend who I drove up to the camp with, and did not know before this experience, however when it came to getting tasks done we partnered up. Knowing each other helped us communicate more effectively with each other, and just make an overall better team. Developing relationships with people at the camp increased productivity and helped me make friendships that I keep up with until today.

Empowerment

The group environment we were in was very uplifting, positive and cheerful, which made all the hard work we were putting in that much easier. Just when we started to get tired of being on our feet all day or constantly carrying things, someone would send along some positive encouragement to keep us going. Being surrounded by people who were motivated to all get the same task done helped keep our common goal in sight. This competency is very applicable to other aspects of my life like studying in a group or working out with a friend, keeping each other motivated and on track is often what I need.

Service

The fact that I had gone to this camp several times in high school made this experience so much more surreal. As a camper I had no idea how much work went on behind the scenes, which gave me a new appreciation for the people that had done it for me. The service we were doing together was giving back to campers that would one day do the work I was doing that day. It felt great to know that all the work I was putting in allowed those campers to be there.

Nonverbal Communication

Communicating without words was completely essential to this experience because we had to figure out what tasks were being done, and what still needed to be done, without constantly yelling across this ginormous dining hall. This also came to play in the nonverbal aspects of our communication, like our tone and our gestures. We had to ask people to do things in a nice way, with our teamwork in mind and without micromanaging. Now I can use this skill when I work in my lab and certain tasks need to get done and we can divide tasks up and get work done without having to over-consult each other.

Social Responsibility

My work during this weekend and the skills I gained cross over very well with the teamwork that goes on in my lab during a typical day. I work as an assistant to many different people in different parts of our lab, and communication between us all, and divvying up of tasks is what makes things run smoothly. These competencies have only strengthened since I got home from this camp and will help me when I do the same volunteer trip this year. I also hope to use these competencies one day when I can be a facilitator for a group like the one I was in.

Conflict Negotiation

It is almost inevitable to avoid conflicts when working with a group of decent side, and it sure was something that we did not avoid. Though there were conflicts, I felt that my group and everyone I was surrounded by went about it in a very honest, straight forward, and goal directed way. As we talked about issues, we talked about them as a team and not directed towards someone or a group of people, which I noted to be especially important when discussing conflicts. Discussing conflicts does not have to be an uncomfortable thing if the issue is clear, and the brainstorming for solutions is done evenly throughout the team.