Summer Internship Reflection: What St. John’s School Taught Me About Joy and Service

Written By, Kaiden Lindholm

Summer Internship Participant

Imagine a school field covered with children laughing and enjoying themselves—kicking around a soccer ball, chasing one another, and sitting together under the sun. This school is a special place, where children rush to meet new faces and eagerly listen to what you have to say. Their blue uniforms stand out vividly, catching your attention from far away. Welcome to St. John’s Primary School in Bombo, Uganda.

During the 2025 Summer Internship, our team spent a day of service at St. John’s, just a few minutes from G.O.D.’s Campus. The interns brought entertainment, devotion, and education. We began the day with dancing and skits, sharing our best moves with the children before offering encouragement from Scripture. Then it was time for class.

In the classrooms, interns led lessons in English, Math, Bible, and Science. The plans we had prepared ahead of time invited participation and kept the students engaged. One of the most meaningful aspects of my teaching experience was the way the children responded. They delighted in the humor I wove into lessons and enjoyed the energy I brought to the classroom. Yet, in their reactions, I was the one who was moved.

I had never before witnessed such a hunger to learn—or such eagerness to hear the Word of God. Of all the children I’ve worked with over the years in youth development and after-school care, I had never encountered a group as special as this one. They have a zeal and a passion for education precisely because they have so little. While the rest of the world may say we are “serving the poor,” in truth we were serving some of the richest people I’ve ever met—rich in spirit.

They may not have the homes that Americans would recognize, or adequate clothing, or even shoes in their classrooms. They might not have quick access to drinking water like we do at our faucets. The frequency with which they eat cannot compare to what we’re used to in America. Yet these are some of the most joyful and inspiring children I have ever seen. Their hope is not set in temporal things but firmly in the Lord.

I was especially moved during our outdoor time after classes. Seeing the children in a classroom is one thing, but watching them run, play soccer, and simply want to be near me was unforgettable. Even during lunch, as we served the children, I was deeply moved by the reality that I was in Africa, getting to serve.

At lunchtime, I was assigned to monitor a handwashing station—a mobile water jug with a bar of soap attached. It was a simple task: wash your hands, then eat. Yet what I witnessed was beyond difficult. Many of the children, when coming to wash up, would put their hands under the water for only a few seconds before trying to scurry off. Time after time, I had to pause them, gently showing how to wash properly. Some didn’t know what the soap was for; some believed water alone was enough. It was troubling to see this, given I had never been in an environment where basic handwashing knowledge was not present.

Yet even in this difficult moment, the Lord met me. As I stood at that station, I was able to slow the children down and teach them how to wash their hands. I may have washed my own hands over sixty times while demonstrating, but at least they learned. It was a special moment because it revealed the reality of the world’s needs—even in something as small as a child in Uganda learning to wash their hands.

While processing all of this, I've held close a message Mr. Gregg Garner, the lead for this year's Summer Internship, preached after our return from Kenya. I’m paraphrasing, but he said, “Our future is a product of how we walk today, but how we walk today reflects how we’ve reflected on yesterday.”

In light of my experience, I could do one of two things: shut down and be overwhelmed by the lack of education and the injustices of poverty, or reflect on what I’ve seen and allow it to compel me to serve even more.

This summer profoundly impacted me and altered my perspective on how I view the world and its missions. It opened my eyes to the greatest needs I’ve ever seen and prompted me to realize the importance of service. I’ve asked myself the question, “If I don’t serve, who will?” God brought me along on an amazing journey this summer, and now I can’t help but look at my life and wonder, “What can I do to serve those in need around me now?” The Lord called me for a reason greater than I may know, and I must respond with a heart ready to be a blessing at all times.