Buena Vista Playground Project

UPDATE: JANUARY 27, 2009

Today we celebrated and opened the new playground in Buena Vista.

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR HELPING MAKE THIS VISION BECOME A REALITY!

Going back about 8 months, we had a vision for this area.  A couple months later, some friends came that helped start this project by building basketball goals, painting the courts and walls, and cleaning up the community center.  Since then we have held basketball leagues and used the space as a distribution center for shoes, clothes, food, and Christmas gifts.

Now, with the completion of the jungle gym and swing sets, the community of Buena Vista has a complete facility for all to enjoy.

I wish I could somehow fully express the excitement level the kids had today. 

Once again, my perspective was challenged.  As I watched them playing with gigantic smiles and eyes that screamed their excitement, I thought about how when I was a kid this type of unit was standard issue in any park or fast food restaurant. 

I thought about my own kids, and how even though they were there and having a blast, this was certainly nothing new for them.  For most of the local kids, it was the first time they had ever seen, much less played on, something so cool. 

They lined up and waited, pushing and shoving, to slide down the slide… and ran around to wait/push/shove/slide again.  This went on for hours…

Kerrie and I are sitting here trying to reconcile it.  Just the craziness of how something can be so incredible to some kids, and so customary to others.  A dream-come-true for one, and run-of-the-mill for another.

I don’t know…  for right now, all I know is that it blessed my heart to watch those kids today.