The last week of camp (in pictures)

The last week of camp went much better than the first couple of weeks. We had extra help from two Romanian leaders who were able to tag team the activities to keep the kids busy and us from getting too exhausted like in the weeks before. 

It was still a challenge. We had 13 girls from the same village - ages 9 to 13. These kids seemed starved for structure and attention. They loved craft time, but didn't want to wait for instructions... or follow them. They loved hugs, but didn't like to share us with the others. And I think they also wanted to be good kids, but they didn't really know how. But for a week they were out of their normal circumstances and introduced to a world with more structure... where you have to follow the rules, but there's enough food, supplies, and love that you don't have to fight for them. Where (hopefully) somebody showed them God's love.

Our big event of the week was a hike to a waterfall

Also known as a waterslide

No, I didn't slide too... at least not here...

but I did kind of want to.

Some common sights...

water buffalo and cattle being herded through the village of Sebesu de Sus

(about 20 minutes' walk from the camp)

...this little old couple was almost always sitting here watching the world (and the water buffalo) go by

It was a lovely evening for a walk... 

 

We've got sunflower seeds and a camera...

Let's go!

But let's not get run over by this water buffalo

....or her moped-riding "shepherd"

 

Or the sheep coming down from their meadow....

Some of the girls with Leslie and our two Romanian leaders, Dana and Jeny

Stephanie letting loose with the kids on the last day

 The last pack-up of the last camp

Chivuta waves goobye...

Hallelujah... ! No more camp food!

(I really should have taken a picture of our last dinner: pasta with breadcrumbs and something like hot chocolate powder on it... some of the kids wanted seconds, but I could barely eat it - I escaped upstairs with a piece of bread to eat with some processed cheese... and that was a much yummier dinner.)

On a more serious note, thank you all for praying for the camps. Although it seems like there isn't much fruit to see from what we've been doing, the Lord is faithful with His people and His word does not come back empty. It does what He sent it to do (Isaiah 55:11). And to paraphrase what it says on the side of my blog - when we find ourselves dependent on the work of God, that's when we see the work of God in action.

We were surprised to hear that the kids we sent home early want to see us again. They didn't get to have a campfire, so they called to invite us to one that they are putting together - and to say that they missed us. Perhaps that week wasn't wasted after all.

I've been trying to figure out why I came to be in these circumstances this summer. It wasn't what I'd planned to be doing at all, but there I was... guided as it were into a situation where most things felt out of control and all I could do was try to keep up - and depend on God. I wish I'd done the latter more faithfully, but I know that He is faithful and His desire is for these kids to know Him and for us to be His hands and feet in that. If nothing else, maybe He wanted me to see that more clearly. And it was a good immersion language workout, because for almost three weeks if I wanted to talk to the kids or the camp staff, it had to be in Romanian... 

So here I will say, la revedere pentru acum, du-te în pace cu Dumnezeu. (Goodbye for now... ya'll go in the peace with God - that's the Texan English translation for you.)