Camp update

So....life is busy at camp!   So far, it has been very good, very challenging, and a learning experience in many, many ways.  I could talk for hours probably, but instead at this point with time restraints...we will just post some pictures with captions. 




Cecilia had her 11th birthday just a few days into the first week of camp.  The staff kids helped through her a quick birthday party...complete with presents!...it was fun and meant a great deal to her. 










With Valerie's foot on the mend but by no means ready for much walking like would be normal at camp, we were very blessed that the camp had a golf cart for us to use.  That helps keep the pressure off her to walk too much, but she is finding the walking and standing of presentations to present some "complications."












Some of the staff wives have been a huge help on Sunday afternoons during registration helping us with signs to promote the mission and as well coming up with the idea of selling cotton candy to people coming in and donating all those proceeds to the mission.  We get to hang out with them and get to meet more campers and their families that way as well, plus it is a lot of fun!





I have been getting out to run early in the morning before camp activities and presentations begin...reminding me of the beauty of sunrises. 

Not a bad picture really considering that I did not stop running to take it. 









Getting to sit in on some worship times with the campers has been good as well.  Not knowing my dread for dancing...I got called up to dance and help lead in the gestures for a song as well. 

Thankfully no pictures of me terribly embarrassing myself were taken.  The kids seemed to love my participation...they probably had no clue how much I would never have chosen that on my own otherwise. 









I had another birthday the second week of camp...found out I had a camper buddy with the same birthday!  I also later got serenaded by some very creative lyricists that changed the words to La Bamba to create a birthday song for me...that Cecilia is still singing. 















Driving on the weekends...visiting Churches and such, the kids are adapting well to the time on the road and the interesting things to see...at least most of the time.

They enjoy it much more if there is a movie to watch on the available DVD system.










Cecilia was extremely excited to have her picture taken with Willy.  Have I mentioned she really loves Duck Dynasty?

















Like...she really loves it.  I bought her and Soren posters to help make their room for the summer feel more like theirs...The Avengers for Soren, and she insisted on the Duck Commander boys for her poster. 

That pleased me to no end...especially given the other poster options available in the cheap poster bin at Wal-Mart. 












We get sunrises....we also get sunsets at camp, not that we are still up for all of them.  This was taken from our front porch.

Hard to beat a sunset picture with the pool and carpetball tables in the foreground. 









Thanks to our good friend Jeanine, the kids both have bikes now, and although always frustrating the learning process...are both up and around the camp riding them and enjoying it tremendously.  No serious injuries yet to report...although the summer still is young. 









Going back to the Treehouses to do our presentation, we get to see some of the local wildlife....it is like playing Where's Waldo to see a glimpse of a deer in this picture...but trust me, it was there looking at us while we passed. 

Venison stew sounds really good right about now. 










Bill was so kind to set a goal for the campers for his week of camp...with the promise that Valerie could give him a haircut at the end of the week.  They beat their goal by several hundred dollars...and Valerie gave him the funniest/worst possible hair cut.  It was hilarious...and touching. 











Putting what we are doing at camp into words is difficult.  Telling the kids about Honduras, about life there for children, about the blessings of being one of the 1% as they are compared to the rest of the children in the world...about the mission, about our story and to encourage them in their walk and work for the Lord is so much fun, and also of course can be some work as well.  At the end of the week to have campers drag their parents over because they want them to meet you is...weirdly cool.  It is not about us, it is about God, and I constantly remind myself, and them, of that.  It is hard to measure the impact we are having on them...but there are definitely many that are also making an impact on us. 

More to come on the impact they are also making on the fundraising...first on the Ford truck purchase.  It is a plan coming together!