24 Jun The place to be cool is the pool . . .

To say that Hollis, Oklahoma, is hot in the summer is like saying there is sand at the beach or trees in the forest. Hot summers are a part of our reality and serve an important purpose. The heat actually helps our cotton crop grow, for example. These days are harder on human beings, though, so we look for places for everyone to cool off in the summer months.

Our young men take a break from their jobs every week and spend time together at the Hollis pool. It’s a well-maintained pool and the water is refreshingly cool after a hot day. Our guys dive, swim, race, play games, and otherwise splash lots of water into the air. Pool time is one way we show our young men that life is not all about work but also about finding recreation that builds us back up—heart, soul, mind, and body.

The pool is the best place to cool off, but not the only place. We try to do our work in the cooler morning hours. After we come in for lunch, we often spend the afternoons inside playing games, reading, drawing, or putting puzzles together. All of these are a part of Westview’s practice of normalcy, which means that although Westview offers and extraordinary growth opportunity to young men, it also provides the basics of a “normal” life that any adolescent might experience.

We celebrate the opportunities God gives us in the summer!