Cuatro Días en la República Dominicana

2-August-2010

Villa Montellano (Tamarindo), DR - camp at Makarios, day one
Our first day of camp! Quick breakdown of what camp looks like for the next three days:
About 25 kids arrive, ages 6-12. These kids used to go to Makarios school, but as Mak only has two grades right now--pre-k and kinder--they can no longer go to this school. Before camp begins, Mak provides a breakfast for them: banana, hard-boiled egg, bread, a vitamin, clean drinking water.

(side note: some of the kids do not eat their entire breakfast, they save some of it to bring home to their families. Words can't quite describe the heavy feeling in my heart at this moment.)

After breakfast, we all meet together to sing some songs, split up for a bible story, memory verse, and craft time. Then for the last few hours of camp we walk down to "the play" (the park) for sports and recreation. Around lunch time we head back to the school for snacks and to send the kids home -- well, we attempt to send them home. This task is quite difficult as many of them want to just hang around outside of the school gates. Lord, thank you for giving these children a safe haven; a place to feel comfortable; a place to hang out at.

(side note: Yulena is a sweet little nine-yr-old I got to hang out with. When we got back from "the play," we had a few minutes before it was time to go so she pulled out a few books and put them in front of me. "El árbol generoso" (The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein). As I opened my mouth to begin reading, I heard her soft sweet voice read the first few words on the page. She continued to read to me for the next few minutes until it was time to go. I'm used to kids asking me to read to them but it was refreshing to be read to. I know that sounds silly - but I had this feeling of re-assurance. Maybe the Lord was trying to remind me that HE will protect and watch-over these children and all I can do is love them, equip them, encourage them, and just...be...with them.)

I love the way kids can love on you when you've only just met; they don't have reservations or feelings of disapproval yet, they just love. It is no wonder that when the disciples came to Christ arguing about who was "greater" that He said:

"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me..." Matthew 18:3-5

Children understand love and faith in ways I have begun to forget about as I grow up. They GIVE love without reservations - not yet worried as to whether or not it will be returned. What if we still loved like that? With reckless abandon; no reservations; no expectations; no strings-attached.