First Day of Camp

June 22nd

Today was extremely busy but amazing! We were up by 6am and drove out to Chongwe from Lusaka. The site where camp is located is mapped out like this: there is a road, and on the right side of the road there is a school and a huge field. Then on the other side of the road is a hill and then down the hill are the four My Father’s Houses, where we set up all the Teen Mania kids to camp, the praise and worship, the registration table, the t-shirts, etc… So when we got there, we came in from the back entrance, away from the school and the hill. I played with some of the kids in My Father’s House, and then I looked up the hill and saw some kids watching us. I started walking up the hill to greet the kids, and when I got to the top, hundreds of kids all over the road and the field were staring back at me. Some were engaged in playing games, talking, etc, but when I showed up at the top of the hill, they all stopped and watched. It was definitely a moment when I had to look to God for guidance, as I walked through the throng of children shaking their hands and smiling down at them.

Later on that day, while we were waiting to put the kids into groups for camp, me and two other interns, Grant and Chelsea, were instructed to keep the kids together and away from the Teen Mania group until they could be grouped properly. I tried to keep the kids occupied by talking to them, singing, even playing a game, but they were so many, and it was over whelming to try and give enough attention to each and every one of them. Before I knew it, at least 10 kids hands and arms were clutching my waist and tons of little faces were staring up at me, desperate for attention and to be loved. I felt like I was being pulled so many ways emotionally, because there was no way I was going to be able to give each kid the love they need and deserve. The best part of the morning was that once we started grouping up the teenagers with their kids, all the kids were loved and given the special attention they needed. They all started grouping off and kids were running to the Teen Mania group to hold their hands and smiling at them. As an intern, we don’t get to teach a group of orphans, we get to help all the short-term missionaries connect with the kids, and we make sure everything runs smoothly. Even though doing administration work during camp means that I don’t get to develop relationships with the kids, I still get to witness God’s work by seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces when they meet their Teen Mania teachers. It was also amazing to watch these teens experience what I got to experience with the children 5 years ago.