Camp - Day 6

Finally, the last installment is being typed up.  I had no idea how exhausted my body was after camp, but three days later, I’m STILL not fully recovered.

The last story was the most difficult to memorize and share, and so with the kids being tired, too, on the last day, it made it feel a bit longer.

When the students signed in for camp, I think I told you that the volunteers from America gave them drawstring backbacks, water bottles, and pens.

On this last day of camp, they gave each student a head lamp with three extra batteries.  The students were SO excited!

In a town where power can be rare, this was quite a blessing.  As a matter of fact, Arua had been without power for three weeks as of the last day of camp.

After the students shared the story and led a mock story group, we all gathered together to take the Lord’s Supper and discuss baptism one more time.

The national leaders helped pass out chapati bread and the black currant juice for the Lord’s Supper, while Lee, a missions pastor from Florida read the Scripture.  

Then, Stan, a fellow team member, discussed baptism again, using Scripture and showing the students why a follower of Jesus is baptized AFTER he believes, rather than before. 

He discussed it again, because two of the students whom Doug has been storying with (Erik and Tom) had decided to be baptized.  They wanted to be baptized in June, but schedules didn’t work out, so camp seemed like a perfect opportunity.

But at camp, there was no swimming pool, of course.

The girls, following, after the boys had already stationed themselves down the hill

The men journeyed down to the river to make a “ladder” for the girls to walk down because it was very steep.  I was so glad they were there, because on more than one occasion I slipped, and would have tumbled all the way down the hill without those hands grabbing my arms.

 

Jill, thankfully being caught by Stan and Gordon

Once all the students from the camp were on the dam,

Pastor David, Doug, Stan, Erik and Tom walked into the water.

Erik was a little difficult to pull up, so when Tom went, he started on his knees.

The water coming out of the dam was so loud, Pastor David had to shout, and Doug had to shout at the end so his prayer could be heard.

Then we all trekked back up the hill for lunch and saying goodbye.

 Unfortunately, I didn't carry my camera to the "goodbyes," but there was quite a bit of engineering going on in the loading of the cars.  I'll get pics from someone and share another time.

Thankfully, for you, I DID get a picture of the bathroom I used all week.  

Go in...

Move the wood to the side...

And there you are.  

I didn't want to zoom in too much because you can....see things.

I have such empathy for the nationals who have to squat 365 days a year, including when they are 32 weeks pregnant!  It was not easy.

But my girls did this morning, noon, and night, including taking bucket baths with water from the bore hole.  

That means they stand in a basin, and pour cold cups of water over themselves to bathe.

When they got home, they were SO thankful to sit on a toilet, eat with a fork, eat something besides rice and beans, and SO looking forward to sitting in a warm tub.

But if you remember, there had been no power in Arua for 3 weeks.

So, I spent the evening back and forth at the stove, heating water.  We boiled 7 big pots of water so all of us could have an inch or two to bathe in.

And wouldn't you know...God turned the power on for us the very next day!  And it stayed on long enough to fill the hot water heaters before it turned off again.

"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”            Luke 6:3