School Camp

This week's 2-day camp is Jr. High and High school. I spent all day yesterday in the kitchen cooking for 100+ people. It was about 95º outside and probably 115º in the kitchen! The kids had their own group to lead worship and it was excellent. It was the first time that the players AND leaders were all students. They divided up into groups for workshops, games, and preparations for Talent Night. They were allowed to prepare a skit, a coreography, a song or all three. It is such an excellent group to work with. There was so much enthusiasm and cooperation. The kids were soooo happy and enjoying themselves so much.
We had a student since 7th grade that has been a real handfull...now she is a senior. In almost every activity she is "the difficult one". More than once we sat around the "decision table" ready to kick her out, but someone would say..."let's just give her one more chance". Once she called Oscar an very bad name and was suspended. One year she was sent home from camp. The only problem was...her mom was not home and after contacting her, and not having anywhere else to go...she came to MY HOUSE! We talked, and talked, and talked and talked...way up till 3am. But, that was the year she broke down and we started a great friendship. She still is (often) a troublemaker, but I have learned how to get to her heart. Yesterday, I was busy in the kitchen and she came to tell me hi...BUT, she was soaking wet from the pool. She just wanted a reaction. I know she wanted me to get mad, but I just hugged her back...all wet and everything. I am amazed at the change in her attitude and life. I see her walls being broken down as she lets love flow in...and out.
School Camps are LOTS OF WORK, but when we see that little seed planted...even years before...growing into a "beautiful flower" or a "tall, strong tree". Then, it's worth the sweat,...the cost, the prayers, and the tears!

Flowers

I don't know the name of this flower in English. I tried to check it out this morning online, but I couldn't find anything on it. It is called Joya del Jardin (Garden Jewel) in Spanish. There are yellow ones and wine colored ones. This picture is taken at our house. It is one of my favorites since it spreads rays of hope and beauty.
Does anyone know what this flower could be called in English?

Last night's soccer tournament

The 11th graders organized a fund-raising soccer tournament last night. Brandon and Gaby were totally distracted with this exciting event. Oscar and I were not really that excited...Thursday night (our night of rest) was supposed to be relaxing...with book.
So, with storm clouds and lightning on the way, we all piled into the car with great hopes of winning this great high school soccer tournament. We dropped the kids off and felt a few sprinkles. We told them that it would be dangerous to play in the rain on the cement soccer floor and it should be cancelled if it rained more. They looked very un-worried and ran off to get with their teams.
We took Edson on a visit and for an hour he and another two year old played wonderfully together. Both moms enjoyed the break! We then went on to a huge supermarket and stayed until closing hours thinking that the kids still needed time.
Back at school, we found that BOTH Brandon's and Gaby's teams were in the finals and they were playing the LAST, exciting game...the winners had a box (1 kilo) of (already melting) icecream. The game was very intense, very exciting! Both teams played hard. In the last 56 seconds...Gaby's team made a goal, breaking the 2-2 tie.
These huge, sweaty guys ran off the field towards the icecream...scooped it up with their hands and fingers! No one thought to bring spoons or cones for the winners and so they were digging in with their dirty, sweaty hands to slurp up this melted mush.
Oooooooohhh! It was gross and yucky...but...THEY WERE THE WINNERS!

Golden Rain

Lluvia de Oro...Golden Rain. This tree is another one of my favorites! We took the picture in February. Oscar thought the oxen and cart were great! The flowers usually bloom for soooo long. Through wind storms or rain the flowers still look so beautiful. Sometimes the flowers last a month or two. It's brightness and long-lasting beauty cheers me up every time I see it.

No. 300

I have finally reached 300 posts!

Today's post is about our kid's camp. Yesterday we started out our spiritual retreats at school and the 1st-3rd graders had the opportunity to spend a day away from school for some bible lessons on "Peace". They got there a little bit after 7 and had a day full of worship, Bible stories, workshops, a hamburger cookout, games, swimming, and lots of fun.

Today another group will go...the 4th-6th graders. They are planning on spending the night!

Oscar and I have been keeping busy buying food and other things for camp...like 18 lbs of noodles, 8 chickens, 15 lbs of ground beef, 15 lbs of rice, 80 apples, 160 hamburgers plus buns, etc...

Pray for the safety of our students and teachers!

Beautiful Skies

Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Psalm 31:24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.
Psalm 71:5 For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.
Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
Psalm 33:18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love

Pomegranate

Another summer fruit...Pomegranate.
Ours is not the very sweet kind. Personally, I don't like it very much since it is a little bit bitter, but some people do. We have two shrub-trees, both have the same kind of fruit. When it's ripe, it splits open. It is dry and you can pluck the seeds out, stick them in your mouth like tic-tacs and suck the fruity part off the seed.