Camp Season, Part 1

So camp season is finally over. It has been exhausting and exciting and very, very fun. So much to share, and so much work yet to do! And so you will get camp stories in installments. Here is part 1.

As July began, I was off and running to Slovakia for a Roma youth camp (see the previous posts). When I got back, I had less than two weeks to finish writing teaching materials before a team arrived from Kenosha, Wisconsin, and whisked me away for English camp in the north--hosted by churches in Liberec and Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic. This camp is special to me for two reasons. First, because I came with the team from Kenosha last year, before I was in the field full-time. So it was great to be back with old friends, and to return to a camp where I already knew some campers and some members of the Czech contingent. Second, because the camp organizers hold out a certain numbers of spots at this camp for children from a nearby children's home. These kids are close to my heart, and they are such a joy to be with. So coming back to this camp was something I looked forward to all year.

What a week! I started the very best possible way: riding to camp on the bus with all the kids. This was super fun, and it gave me a head-start (which an introvert like me always needs) in getting to know the kids and gaining their acceptance. Never have I had so much fun on a bus! By that evening, camp was in full swing. The theme was "The Biggest Loser," built around the stories of people in the Bible who gave up (or otherwise lost) a lot because of their faith in God, but then got to see God do amazing works in their lives. It was good stuff!

Most days followed roughly the same schedule: English theme lessons (such as sports, fashion, and education) in the morning, then reading and conversation from these Bible stories for an hour before lunch and an hour after, followed by some incredible games and activities organized by the Czech team in the afternoon. The evening programs included music, testimonies, and usually a special message by a guest speaker. Thursday was a special day, though: THANKSGIVING. The whole camp worked together to act out the story of the first Thanksgiving, and then we worked together to prepare a Thanksgiving feast, complete with turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie.
Wow.

The last night included a gospel invitation, and three young men responded. Please pray for these young men. Zdenek left camp with a reading assignment in the book of John, which he was half done with less than a week later and wants to continue talking about it. He is one of the older children from the children's home, and has been to the camp several times. This year, he seemed so much more cynical for the early part of the week, so it is a great gift of God that his heart was softened again and that he is willing to continue to learn more about the hope that can be his in Christ. Vojta meets sometimes with a youth group in the Prague area, but he is struggling with understanding what God wants from him. He really needs a mentor in the faith. Please pray that we can help him find just that.

Coming up next...How many food joints can you hit in one day in a small village in the Czech Republic?