Campamento - de Adolescentes 2007

This week of camp was for the Jr. teens (13-16 ish). It was the 2nd and middle week of camp, and it was my personal favorite :D I really like this age... in Ecuador - I might not say the same for this age group in Canada... I can't remember, it's been a few years since I've worked with Jr. teens!

Daniel direct this week, and did a bang up job of it. Also, one of my bestest friends Kimmy came down and it was wonderful to spend time with her and introduce her to so many of the people that I've talked about ever since she's known me :)

Oh there is so much to say about this week, I don't even know where to begin! First off... it was lots of fun :) We had a speaker names Pablo who was just tiny and hilarious (and spoke like perfect english) and got along sooo well with the kids, they just loved him and he participated in all the activities with them... which I think gained him big points with the gang kids-he was totally approachable.

Every night actually, Pablo, David Edgecome (Alborada youth pastor), Daniel, Kim, and I would sit out on the cement circle (speptic tank?) by the futbol field, in between all the cabins, and talk and laugh and carry on while we waited for all the kids to go to sleep. We had some very good times and good laughs! Kim and I were sleeping out in the sand (futbol field) in a tent that week, cause there was no room anywhere else... that had a breeze ;)

The teams were divided up into 4 different "futbol" teams in Ecuador (Emelec, Barcelona, Liga, y National) , which added a bit more competition (if that is possible) into the mix for the week! The slip n' slide was more successful (soapy!) and the beach more treacherous! There were a few days that I seriously feared for our safety at points, and greatly hated the responsibility of being a lifeguard (having to be mean at times and possibly 'overly cautious' in order to avoid a re-play of our near drownings 5 years ago). But the Lord's faithfulness is continually proven and it was a very fun water week :)

This week of camp the kids were on dish duty after meals, and Thursday night, cabin 8 -mostly gang kids from Bastion- was on deck :) It was very cute to see them all working together in the kitchen, working hard, to be finished quickly. They made a camp record that night... the dishes that usually take a good 45 minutes to wash, rinse, dry, and put away, took a mere 20 minutes! A very triumphant group of shouting boys emerged from the kitchen saying "We Win! We did the dishes the fastest!"...leave it to Ecuadorians to make a competition out out dish duty!! We were all really happy they were so pleased with themselves and their work... although we weren't convinced how clean the dishes really were for the next meal ;)

During this week we had a few people celebrate their birthdays... including Maria Eugenia (a well loved counselor we've known for years) and My sister! David, Kimmy and I went into town (Playas) to buy a bunch of food for the big celebration we had that day. All the Staff (Bastion -bloques 6 & 10, Alborada, Saucies, Quito team, and Canadians) all gathered in the afternoon for big Fiesta... while Daniel "took one for the team" and was the only one playing a game with the campers :P It was a very memorable afternoon, as the times are rare that this whole group (Ecuadorians more specifically) can gather and fellowship without concern or notice of obvious social class and group dynamic differences. It was a blessed afternoon where I feel the Lord took much Glory :)

This day (March 16th) was, I have to say, the hardest day of the whole 'summer'...and if we only had the eyes to see it, we have found a very large spiritual battle going on all around us. This was a week that the Presence and Moving of the Lord felt palpable to me. There were some clear things going on that had His finger print and they were big :) It was amazing to watch. And this day, had started out so well, with a wonderful devotion in the morning -on Unity of Believers no less- with an afternoon party of just that (I'm not sure I can express how significant this afternoon was, as there has always been a wall/barrier between Bastion and Alborada... but for an hour that afternoon... we were all one... and the angles sang with us :) Little were we aware that the enemy was prowling around us... I am not going to include all the details here, and don't want to openly sir the pot of division that my own heart has struggled with since. But, that night we, collectively as a Body...as HIS Body, took quite a hit. The enemy succeeded in distracting us from what we were all there for-the campers, and clouded our Vision with a smoke screen of little eternal value, which kept us from being effective in our last 24 hours (often the most crucial) with these, greatly loved by God, campers. Oh I could fill a very long blog entry here :) But, let me say that though the enemy wins a few battles, we all know the outcome... and he WILL NOT win the war :) For He who is in us, is GREATER than he who is in the world... Please pray for a repair in unity and for the Lord's Glory to be sought after by all. Praise the Lord that He is not limited by human weakness!! :D

Overall it was a simply fabulous week of camp-going down in my memory as the best yet (in my 5 years, and 10 weeks of camp in Ecuador). The Lord worked in very large ways in many of the kids lives... every night after Pablo's talks kids raised their hands to receive Christ in their lives for the first time, or make new commitments of dedication. Jesus claimed the lives of 2 kids in particular who the Lord had placed on my heart since the beginning of the week. Two of the park boys (gang kids); "La Roca" ("the Rock")-Edison (far right), & Gabriel (far left)... oddly enough these were the two that intimidated me the most and seemed the most defiant the first day at camp. But the Lord is bigger than the walls these kids have build up around them... and He is very good at bringing them crashing down. These boys need much, much prayer following camp... the "odds" are not in their favor considering their environment, and as Big as our God is, He has never and will never force follower-ship.

Join with us in prayer as we battle with the heavenly realms for the lives and hearts of these kids... there is no greater calling then that of following after Christ and joining Him in His work.