Camp Palau and Rambling
The duck is in the pool. The watermelon is in the fridge. The fly is on the fly-paper. Yes, camp is over. Our one week of summer day camp in Palau has officially concluded, except for a small presentation at church tomorrow. The journey was interesting, to say the least. Sunday: two campers. Monday: five campers. Tuesday: 12 campers. Wednesday: 14 campers. Thursday: 20 campers (we brought in some kids from last week's Ngarchelong VBS). Friday: 14 campers.
Here is what we did: sang, told stories and Bible stories, learned a memory verse, played group games, played sports, made crafts, went on the Jungle River Cruise and saw wild crocodiles, and swam for two hours almost every day (not with the crocodiles). The kids had fun and we had fun. I could go into more detail, but that about covers it. As usual, I am super impressed with Palauan kids. They have been so easy to work with and are really smart and fun. I am also super impressed with our staff. Aila, Scott, Alex, and of course myself, have made an awesome camp team.
I'm almost home. Over the last three weeks I have had "plenty time" to think. Maybe more than I needed or wanted, and it often did not feel productive. Still, it has been interesting trying to decide if I want to go home or not. I hate falling in line with what "the books" say about how people transition from one place to another, but I suppose I pretty much am a textbook case. In one sense, I can't wait to get home and see my family and friends and car and food and internet...and other stuff. But in another really big way, I am afraid to go home. There is a raw, mysterious beauty in the simple life of Yap. Palau is even busy compared to it, but when I think about home, I feel slightly overwhelmed. Life in America seems so...complicated. So big and scary. I don't want to be expected to keep up with 3,000 people on facebook all the time or be available 24-7 on my cell phone that has not been used since January. I don't want to hear the noise, see the flashing lights, or try to keep up with fast-paced American life. How in the world do I retain the simple life as I jump back into American life? How do I remember God in the everyday "normal" life? How do I catch up with friends that I haven't talked to in a really long time? And how do I say goodbye to friendships that have been forged in the challenges of SM life and will never be quite the same in normal life? How do I learn to be content with staying in contact with anyone through the internet? It seems that we are good at avoiding "goodbyes" by using the internet crutch, but it might be better if we just admitted that it's over, at least most of the time. It's nice to know that you are drinking a frappacino at Starbucks, but that doesn't really tell me how you are doing. I can only know that if I am in your presence. And that, obviously, gets more and more impossible the more people I meet all over the world.
All of this thinking reminds me that I am waiting. I am waiting to go home. I am waiting for whatever my future holds, whatever friendships may come and go through life. And I am waiting for Heaven and for my Best Friend who is waiting for me too. I am waiting for life to be simple, and I might have to wait an eternity, but that's ok. I think it will be worth it.
Here is what we did: sang, told stories and Bible stories, learned a memory verse, played group games, played sports, made crafts, went on the Jungle River Cruise and saw wild crocodiles, and swam for two hours almost every day (not with the crocodiles). The kids had fun and we had fun. I could go into more detail, but that about covers it. As usual, I am super impressed with Palauan kids. They have been so easy to work with and are really smart and fun. I am also super impressed with our staff. Aila, Scott, Alex, and of course myself, have made an awesome camp team.
I'm almost home. Over the last three weeks I have had "plenty time" to think. Maybe more than I needed or wanted, and it often did not feel productive. Still, it has been interesting trying to decide if I want to go home or not. I hate falling in line with what "the books" say about how people transition from one place to another, but I suppose I pretty much am a textbook case. In one sense, I can't wait to get home and see my family and friends and car and food and internet...and other stuff. But in another really big way, I am afraid to go home. There is a raw, mysterious beauty in the simple life of Yap. Palau is even busy compared to it, but when I think about home, I feel slightly overwhelmed. Life in America seems so...complicated. So big and scary. I don't want to be expected to keep up with 3,000 people on facebook all the time or be available 24-7 on my cell phone that has not been used since January. I don't want to hear the noise, see the flashing lights, or try to keep up with fast-paced American life. How in the world do I retain the simple life as I jump back into American life? How do I remember God in the everyday "normal" life? How do I catch up with friends that I haven't talked to in a really long time? And how do I say goodbye to friendships that have been forged in the challenges of SM life and will never be quite the same in normal life? How do I learn to be content with staying in contact with anyone through the internet? It seems that we are good at avoiding "goodbyes" by using the internet crutch, but it might be better if we just admitted that it's over, at least most of the time. It's nice to know that you are drinking a frappacino at Starbucks, but that doesn't really tell me how you are doing. I can only know that if I am in your presence. And that, obviously, gets more and more impossible the more people I meet all over the world.
All of this thinking reminds me that I am waiting. I am waiting to go home. I am waiting for whatever my future holds, whatever friendships may come and go through life. And I am waiting for Heaven and for my Best Friend who is waiting for me too. I am waiting for life to be simple, and I might have to wait an eternity, but that's ok. I think it will be worth it.
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