Today was the last full day of camp for the campers, as they will be departing tomorrow, so we on the bowling alley crew were busy fetching lost and found items and deep-cleaning the ark bathrooms in the morning. As it is Thursday, it was also dorm cleaning day, which was incredibly...interesting.
I had never been inside the boys' dorms before, and wasn't quite sure what to expect. It was awkward banging on their doors to announce our arrival, but fortunately no one was home. Most of the rooms were tidy (except one, which was horrendous!). In this aforementioned room, there was a clothesline of socks strewn from one bunk to the other. Arms full of buckets, brooms, and a vacuum, none of us saw the clothesline until we had practically hung ourselves upon it.
Of course someone would be walking by at that exact moment.
Humility...such a lovely character quality to develop. I think we must have died laughing.
That evening was "campfire night", where the campers took turns sharing around a campfire what they had learned at camp. Some of the responses--particularly from the children who had been so obviously aloof and hurting at the beginning of the week--moved me to tears.
One boy, perhaps ten or eleven, stood up tentatively, took a deep breath, and disclosed, "Before I came here, I was scared of God."
Scared? Frightened? Of...God? While this was not a foreign concept to me, I wished I could wrap my arms around the whole world--or at least this handful of children--and tell them all about the tenderness of our Father. What the boy said next jarred my entire existence:
"...but then [my counselor] told me about Proverbs 9:10, which says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..."
I could do nothing but sit there, holding my jaw on the floor. Where was the confusion he had once had?
"...I don't have to be terrified of Him anymore, because He loves me."
He does, I clenched my fists together, drawing gratification from the pain it produced. He loves us.
The walk back down from the camp to the hilltop was serene and gave me time to reflect on everything I had just absorbed.
Because it was such a lovely evening, Hannah, Frederic (my leaf), and I went looping around the hilltop and talked (well, obviously--Frederic didn't talk, but I talked for him!) until curfew.
And then...Hannah and I stayed up late and talked some more. We are very likeminded, and it was so refreshing to talk to someone my own age and nationality! Which is why I am writing these last few words at 1:37 am. I might possibly regret this in the morning, but oh well!
It was a great day. 'Nuff said.
Day 12 [8]--
Today the campers went home, we closed everything down for the weekend, and I befriended Jessica, the camp photographer. (It's good to be allies with the people who take random pictures of you, but she's a really nice person anyways!)
After the campers left, a group of people went to Dairy Queen, but the bowling alley crew got left behind to clean up. Which was kind of depressing, if you think about it. Anyhow, when we were finally released for the rest of the weekend I ran all the way back to the dorm, collapsed on my bunk, and...
...this is the part where I'm supposed to say "slept until morning". Actually, I was going to do that, but I kind of got sidetracked--after all, people started pouring in from nowhere for the (bear with me here) camp director's foreign exchange student's going away party on the premises.
I was invited, out of politeness, but naturally I declined. After all, I didn't know anyone, and besides it was a volleyball-themed party, and if you know anything about my volleyball skills, you would have begged me to stay at least five miles from the sand pit at all times.
Instead, Anke, Gaby, Lena, Juli, Dania, Jessica, Jaquie and I went swimming in the pool under the stars before breaking off into various groups to just...chill.
After two full weeks, you have no idea how relaxing it is to do absolutely nothing.
First, I took a long walk by myself (Frederic being my lone companion) and stretched out my legs with each step, curling and uncurling my muscles whilst inhaling the night breeze. When I saw that there was no one in the dining hall, I stopped inside and played on the piano for a good half hour. I had no music that I was familiar with to read from, so I just played the chords to whatever popped into my head.
By and by, Jaquie, Jessica, and Juli came inside, sang along for a bit, and then we settled down for hot cocoa until curfew.
It has been a long day, but it ended well enough, I suppose. :)
Day 13 [9-ish]
This morning was immensely fun! At about 10, Niki took Mia, Gaby, Juli, and I to Wal-mart in her little Jeep. It took us about forty minutes to drive from the camp in Comfort to the store in Boerne, because Niki got lost several times and we stopped at a few gas stations for directions. The drive was fun, however, because we laughed about crazy culture things.
For instance, when Gaby was climbing over the backseat, one of her flip-flops dislodged and hit the vehicle floor behind her.
"Oh, no!" she cried, wondering how she should maneuver back to get it, "My flop! My flop is stuck back there!"
Niki and I, being the only Americans in the group, died laughing.
Now, in honor of Gaby, we call our shoes "Flip" and "Flop". ;)
Niki wanted the German girls to try a Frosty from Wendy's, and she even bought some French Fries, too. While Niki and I dunked the fries in the ice cream, savoring the blend of sweet, salty, hot, and cold, the Germans were repulsed!
"This eis is so sweet," Juli's face puckered.
"And the chocolate doesn't taste like real chocolate," Gaby smacked her lips together noisily. "Is everything here fake?"
"How can you like the fries in the ice cream?" Mia worried, "That is so...is so..." she grappled for the right words, "...so strange!"
"So what is your favorite American food so far?" Niki asked from the driver's seat.
"I like marshmallows," Mia piped.
"Ooooh, marshmallows," Niki nodded, "Have you ever tried s'mores?"
"What is this?" Mia cocked her head a little to the left, trying to understand.
"S'mores are when you take marshmallows, put them on a stick, and then you get them warm above a fire--," Niki started.
"A steak?" Gaby crowed from the backseat. "You put marshmallows on a steak? I thought you Americans like weird foods, but now I know!"
Sometimes I think I'm really going to miss these girls when I leave.
In the afternoon, Dania and I tanned by the pool for about twenty minutes and then a group of us--Juli, Anke, Mia, Gaby, Niki, Lena, Mitchell (from Canada), Wolfgang, Dania, and I--drove down to the river and went canoeing.
Juli, Dania, and I were in a canoe together--with disastrous results. I love canoeing, and would like to think that I am a decent paddler. Juli and Dania, however, hadn't been in a canoe for five years, and couldn't agree on how fast to paddle, where to sit, which side to row on, and what I--being the youngest, and therefore (they assumed) least experienced--should do, if anything at all.
At first I was content to sit back and let the cousin duo handle it themselves, but after we got terribly far behind the other two canoes, I finally took charge, grabbed a paddle, and rowed for all I was worth.
I don't think they really expected that. They exchanged looks of mirth, and followed my lead!
After we (finally!) reached the destination--the deep water hole, we spent about an hour swimming around in the cold, dark water. I went off of the rope swing, laughing as the water hit my bare shoulders and my feet tingled as they plunged into the mossy depths.
The canoe trip back upstream was even worse than before. Dania and Juli are as sweet as twenty-year-olds can be, and as good as gold, but they can not canoe. At least, not yet.
I tried to hand them a few pointers, but (bless their hearts!) they were just so exited to be canoeing that everything I said went over their heads and we just continued paddling around in circles, into the riverbanks, and headfirst into low tree branches.
I switched positions in the canoe three times, but to no avail. Every time we looked like we were back on track, one of them would get this wave of can-do enthusiasm and would paddle furiously on the wrong side...
...we tipped.
Being up front and in the least stable position, I went straight overboard, Dania following with sheer delight, and Juli clinging onto the wobbly canoe with sheer terror.
Soaking wet, Dania climbed back into the canoe, but I found my footing on the river's bottom and dragged the canoe full of two giggling, dripping German cousins back to shore.
And you know what? It was kind of fun, even. ;)
Day 14 [9]--
Today was Sunday, which was church day! I almost almost almost went to Boerne Bible again, especially since Hannah was going to be there and she left yesterday, and won't be back to camp until next Sunday. However, I was desperate to try the other church--First Baptist, and Jessica was the only name on the list, so to keep her company, I signed up as well.
Because their service is later, I got an extra twenty minutes of sleep (joy!) and had breakfast after everyone else was gone. Jessica and I ate croissants in the empty dining hall and chatted until our ride pulled up.
Apparently, First Baptist is the church Guenther and his family attend, so Jessica and I squeezed in the backseat behind his two little girls and I experienced the most terrifying ride of my life.
I had heard vague rumors of Guenther's wild driving skills, but had never witnessed this firsthand, until this morning. Strapped tightly in my seatbelt, squished between Jessica and the window, I felt as if I were on some haunted house carnival ride, what with all the squealing breaks and honking horns (read: other people honking their horns at Guenther. Four in all.)
We lurched down hills, sped through intersections, careened around corners, and raced down the highway. During the entire twenty minute drive, I had only one thought pounding through my mind:
Dear God, if I ever get out of this van, I will never, ever go to First Baptist again! I will never get in a vehicle with Guenther again!Why had I thrown away the safe ride to Boerne Bible, in a fifteen-passenger van full of young adults and Michael Jackson blaring on the radio, to ride with a cute little German family listening to gospel music in this cozy little seven-passenger van?
I loved the church, but I made a mental note to stay as far away from any car Guenther was driving ever again.
In the afternoon came other junior staff including four boys--Cooper, Darius, Nathan, and Ty, and two girls--Nina and Brooke. Nine and Brooke already knew each other, and pretty much stayed together the entire evening, which was fine by me. As I have already been here two weeks, I know far more people than they do, and thus have others to hang out with.
Even Valerie, the crazy redhead with an affinity for orange, is beginning to be a friend. At first, her craziness repelled me, but gradually I found we have more in common than I initially realized.
There was headlice check again, as it is another scholarship week, but this time for highschoolers. I was saddened to see so many bitter, hurting, confused, and torn teenagers in one place. I hope by the end of the week most, if not all, will have been changed by Jesus.
Days 15, 16, & 17 [8,10,9]--
I feel so terrible for not having written in the past two days! It's already Wednesday, and I feel that since Sunday my life here has been nothing less than a flurry of activity.On Monday I introduced myself to a table full of campers--all girls my age. I felt that we bonded quickly, and I now take every opportunity to sit with "my cabin" that I can. Their counselor, Anna, is super sweet and treats me as her equal, and is always joking, "You should just come sleep in our cabin with us! We have an extra bunk!"
I tease her right back, calling her 'Counselor Anna' or 'Miss Anna'. We're enjoying the charade, I'm enjoying getting to know some campers finally, and she's enjoying the extra help.
There's enjoyment all around, apparently.
Brooke and Nina are really nice and fun to work with! Brooke is tall and quiet, but once you get her talking you find she is a genuinely nice person to be around.
Nina, on the other hand, talks forever--but it isn't such a bad thing, except when we're cleaning the bathrooms and I can't hear her over the gush of water coming out of the showers. Then we have to shout over the sides of the girls' bathroom, which leaves us a bit confused. Nonetheless, we make a good team.
Brooke loved Frederic as soon as she met him--in fact, Brooke seemed to just adapt to my rather unconventional ways right from the start. Nina was more leery of my odd personality and slapdash ways. She can't believe that I've only seen two PG-13 movies, that I name leaves and bugs and buildings, that I have random urges to skip, and that I've never heard of half the music she listens to.
However, we have a lot in common, so I feel we are going to be good friends.
Last night (Tuesday) was another home fellowship, which met at Laura and Jaquie's house. At first it was just Juli, Jaquie, and I together while everyone else hung out elsewhere, but gradually everyone started pouring in and we played several fun card games and ate my mint oreos, which I brought as a peace offering of sorts.
Today we cleaned the dining hall again, and with extra hands (Nina and Brooke) we got down almost an hour early. During our free time before dinner, Jaquie took the bowling alley crew to Dairy Queen and we all got blizzards. I tried the Blizzard-of-the-Month, Brownie Batter, which I loved. The only downside was that I wasn't hungry for dinner, which was delicious, I was assured. :)
I really have the desire to write in this journal every day, but some nights I climb into bed with absolutely no energy left to lift my pen onto this paper.
We shall see.
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