Week 2

Right now the kids are on a break from school for 1 week (kind of like our Spring break back home). My day starts with Devotions with the team (including Nathan (leader), the LSE, the teenage volunteers, the Brentwood Team, and myself). They are lead by Timmy who is actually one of the most inspirational speakers I have ever heard. He is quite gifted. Then we start to set up. At about 9 a few kids and leaders go out with a loudspeaker to call some of the neighbourhood kids. I was surprised at how well the racket was received. While we are out and a little while after we get back we play some circle games as everyone gets registered and comes in. Then Jessica starts the Lords Prayer in English and the kids go through the whole thing by themselves (I was pretty impressed). The one of the LSE teaches the memory verse for the day. Jess asks for volunteers from the audience and a few of the LSE teach the kids small parts to act out for the Bible Story of the day. Then we do some praise and worship including a few of the theme songs. Then the kids break into their age groups (K-2, 3-4, 5-7) and rotate between 3 stations that are the Bible study/craft, the music station where they learn the song for the day, and the recreation station (where I am). Then we come back together and Jess tests a few volunteers about the memory verse, bible story, and theme of the day for prizes. The day finishes with the Lords Prayer in Afrikaans and then the kids eat lunch and go home. We stay back to eat, debrief, plan for the next day, and clean up.
The first day there were about 170 kids and it went pretty well. I was surprised that the hardest group to manage was the K-2’s. The LSE are really amazing with the kids and do a really good job of keeping them under control. It is still pretty crazy at times but if it weren’t for them I don’t think we could manage at all. I have a lot of fun working with the team and the kids. I am learning a lot about their culture and a lot from them. Working with these guys in a group situation is easier then it is working in a large back home just because they are so open to ideas and are so community and family oriented that they know how to make people feel comfortable and welcome.
On Tuesday my new roommate Claire (a volunteer from the UK; she is 22 and just graduated as a paediatric nurse) got here. She seems really nice and I am looking forward to getting to know her better. The second day there was about 180 kids at camp (we were expecting about 250). It ran a bit smoother than yesterday just because we all had a better idea of what to expect and were able to learn from yesterday’s experience. It was also nice outside so we were able to do a lot of the circle games and all the recreation outside. We (Brentwood Team and I) went to a part of Living Way (Job creation branch) where the women sew things like bags and placemats. They were absolutely beautiful and I will be going back to buy something before I leave for sure; I wanted to let the Brentwood Team get what they wanted since they are leaving Friday). After camp I was able to show Claire around the beach and town a bit.
The third day Claire actually came with me to Holiday Camp. There were fewer kids today as there was a huge event at the Mosque that a lot of the kids were probably required to go to. Some of the families are Muslim here so the religious event would have taken priority for the Muslim kids. It was still pretty crazy and a lot of fun (I think there were probably about 160 kids there but normally there are about 250). There was well over 200 kids on Thursday. It was absolutely gorgeous outside so we were able to do the circle games and all the rec outside. Most of the games I got on video instead of pics so until I figure out how to get videos on here you will just have to wait to see how much fun it all is. :P
Friday was the last day of Holiday Camp and I was able to get video of almost every activity we do so you can get an idea of how the days went. After the camp Mandy stopped by to ask the LSE if they wanted to come to the concert we are all going to in a few weekends (YAY!!!) and then she told me that Claire had decided not to stay and to continue with her work in Joberg instead. I guess she wasn’t quite as excited about her project as the rest of us are, and she seemed fairly…organized…and I’m not sure the laid back South African culture agreed with her…which meant I got my room back to myself (which was fine with me!).
I was able to stay for the worship concert that night. The concert took place in a Hall in OV and was put on by Melissa, Meagan, Nathan, Chris, and Al’s Church. After Camp I drove around with Meagan to help set everything up (well…I mostly watched and carried stuff since I know NOTHING about musical equipment…but that’s ok). It’s funny, Mandy said the concert wouldn’t start until 8 (it was supposed to start at 7) and she was bang on. The concert was amazing! Meagan, Chris, Al, Marco, Rudolph (Meagan’s cousin), Cindy, Kay-lee, Lindsay, and a few others (most of whom were staff or volunteers at the Holiday Camp) are a part of the Joyous Worship Crew and they are all so talented. Shagmie (another LSE from a different community) was also there and is a part of a Christian rap group called Majotic. The crowd was so active as well. Worship in a coloured Church is certainly quite different from back home! Vancouver Nightclubs actually don’t really have much on this concert, that’s for sure!
The weekend was pretty relaxing. We went to a place called Simons’ Town (where the penguins are!!!) We also walked around the actual town a bit (its kind of like Fort Langley). The American Navy Band was playing and they were incredible, although there was quite a bit of contrast between the Navy Band and the worship concert last night!
This week (6th – 10th) I will be in the Health Care Centre during the day and Mountainview in the afternoon. I was also invited to a brie (bbq) for the Oceanview volunteers on Thursday and the Church most of the LSE attend is having a Youth retreat this weekend which I was also invited to. I am really looking forward to it, but I may not be able to put on more pics until next week. I am almost finished a video outlining the highlights of the Holiday Camp so I will put that up as well.