Oh Yeah! Something from January!

Well, for some reason I realized the other night when I couldn't sleep that well, that I hadn't told you about Camp Babochka!  I had asked for advice beforehand because I was supposed to help with the craft and I really had no idea what to do.  So now, at last, here's how it went at camp.

There was a special welcoming committee for the campers and their families.  The theme was fairy tales, so the counselors all dressed up in Russian fairy tale character costumes, mostly gnomes and fairies.  And apparently Snow White is a popular Russian character as well.

Even though the campers only see these counselors a few times a year, there is a close connection.  The parents stayed in a building nearby while the counselors took care of their campers overnight.  We learned afterwards that the parents were thrilled with the camp.  They want to do another one!  This is a big deal because none of the parents are believers, and this camp is clearly a Christian camp.  Anna, the director of the camp, has long wanted to have a ministry directly to the parents of the campers, and her prayers are beginning to be answered!

And here's the first day of the craft that I was in charge of organizing and directing--in Russian!  The first 3 minutes seemed to be going all right, then the next 15 minutes were utter chaos and I felt a bit terrified.  Then the amazing counselors really stepped up and things went very smoothly.

In the evenings we all joined in one large group and played games before the message was preached.

The second day some of the campers went outside in the FREEZING weather to play a game of hockey!  They had a great time!  I stayed inside, however, and helped some kids who didn't want to go outside with crafts.  Fewer kids and better preparation on my part made for a much more calm environment. :)

After the hockey game I gave a talk to the girls about table etiquette in preparation for their Christmas ball later that evening.  The girls were very patient with my Russian and asked some great questions.  We had a great time together, laughing (often at my language mistakes), chatting and just being girls.
Thomas, Isaiah and I had to leave early due to our flying back to the States and all, but we had such a great time!  I was thankful to actually have an active part in what was going on.  Thomas did a great job leading a small group.  Isaiah just plain had fun with all the other kids!  Thanks again for all your prayers!