NYE 2016

Another year at the Fireworks Store for us.  This is our fifth season and each year we get more and more repeat customers who love helping out our youth.  In 2012 I never would have imagined it turning into the ministry that it has become.  Usually people start by asking why there are so many teenagers working in there and we are able to share how each one is earning their way to summer camp.  We have Christian music on the stereo and we get many comments about that as well and how people appreciate it.  This season was the first where I had several customers come in and ask if this was still the youth group and once I said yes they told me that is the reason they come to our warehouse.   What a blessing!

I the flip side, I also love how we are getting to expose our teenagers to the line of work that is a lost art these days...customer service.  Difficult customers, rude customers, chatting customers, sweet customers, by the end of working two 12 hour shifts they have seen it all and I hope have learned that even though we are tired and worn down, we still treat others with kindness and respect. 

I even had Troy and Teague helping out bagging and they quickly realized the nicer you are to others, the nicer they are to you.  By the end of the night they each were tipped a few dollars for their hard work by random customers and they thought that was the coolest thing. So they had to buy a few poppers with their earnings.

Every few hours they would ask to take a break and Troy would work on his Rubix's cube and Teague was on his tablet.

One of the youth was so kind and patient with Troy and was able to help him in learning all the algorithms needed in solving the cube.  He was so proud once he finally got it!

Goodbye 2016...Hello 2017!  We are looking forward to a fantastic year!