It's hard to believe that a whole month (plus a few days) has gone by since I arrived at Campo. It's been an amazing month and a huge change of pace from my life in the States. We have kids coming to camp every weekend, Friday-Sunday; the size of each group ranging between 35 and 65, ages 9-15. A typical day at camp begins at 5am (while I'm fortunate enough to still be sleeping in the guest house) when the kids rise naturally with the sun in their cabins and our beloved team leaders entertain them with beach walks and baseball games until breakfast-time at 7:30. Our team leaders usually consist of 5 or 6 Nica guys and gals who bring campo to life with their God-given energy and passion for the kids.
The next hour and a half or so is spent in Chapel singing praise songs and receiving a Peter-style message of hope and God's enduring love for each and every one of the kids. The kids then break into small groups for bible study with team leaders and volunteers; usually, The Prodigal Son and the Crucifixion. The rest of the day is filled with activities, games and swimming. The campers are divided into four groups (depending on the amount of kids) and they travel with their team leader to activities such as Arts & Crafts, Zipline, English (which I usually teach) and Science. We've also just begun playing camp-wide games like Capture the Flag, Scavenger Hunts and Relay Races. At a recent 4-day camp we hosted a talent show in which the kids sang, put on skits, walked on their hands, talked in funny voices and laid down some pretty sweet reggaton beats.
After dinner the kids pile into the dining hall for some Looney Tunes and a Jesus film and of course, popcorn and ice cream (popcorn Friday night, ice cream, Saturday). During our longer camp we built a bonfire where we sang silly (and serious) songs, shared testimonies and played a rousing game of tug-of-war. Needless to say, the kids have the time of their lives here. I can't get enough of their smiling faces and contagious laughter. This past weekend I found myself with the least amount of energy that I've had all month (quite possibly the result of climbing a volcano a couple days before). I could barely muster up conversation, much less silliness at the dinner table and I was feeling terrible that I couldn't find the energy to connect with any of the kids. But God is good and after some prayer I found myself getting the most loving hugs and kisses from a couple of girls out of nowhere. They begged me to play with them and I was back in the game; my batteries recharged and the adrenaline surged from the mere thought of connecting and loving these girls in the way I think Jesus would. ...And this is why I'm here.
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