Name: Blake Danner

Age: 20

Hometown: Plano, Texas

School: Southern Methodist University

Major/Minor: Psychology/Religious Studies

Site/s where you have served: Oak Cliff

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Q: Why did you want to serve full-time as a PT intern?

After hearing about the program from a couple of my friends, I decided that it would be something that I wanted to do. The summer before I had almost applied, but I had decided to work at my church instead, where I was the youth/children’s ministry intern. With PT, I was happy to get more daily interaction with the children, as well as work with other people my age.

 Q: What is the most important lesson you have learned from working with underserved children/youth?

I’ve learned that there is such a fine line to tread between showing a child discipline and grace, and that I could probably spend my life trying to figure out the best balance of these two.

 Q: How has PT affected your faith journey?

While I have a strong faith community at SMU, PT served not as any competition or hindrance to that, but as a strong supplement. I would say that it’s definitely what you make it, what with the optional Bible studies. I also had the pleasure of doing an early morning prayer with my roommate.

 Q: How has your experience with PT helped you to better understand your gifts and your calling?

I would say that, while I don’t think PT can take sole responsibility for my desire to pursue some vocation in ministry, it certainly helped spur it on and give me more of an idea of where I might be able to be used in the Kingdom, and it’s given me an idea of those places where maybe my strengths would not be the best suited.

 Q: What is your favorite part of the Project Transformation experience?

My favorite part of the whole experience is the fact that, simultaneously, both my life and the kids’ lives can be enriched through the same activity. Even though we are authorities over the kids, it is very much a mutual learning process, whether or not we realize it at the time.

     Q: What are your future vocational plans and how has PT helped to shape or clarify those plans?

Currently, I’m planning to pursue some path in ministry, but unsure of where/how that will be right now. PT has shown me that there are limitless possibilities for a career in ministry, which I am very thankful for.

 Q: What have you learned from living with other young adults in such a diverse Christian community?

I’ve learned that it is incredibly difficult to guard our speech against gossip against each other, and I’ve learned that it’s absolutely imperative that we do guard against it! While living together can be such a blessing for bonding, it can also be such a destructive thing, both for the interns and for the effect that it may have on the kids if there are interns who are in conflict at the site. We must always be so aware of how our actions will affect others.

 Q: What is the most important thing you will take away from serving through Project Transformation?

The most important thing I will take away from serving through PT is a greater appreciation both for kids and for those who work with kids. There is so much to learn from kids in their innocence, and there is so much to learn about how to deal with and discipline children as well.

 Q: What advice would you give to a young adult who is interested in serving as a PT intern?

Put your whole heart into all aspects of PT. It is truly what you make it, and you can make it live up to the name of being transformational – for yourself, for other interns, and most importantly, for the kids.

 Q: If you could tell one story from your experience at PT – what story would you tell?

I would tell about the weekly chapel services that we’ve had, particularly when everyone stays afterward to just keep singing praises to God with a beautiful song. It’s in those times that you really feel solidarity with the other interns, and through this, it gives a great springboard to go to site the next day and attempt to share this joy with the kids. It’s also in these times that you really see the gifts that God has given each of us to dance and sing and experience joy. You can’t help but feel so grateful for the blessings in your life when this happens.