Hi! My name is Virginia Lentz, I am a rising senior at Lee University, and I would consider myself a “PTM Veteran”. I have been with PTM since my junior year of high school, which has given me the full-circle experience. I have run countless rotations for school year and summer programs, been a big sister, planned numerous events and field trips, and now I am interning with the Advancement Team. Working at PTM has never really felt like work to me. Whenever I come home from school, I always drive straight to PTM because I simply love these kids. I know when everything else is falling apart, I can come to PTM and receive as much love as I give. From the staff to the volunteers to the children, PTM has always felt like home.

My hope is that I can say I’ve helped people. Everything I have gone through has been a learning experience for me to share with others. My hope is my story will help others through their struggles. Being able to pour into these kids has probably blessed me more than it has them. They have been through so much, yet continue to smile every day, and that’s so inspiring to me.

The enrichment field trips are always my favorite. I love seeing that gleam in their eyes when they discover something they’ve never tried, or seen before. One of my favorite field trips is the Farmer’s Market Scavenger Hunt. We team up, and try to take a selfie with everything on the list. I love running around with them, and watching them try fruits and vegetables they’ve never had before. Their faces are always priceless when they’re trying something they love for the first time, or something they hate. Those moments are very humbling for me because I have done so much more than I realize. These kids look to me as a mentor, a big sister, and a friend. The fact that I’m willing to hang out with them, joke around with them, and run through fountains with them has a lasting impact I’ll never truly see.

God teaches us to be a constant in people’s lives, and that’s what we’re doing at PTM. We’re showing these kids that there are people willing to stick by them, love them, play with them, adventure with them. And by doing this, we are ultimately showing them that God wants to be that in their lives too. The little things we do have a lasting impact on these children’s lives. I am so grateful for the lessons I’ve learned through PTM. I have learned how to be more mindful, how to remain patient through exhaustion, how to laugh at myself, how to love myself, how to love others, and how to love God. No matter how far I travel after graduation, I will always come back to PTM because God’s love radiates through these buildings, and I love these people and this ministry dearly.

I am excited to say that I will be traveling to Belgium this summer with my dance team, Unity Dance Troupe! But my hope is to travel as much of the world as I can. My ultimate dream is to go to Italy one day. I have been to Australia, Honduras, and Quebec and Montreal, Canada.