So, a month ago we were gearing up for camp season, and now here we are already halfway through it. In February there were 2 weeks of back to back camps, both for youth, and on Monday we start 2 more weeks for children.In spite of heading into those first 2 weeks with everyone feeling less than ready, we all must have been more ready than we thought, because it all went very well, they were 2 good sessions, both different from each other, both good.
The first week was for senior youth, mostly from Bastion, and numbers were down this year, due to a few factors. But that made for a more manageable group in many ways, and it was a good time. All the usual activities - groups, soccer games, crazy fun games, beach time, devotions with the counsellors. There were teaching times in the morning and evening, with a speaker who was so good, talked about who Jesus really was and is, as opposed to the image many have grown up with. The kids listened to him, he speaks from his heart.
We had a walk along the beach one morning, teams were to gather up any unusual finds and when we got back the collections would be judged, see who managed to find the weirdest thing on the beach. We came back with quite a assortment of oddities! Then later that day on the beach, there were 2 more contests (it's all about competition 
here!), one to get as many team members buried in the sand as possible in a given time, and then the other for each team to build an amazing sand castle. It just does my heart so much good to see these kids, ALL of them, even the big ones who consider themselves the tough guys off the streets of Bastion, down on their hands and knees earnestly working on their part of the sand castle, getting it just right, adding a flower here, a shell there. And then they're so proud of the finished product they need me to take a picture of them in the middle of it.
here!), one to get as many team members buried in the sand as possible in a given time, and then the other for each team to build an amazing sand castle. It just does my heart so much good to see these kids, ALL of them, even the big ones who consider themselves the tough guys off the streets of Bastion, down on their hands and knees earnestly working on their part of the sand castle, getting it just right, adding a flower here, a shell there. And then they're so proud of the finished product they need me to take a picture of them in the middle of it. The second week was livelier, we had 120 or so younger kids, junior youth, and the beginning of the week coincided with the national holiday called Carnival. Which, aside from being a 4 day weekend, means that you are completely free to throw water at anybody at all, anywhere, anytime. You can be walking down the street in Guayaquil, and have a hose turned on you, or a bucket of water thrown at you, or be shot at by a water gun. And consider yourself fortunate that's all it is, because it's also ok to throw other stuff - dirty water, paint, flour followed by water, and it gets worse. So being away at camp seems like a good plan for those days, safer somehow! Not this year. All was calm until Tuesday, still Carnaval, and then it started during dishwashing after 
lunch. A little water was splashed, then more, then dishpans full, then the hose, then paint was applied to hands to be rubbed into unsuspecting faces. It had rained, leaving a lovely mud puddle, an excellent place to roll someone in. It even extended to the games, the teams had to get as much paint rubbed into each other's faces as possible, they were merciless. Nobody was immune. Except - ME! My advanced years bought me some respect, and also any time anyone looked like they were heading my way with paint, I reminded them that IF they got sick during the week, it was me they'd be needing! Worked every time. I did get hosed once, but water I could deal with, especially in this heat!
lunch. A little water was splashed, then more, then dishpans full, then the hose, then paint was applied to hands to be rubbed into unsuspecting faces. It had rained, leaving a lovely mud puddle, an excellent place to roll someone in. It even extended to the games, the teams had to get as much paint rubbed into each other's faces as possible, they were merciless. Nobody was immune. Except - ME! My advanced years bought me some respect, and also any time anyone looked like they were heading my way with paint, I reminded them that IF they got sick during the week, it was me they'd be needing! Worked every time. I did get hosed once, but water I could deal with, especially in this heat! Each week there was a campfire time, when kids are invited to share what's been happening through the week, and at each one it was evident that God had been working in hearts. There were testimonies as to what God had done, and commitments made to follow Jesus, and tears were shed. As always, it seems so easy when they're away from the world, in the special world that camp is - these kids face huge challenges when they return to the real world of Bastion, and it is our challenge to be able to offer the support and discipling that they need, and also to offer a warm, accepting, loving church community for them to be part of.
The weeks were without major medical issues, thankfully. We had a couple of viruses do the rounds, but everyone survived those, lots of tylenol was doled out. There were 2 stingray stings in one day, but now I'm an expert in dealing with those. The kids look at me as if I'm crazy when I tell them they have to put the foot into a bucket of very hot water, and I know they have serious doubts about this gringa nurse's methods. But in 1/2 an hour, they've changed their minds, and off they go, happy and painfree.
I was delighted to go back into Guayaquil in the middle of the first week to pick up my niece from the airport, and she spent the rest of that week and all of the next week with me at camp. It was her first time here, and she jumped right in, learning Spanish, and getting into the spirit of things, and adjusting to Ecuadorian ways. It was great to have her here, and be able to show her a little of my life here, and see her make friends with my friends. And now I'm looking forward to my sister arriving in just a few days. She'll be here for 4 weeks, she'll be at camp for the first week and a half, and then we'll spend time here in Guayaquil, and we're hoping to get away for a few days somewhere, too. To the mountains, to find some coolness - the heat and humidity here on the coast have been unrelenting the last few weeks.
