Tuesday, July 17, 2012

the truth about camp or how awesome is cottage cheese?


I went to camp:
  • My feet smelled BAD once released from the confines of the sneakers.  
  • I ate cottage cheese. every. single. day. 
  • I met a bunch of new people (80% of them were junior high age. Seeing as this was a junior high camp with 450+ junior high students, this is ok!)
  • I waved my amazing YELLOW blow up 'foam' finger.... (and consequently lost it. Note to self: Do not lend foam fingers to junior high boys)
  • I had a mohawk for 'mohawk day'. 
  • I spent half a day on the ground waiting for someone to rescue me, because someone had the great idea to have 'attack day' where everybody shoots (pretend) blow darts at you and I just plain out suck at that game and got hit a lot.
  • I got wet while kayaking, coz I didn't want to sit in the back. Instead I sat in the middle and almost SUNK the freaking boat. Not a boost for self esteem, but funny nevertheless. 
  • I slept in a cabin and was surrounded by lots of dirt, rocks and trees. Some would call it beautiful. I call it nature. 
  • I was part of the yellow team. We didn't win. 

It sounds ok, doesn't it? Not great (apart from the cottage cheese) but just ok...
But then you add the God factor. The God factor happens when you present these 450+ junior high students with truth.
The truth about self esteem and what they might see in the mirror (ugly, fat, etc) and how God sees them (beautiful, created with love).
The truth about not having to do everything on your own. Giving up the struggle and trusting God to take it. Surrendering things like drug use or addiction, family problems, peer pressure, alcoholism and more completely to God. (yes, those are all real problems junior high kids struggle with. I suggest you start talking with your kid!)
And the truth about community. The answer to the question of what comes after camp? What happens when I fall back? What happens when I get abused again? 

When you add the God factor to camp it takes camp from ok to mind blowingly great. It makes cottage cheese fade into the background and helps me see the students for who they are. And it gives me hope for this next generation. They can change the world. They will tell others about Jesus. As long as I will tell them! 



Monday, July 16, 2012

Violence in Jail

So it finally happened.
An outburst of violence in the jail while I was there. It had to happen once. Now it did.
It wasn't directed at me or even any other person. The door took a beating. But if the officer wouldn't have responded so quickly it could have been 'someone' instead of the door.

I realised during my lesson that something was up. 3 of my juvies were VERY distracted. And once they were dismissed and on their way to the room they started to 'sort it out'.

Honestly? It was a bit scary. Not because I was in any danger (I wasn't). But because it showed me what these guys are capable of and it reminds me why they are in there.

Has anything changed? No. I still love hanging with them and know I am safe as long as I abide by the rules of the facility. This was just a good reminder.