Well, the time has come. I have decided it’s time for a fresh start. I have convinced myself that I need to get into the habit of writing more often and I decided that my old blog just wouldn’t cut it. That was back when I was a bit younger, in a kind of “emo” stage, for lack of a better term… and it had just been so long since I last used it, that I have forgotten all of my login information anyway. Sooooo, I figured it would be best to start a new one altogether. What better way to kick off my new blog than by beginning with an entry about my first experience at summer camp with Royal Family Kids?
It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a week since we got home from camp. Yet, at the same time, it feels like it’s been forever. I had spent the entire summers of 2009 and 2010 away from home at Trail’s End Camp in Pennsylvania
Royal Family Kids is an organization that reaches out to children who are in the foster-care system, who are often times neglected and/or abused. As counselors, we could not know exactly what situation they are in at home, so all we could do is pray for God to work through us to touch the lives of these children during the five days we would be with them. Going into it, I was very excited to have the opportunity to share the love of Christ with children that need it, but I was also nervous that my campers wouldn’t like me. So I tried my best to be prayed-up and prepared for anything. I was also very happy to have Sarah there with me, in the same group!
The day the campers arrived, I could sense the joy and excitement radiating off all of the counselors… it was the big day! There was a bit of confusion between Sarah and me because two of our campers had the same names. So when we first met them, we pretty much stuck together until we could get it figured out. Nevertheless, I loved my campers right off the bat. They were both so sweet; one girl was more quiet and reserved, while the other was outgoing and talkative. We clicked right away, which was extremely encouraging!
The week was full of so many memorable moments and conversations, it would take me forever to write every single detail. So I will try my best to sum it up. The very first day, my girls painted both my face and my nails at the activitiy center... I looked beautiful ;) Throughout the week, there was fishing, horseback riding and BB guns. Craft times during which we did things like decorating hats and making leather bracelets. Swimming pool one day and a water park all to ourselves another day! We celebrated the campers' birthdays on Wednesday... so that meant an entire day to make them all feel special: they got presents, cupcakes and there was even a carnival set up just for them! Plenty of rounds of "Little Sally Walker" or "Announcement" chants. And I mustn't forget love notes galore! More importantly, they had opprotunities to hear about how much God loves them during their Breakfast Club sessions and Chapel time.
Thursday evening we all watched a slideshow that had been put together with pictures from throughout the week. During the video, I had my girls right by my side... both in tears. That's when it first hit me that my time with my girls was slowly coming to an end. Thinking about it right now is bringing tears to my eyes. I put my arms around them and just tried my best to enjoy that bittersweet moment. After the slideshow, all of the campers and counselors went for a short hike up to a cross that was located on a hill above camp. Up there, we were given a chance to be face to face with our campers to talk with them and pray for them. It was such a wonderful moment we shared up there on that hilltop. One of my girls asked for prayer, while the other remained quiet. I prayed for the two of them, all three of us holding hands... each of us in tears. Knowing that the next day we would have to say good-bye and that I may never see them again, it broke my heart. I did my best to tell them how special they are, how much I love them and how much God loves them. We walked down to our room that night and I was overwhelmed with emotions... but I did my best to keep it under control.
The next day, we had free time and it was a great way to spend some of our last hours with them! We played more "Little Sally Walker" and a few rounds of "Ninja". The camp was full of smiles and laughter... it brought so much joy to my heart. When it came time to send the campers off............. let's just say that there wasn't a dry eye to be seen. The air was full of the sound of cheers and encouragement from the counselors, but also with sobbing from some of the kids. When my girls were called onto the bus, I just had to give them one last hug each... and then I couldn't hold back the tears anymore.
Not only were we there to touch the lives of these kids, but they were also brought into our lives to touch our hearts. God works in such crazy ways. I will always cherish the moments I had at RFKC this summer. I will never forget my girls and I will continue to keep them in my prayers. I may not know exactly what situation they are in... but God does. They are His children and He thinks they are precious. Lord, I pray that You will hold their hands and that they will choose to follow You down the path You have planned for them. For You are good and Your plans for them are good. Amen.
I leave you with two last things:
1. Quote of the week: "This is why I like them girls with that golden hair!"
2. The last love note that one of my campers gave me: "Dear Candice, I love you so much. I'll never forget you. You are in my heart forever. Thank you for the notes and bye."
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