Day 5.....2 weeks later

So the final day of camp was perhaps the most rewarding in some ways. The parents came with their kids and spent the day going through an abbreviated schedule of what their kids had done all week. We played games with the parents, made crafts, watched skits, and most fun of all, sang songs. By the last day, all of my kids were doing the motions and singing! Even the ones who didn't know english!

After the games and such we had a large bbq with the parents (despite the burining ban- but we never got caught!) The food situation was funny, not everyone brought enough food to share (we provided the meat and potatoes) and with over 200 people it became quite the mad house! But it was enjoyable overall and Skot was the man of the hour. Skot had so many parents speak to him, kiss him, and give him hugs. The best part for me was when one of the mothers looked at me and said, "You are Skot's wife?" and when I said yes she kissed me and gave me the warmest hug. She thanked us for all of our work with her children and for taking the time off to serve her family. Her little boys were riots to say the least. ICCP staff spent a lot of the afternoon talking with parents and really loving on the parents, forging lasting relationships. Many of the parents would never step foot in a church, but allow their children to come to this camp because of the willingness and quality of the ICCP staff to engage them in friendship.

One story in particular that comes to mind if of a Christian mother and an unbelieving father. Her friend have tried for years to convert him, but once they give it a shot and he turns them down, they no longer try to be friends with him. Then ICCP staff comes along and he was blunt with them, "If you are trying to convert me it won't work, and I don't want to be your friend if you will stop being my friend once you find that out." They let him know that that was not their purpose in their relationship with him and continued to hang out with him, even spending a great deal of time with him.

Clean up took a bit, but not as long as previous years. It was sad to see all of our hard work for 5 days come down in less than 5 hours. We took down the pyramids as the parents were leaving and ICCP staff said their goodbyes. We put away the plane, the jeep, the camel. We tore down the curtains and put away all of the toys (imagine slow, sad music playing behind). That evening I think we just crashed. Perhaps we had dinner, I don't even remember. I am sure we went out as we tended to get back after most of the grocery stores were closed and were often too tired to spend any time preparing.