Day 1 of English Camp

    OH, was today exciting! We started today with our first "Daily Reflection," which we have opened up to the helpers and students. We didn't really know who would show up for the devotional time. I was counting on the Americans, but the funny thing is that when it was time to start, there were more Czechs than Americans. We began with a song in Czech and English and then read from the book of Matthew 5:13-16.

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

I encouraged the youth and the adults to think of themselves as the salt for this week and to put their light on a lampstand for all to see. "We will be adding a little fun and joy to the lives of these kids. Even when you feel like one person in the midst of a crowd, remember that what you say to these kids makes a difference for them. Your random acts of kindness go a long way...This week you will be working with many kids. It’s difficult to make personal relationships when you’re working with 100 kids. Every moment counts and the more you can personally interact with the children, the better. Call them by name, ask them questions, make eye contact, and do what you can to speak to every child once this week. Let the light and love you have inside you shine for all who can see."
100 kids showed up to see their old friends and make some new ones, too. You'll see from the pictures how we started with Energizers in our opening and then had our first of five skits which will tell the story of Moses and how he rescues the Hebrew people. From the random pictures of class time activites, I think you'll see that the camp has a nice balance of fun and serious times. One of our rooms this year incorporates a special guest who will be sharing their personal life experiences with the kids. Today Julie spoke about her travels and being welcomed into a new culture. This afternoon the volunteers and kids joined us for a trip and we'll spend the evening making more friends as we again share dinner with another family. Today we all had our first taste of the great things to come this week. Enjoy the pictures from the Album below!

Monday: The first day of camp! click here to view pictures