Campamento el Faro de Esperanza

I had heard so much about this camp for the past year while people have been going down to build it and feel SO blessed that I was able to witness and be a part of it's first year running on the new property! I walked on it last year when I was in Ecuador for Christmas, but it was only land at that point... and now... look! :D (that big white sign says "welcome to the Lighthouse Camp"-once translated... and it was painted by one of the 'park boys' who I'll talk about later)

The first week of camp was the kids camp (ages 8-12 ish). It was so nice to be back at camp, even if it took some getting used to at the new site... as beautiful as it is, it felt weird to not have all the girls sleeping in the same room, and to not worry about running out of water everyday after beach time! :) For those who know me, you know that I'm not a super big "kid person" so, the highlight of the kids camp for me was watching the volunteers in action serving the Lord at this camp. Some of them I've known since my first time in Ecuador 7 years ago... now they are counseling or working in the kitchen or on maintenance... it just blesses my heart to watch them getting and taking opportunities to "work out" their relationship with the Lord in service to these kids that were so much like them just a few short years ago :) Wow...

(good luck... hope you can pick out a few familiar faces even through the face paint and masks... this was a play that the staff put on for the kids, Noah and the Ark-Noah is down front, the only non-animal!)

This week of camp was directed by Janna (my sister) and Gabby (from the Alborada church, in Ecuador). They did a great job and added some new dimensions to camp in a "think outside the box" way that Janna has always been good at :) Examples? ...like cabin devotions after lunch and a 1/2 hour rest time... both new ideas for camp in Ecuador -to name a few. The week was also full of lots of the same traditional things, like the teams, and competitions, and games, and beach time, and camp fires, and competitions, and chapel, and really yummy food, and crafts, and have I mentioned competitions? :) That is a joke, because Ecuadorians are THE MOST competitive people in the world... I am convinced... even at the little kids camp :) I think our Canadian kids at camp could learn a lot from the enthusiasm and passion that these kids, and staff especially, bring to camp! Even the game "which ever team collects the biggest pile of garbage wins 100 points" gets just as much shouting, cheering, jumping, and flag waving as futbol :D ...even at the Sr. Teens camp and that is amazing (in Canada they'd all stand around looking at each other with a "are you kidding me, I can see right through that little game" expression on their faces :) am I right!?)

And my favorite time of every day...? Beach time :) Perhaps it's because it's the first time all day where I don't feel hot and sticky, or perhaps its because little wet brown children make me smile inside and out, or perhaps it's because the Ocean says so much to me about who God is and makes His love palpable somehow, and more than likely its all the above plus a few more reasons I can't quite put words too. Just look at these faces though, wouldn't this be your favorite time of day too? Watching these children play as if they don't have another care in the world... when I only wish with all my heart that was the case. Most of these children have experienced more heart ache in their little lives then I have experienced in my 24 years.

But, what I DO know is that these children all left camp knowing that they were loved by Jesus, no matter what their home life is like and no matter what was to come in the next days following camp. What an amazing thing it is that Jesus calls us to be His hands and feet as we walk along side people on this earth...