We made it out of a session 1 alive and the kids had an awesome week. The barn staff and I braved the first small animal fashion show of the summer-and of our lives! I was surprised by the attendance of boys at the fashion show, especially the 14 year old guys from Josh's Eagle cabin. The kids drew the name of an animal to dress up and then they were given material to colour and decorate. We used hair clips to adorn the animals with their outfits. I would be lying if I said that all that animals appreciated this as much as the kids did. Zoey the large grey rex rabbit kept pulling off her cape, and so her modeling career was put to a quick end as I escorted her back to her cage. The guinea pigs could care less as they were wrapped in bright pink tube dresses and bandannas. Overall, the fashion show was pretty successful and at the end of 'free choice' the kids got to clip the outfits they made on their animal's cage. Next session, we'll do the fashion show again along with a birthday party. We'll see how it all goes!
Josh and I are adjusting to the run around lifestyle of camp, although we can't help but plan as much as we can for what is coming next for us in the fall.
God continues to be so incredibly good. Any temporary fun that we can create at camp is absolutely tiny compared to His love that is eternal and His longing for His children to come to Him and spend eternity with Him. We can do everything possible to make a child’s life more enjoyable by challenging them with new experiences, helping to instill confidence and independence, and giving them love but we cannot give children the perfect love, joy and peace that God gives, and that their heart so aches for. God has given us all the authority and free reign to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this world to go to the hurting, the weak and the forgotten proclaiming that God loves them and is not angry with them. He has given us His spirit to be able to speak words of life to the spiritually dead. Therefore, we serve with our motivation and every intention devoted to the proclamation of the gospel and our actions being an expression of God’s uncontainable love. It is our nature.
The Bear cabin (left) Katy,Christine,Lolly,Larissa,Amanda,Chelsey,Jenny,Lyndsi
With the end of all staff training comes some relief and excitement for what is to come. I do have to say that Double H training is the most innovative and funniest training that I have been through. Even something as simple as handing out the new staff t-shirt becomes a show and activity which gets everyone all excited. The shirts are lime green by the way!
Camp begins on Thursday and I know I'm ready for some kids to be here. I am in the Bear Cabin which is the oldest girls; usually 15 or 16 years old. The kids come for a 6 day session, and each session different kids come.
Right now we're putting our feet up during a two day break, although we did put our feet to work this morning in a 7 mile hike. Josh and I joined a group of our fellow staff who set out to hike the trail called 'sleeping beauty' which leads up a scenic mountain. It was a great way to spend the morning which left me feeling nature-y, healthy and tired!
Josh and I are of course already thinking ahead to this fall and where we might go next. But we don't want to look ahead so much that we're missing out on where we are now. There is great value and responsibility to pray into what God has entrusted to us this moment, and to exemplify the nature of Jesus to the people around us right now. It's easy to say 'oh when this happens or later, I'll do all those right things." But integrity says that we are the same person no mattter where we are, who we're with and what we're doing. So whether we are on the foreign mission field or in Lake Luzerne, New York, we are the hands and feet of Jesus with no compromises.
The back of a 6-year old girl's wheel chair which holds her ventilator. This week she is a fairy princess. Notice her wings?
Program staff training here at Double H just finished a few days ago. This week is our 4 day session of Camp Inspiration, which is a session for children who use ventilators, and their families. Everyone is assigned to a camper and their family. I am in a small group that is assigned to the siblings of one of the campers. The siblings don't use ventilators, however they do have special needs. I am enjoying the zaniness of being with them, and all of the funny things that have already happened and that are just bound to happen today and all the way to the talent show on Friday night.
Since, I normally spend a lot of time at the barn running the petting zoo, I am getting to experience what it's like to be a counselor including the careful footsteps involved in easing a wheelchair down the hill to the waterfront area. Maybe today we'll even catch some fish!
As for life in the barn, I am happy to take care of my little furry buddies that I spent so much time with last summer. After this long winter, the rabbits and guinea pigs are undoubtedly looking forward to being outside in the fresh air, and sitting on some laps. I also learned how to groom a horse and pick the hooves!
Tonight is the last day of the session, which means a busy day of planning talent show acts , fashioning a ‘wish boat’ which is made only from nature’s materials, and watching in awe as a 14 year old boy who is in a wheel chair and breathes from a vent, gets a feel for flying as he zips down the zip line for the first time.
The kids came to the barn and painted on a big white canvas- a horse!
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