Pressing Through

I walked into the school for the first time, signed in and was told to just walk back to the lunchroom to find Rosa. I had never been to this school before, it was the end of the school year, and I had only one previous meeting at a park to get to know her. I entered the lunchroom and saw Rosa in line to get her food. I waved at her and walked toward her. She proceeded to cover her face with her tray, and I thought sarcastically, “Well, this is going to go great!”  

I had worked for The Bridge for over a year but mostly behind the scenes. When the opportunity arose to become a mentor, I was excited but also very nervous. Rosa is a shy kid so I had a lot of worries if we would be able to connect and if she would warm up to me. I was a shy kid too so I could relate to how she was probably feeling.  

After multiple very awkward school lunches, we had the summer to get to know each other and do group activities with her previous mentor to help with the transition. Fast forward three months, Rosa now lights up with excitement when I pick her up. We bond over our love for animals, Lego building, and pickles. I have loved seeing her open up to me and show her goofy side and her incredibly empathetic heart.  

Becoming a mentor is scary. You open up to a kid who you are not sure will accept you. It always starts off awkward, but God also always grows each mentor-child relationship into something beautiful. At The Bridge, we press through the awkward for the sake of the child, knowing God can do amazing things for all involved.