Scoobsss NOOOO

Week 4

This past week we held a VBS camp here at the Orphanage during the morning and at a Desert Batey during the afternoon. The camp here was a struggle, interesting – but a lot of fun. My friend Kristen and I were guides for the oldest boys at the Orphanage. They all actually behaved better than we expected throughout the week. It’s really touch and go with the kids here; they aren’t like any kids I have ever encountered really. They all are very different and have quirks about them. One of my favorites, Winston, for example hardly ever speaks. He’s a really shy kid, but he has a big heart. The best thing we can do here is show the kids the love of Christ through us; that’s not just the best but also the only. Some of the kids are more receptive and some are not, you just have to have a lot of patience and a lax attitude. I don’t spend nearly as much time over at the Orphanage as most people and I think that’s something I need to change – I just get nervous I guess, I don’t want them not to like me so I haven’t even given most of them a chance to. But something you can pray for me about, if you’re into that, is just that I’ll have more confidence and less ridiculous fear about venturing over there.

At the Desert there were more adults than children that came to the camp. Usually when we go to Bateys we have a few adults who usually just by stand and listen and occasionally will play an active role however, this week there were so many we had a whole group for them. Kristen and I were guides for the adults. It was kind of hard to figure out our role there as “camp guides” to people who were some 30+ years older than me but after a while I just kind of figured it out and started being less hesitative and more loving. On the last day of camp we showed the Jesus film in Spanish and then gave away sheet sets with tooth brush and toothpaste and deodorant and a few other things, baseball or jump rope for the kids. It was pretty cool to see the looks on some of these people’s faces as we gave them something like that. Indescribable. One of the adults at the Desert was actually Winston’s mom. She was a sweatheart. We brought her a card that her son Winston, and her other two kids at the Orphanage, Yulisa and Wiliam had made for her which read, “Mom we love you. You are the mother we will never forget. We love you mom.” Precious.

This week is a big week. There are people here from Georgia this week (for those of you who have been here before and know those peeps) and a few other churches as well. The Ramadas (where we sleep) are at max capacity. There is also an equal number of guys and girls this week, usually it’s just Josh and maybe like one other guy. So it’ll be different.

They placed me as a camp leader this week – so that should be interesting too. We have camp leaders every week but it is a volunteer and usually Eric and Amanda or Beth will come with us so it’s not like you’re really in charge in charge… but this week, I am in charge in charge.

So anyway that’s enough for right now, I should go change.

We are in a water drought right now, so keep that in your prayers, I just took a shower and it will be my last until Tuesday at the earliest I think, sometimes it takes a couple weeks I’ve heard though. Esta Bien.

Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers, keeping you in mine.
-Brooke

Ps, my eye actually oozed and bled all over and then the swelling went down. But today it developed again on my lower eyelid as opposed to my upper. So lame. No idea but keep that in prayers, thank you!