Day #5 of Camp

Well we have finished our last day of camp this week! It has definitely proved to be a tiring week of loving and serving these kids. Teaching is not for the faint of heart and working with a translator definitely adds in some complexity. We are so thankful to our translators for working so hard and dedicating their time to help us!

Wednesday was rough for some of our team members. Some of the students were pretty rowdy and not wanting to pay attention which disrupted entire classes. This also spilled over into crafts, music and sports. Having a camp in the village definitely brings challenges that aren’t always present in camps that take place in the city. The village life is very different. There aren’t a lot job opportunities and many of the parents are alcoholics which means that there are a lot of dysfunctional families. Parents do not have a lot of opportunity and therefore the children are the same. They do not get a lot of interaction with people and depending on the village they may not get a very good education. These are the children that we openly welcome into the camp. With that comes children who are rough, distant and maybe what we would classify as ill behaved. Add that onto the fact that kids are just kids.

We could easily walk away from this week thinking that we weren’t able to get through all of our lesson plans or really accomplish what we thought should be accomplished. Thinking through the week and the things that took place it is very apparent that what these kids need most is love. They need us to love them through being rough and rude. They need us to show grace when they are disrespectful. What are we if we do not have love? 

To end the day on Friday each class presented a drama. This is a great opportunity for the children to show off their English skills. Parents were invited to come watch the dramas and there was an invitation to attend the church and Sunday school. 

Again at the end of another camp week I (Nichole) am left thinking about the kids that we have spent time with. Who will continue this work in their life? Who will pursue them? There were so many familiar faces again this year at camp. We pray that they would accept this invitation to come to the Sunday school/Church which is about two miles down the road. I gave hugs to many kids but couldn't help but be sad that we were leaving. It's almost the feeling of leaving little sheep who need a Shepherd.

We are staying in Odessa this evening and Saturday evening. We are hoping to get rested up for the next week of camp! 

Thanks for your prayers and support!