Janna and I showed up a day late for this camp, 'cause we'd stayed in Guayaquil to spend a bit more time with the Canadian team from our church, go to the market, go to Iguana Park (my first time there) help
paint the school... and say goodbye.This is of camp was the first time I'd ever been there without a big team of Canadians! It was a little bit different, but I sorta liked it too! If I hadn'
t already known so many of the Ecuadorians, since it was the Sr. Teens/College and career aged camp, I would have felt a bit out of my zone :PThe week of camp was filled with many of the same activities and competitions as the youth camp, but unfortunately had even less beach time because the water was even more ridiculous...
the worst yet. But we all made due and appreciated every bit of time in the water even more! :) David... the director made sure we played lots of games on the beach during low-tide at least :)
One thing that I really liked about the older camp was that I got to sit in on a workshop... but not just any workshop... my sister's workshop :) Janna talked about Daniel (the Bible character) during her workshop time that week, and did a really great job of it. It
still amazes me when I sit and listen to her talk, the whole thing in Spanish. I know she is fluent, but when I sit and listen and really think about it, I just love it :D And I
love that the people really respond to her, they love her, they truly listen, and I love how the Lord uses her there. It was such a gift to be there with her. She blesses my heart :)Because, as I said, I already knew some of the youth at this camp, I was blessed with having a few really great conversations, with Miguel Arocito (an ex-
gang kid that gave his heart to the Lord last year at camp and is livin' strong for Jesus), Edy from bloque 10, Kathryn from Ontario (Heather's daughter), my 'brother' Pedro, Mauricio, and a really significant talk with another 'brother' Luigi, and even Janna had more
time to talk this week... Actually, this was a great week also because I got to meet so many of the kids that Janna has talked about for the past 2 years. Quite a few of the Park Boys (gang guys from bloque 6) that she and Bethany have gotten to know and love over the years were there. Unfortunately 2 guys were sent home on Thursday morning after a second drug related incident during the
week, but most of the guys made it trough with just the one warning... when you think about it, this really is admirable considering the addiction/habit they had to fight all week. (Picture to the left is most of them that were at camp with the Green team's trophy on the last night of camp)I feel like there is a lot that I'm not saying, and I'm frustrated with myself that I didn't finish writing about Ecuador sooner (I've been away for the past 2 weeks and now it seem so far from my memory... all the details), there is so much that I would still like to communicate! :)
Again this week of camp the Lord laid on my heart 2 people in particular... One was a really tall, beautiful guy (no I wasn't praying for him cause he was pretty...) that was paying FULL attention to everything that went on in chapel- his name is also Miguel (blue shirt bottom right corner, thumbs up). I noticed the very first night that he had his eyes glued to the speaker and wasn't distracted by the park boys sitting behind him (who he k
new and was friends with from living, and partying, in bloque 6). The other guy was Chamo, in the red shirt with the necklace in the middle-a bloque 6 park boy who had made a commitment last year to follow Jesus, but his good intentions didn't last throughout the year. The reasons behind feeling the Holy Spirit's call to labor in prayer for this boy is a longer story, but I felt, starting Wednesday, that the Lord was working in his heart. I had some g
ood conversations with both of them during the week, but my talks with Chamo toped the charts for many reasons :) Both of these guys made decisions to recommit their lives to Christ and get "help" (discipleship) following camp. Both of the guys have continued strong since then, and are even helping out at the church with the kids 
and youth programs. Praise be to the Lord for lives transformed! :DOne really neat thing was that we didn't even know how significant this week of camp had been for people until the Sunday following... when Miguel shared his testimony and asked for prayer and support from the church in bloque 6
about his decision, and 5-6 youth shared about their week and different commitments they'd made at the bloque 10 church. I sat in amazement that morning at both church services, crying in joy at what the Lord can do to transform His children and make then more and more reflections of His Glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). What a Mighty God we serve!
What a amazing 3 weeks of camp, and what a blessing to be a part of what the Lord was and continues to do in the lives of so many fabulous people... that are SO easy to love :D
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