The first of this season’s children’s camps ended yesterday and both the kids and the adults left with mixed feelings. As usual some were ready to go home after a strenuous few days of activity and others wished that camp could go on for another week. For the leaders from the churches of Alborada and Sauces in Guayaquil this was the first year that they had run camp by themselves so the week had been a big experiment. They did it without Canadian help (unless you want to count us) and were pleased that they managed to pull it off. Their numbers were quite small by last week’s standards, with only 41 kids and a little over 20 adults but it was a good start for them. It is our prayer that next year will see a bigger group after these kids go home with positive reports.
We spent most of the week in a support role, running errands, paying the bills, doing maintenance, running the tuck shop and helping out in the kitchen. I did have to get in some local help with a minor plumbing problem but other than that thing s were fairly quiet. This week we were invited to help a little with the singing, judging events and Kelly also helped out with the crafts.
Some of the counselors went home quite tired as they had spent half the night patrolling the grounds after claiming that they had heard some whispered conversation behind our security wall at around 1:30am. One of the counselors believed that he saw a couple of individuals at the beach side of the camp but no-one else was able to confirm this. Nothing came of it and the dogs didn’t seem to react at all, so it probably wasn’t anything serious but nevertheless it reminded everyone that our security wall is not that secure as there are many stretches where it is only waist high.
We now get a few days to catch our breath before the next wave of Canadians arrive from Halifax, Nova Scotia and connect up with a group of Ecuadorian camp counselors. The last half of the week will be a training week and somehow I let myself get talked into leading a session about serving. I don’t know whether to share in Spanish with an English translator, English with a Spanish translator or just give it a go in “Spanglish.” Wait, wasn’t that a movie that got bad reviews?
After the 3 days of training we will see a large group of kids arrive from Bastion Popular in Guayaquil for our second week of children’s camp. We are also hoping to have around 20 children from our neighborhood attend. I have already begun to talk to some of our neighbors and it doesn’t look like it will be a problem to rustle up that many. Pray that there will be a positive response from this group too.
I Corinthians 3:10-15
“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what has built survives he will receive his reward. If it is burned up he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved but only as one escaping through the flames.”
I burned some garbage after the campers left and this passage came to mind as I have been reading through Corinthians the last few days. It doesn’t matter whether we are in full time ministry as we are or are in secular employment, what we do is going to be tested with fire. This doesn’t mean just what we do directly for the Lord but refers to how we live our lives as believers. The Christian life is a 24 hour, 7 day a week, 52 weeks a year life not a Sunday morning exercise in pew warming. Are we living our lives preparing for the big test?
We spent most of the week in a support role, running errands, paying the bills, doing maintenance, running the tuck shop and helping out in the kitchen. I did have to get in some local help with a minor plumbing problem but other than that thing s were fairly quiet. This week we were invited to help a little with the singing, judging events and Kelly also helped out with the crafts.
Some of the counselors went home quite tired as they had spent half the night patrolling the grounds after claiming that they had heard some whispered conversation behind our security wall at around 1:30am. One of the counselors believed that he saw a couple of individuals at the beach side of the camp but no-one else was able to confirm this. Nothing came of it and the dogs didn’t seem to react at all, so it probably wasn’t anything serious but nevertheless it reminded everyone that our security wall is not that secure as there are many stretches where it is only waist high.
We now get a few days to catch our breath before the next wave of Canadians arrive from Halifax, Nova Scotia and connect up with a group of Ecuadorian camp counselors. The last half of the week will be a training week and somehow I let myself get talked into leading a session about serving. I don’t know whether to share in Spanish with an English translator, English with a Spanish translator or just give it a go in “Spanglish.” Wait, wasn’t that a movie that got bad reviews?
After the 3 days of training we will see a large group of kids arrive from Bastion Popular in Guayaquil for our second week of children’s camp. We are also hoping to have around 20 children from our neighborhood attend. I have already begun to talk to some of our neighbors and it doesn’t look like it will be a problem to rustle up that many. Pray that there will be a positive response from this group too.
I Corinthians 3:10-15
“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what has built survives he will receive his reward. If it is burned up he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved but only as one escaping through the flames.”
I burned some garbage after the campers left and this passage came to mind as I have been reading through Corinthians the last few days. It doesn’t matter whether we are in full time ministry as we are or are in secular employment, what we do is going to be tested with fire. This doesn’t mean just what we do directly for the Lord but refers to how we live our lives as believers. The Christian life is a 24 hour, 7 day a week, 52 weeks a year life not a Sunday morning exercise in pew warming. Are we living our lives preparing for the big test?
Singing the Spanish version of "Lord I Lift Your Name on High
The group poses for a photo before they go home
1 comment:
So. Did you teach in English or spanish. Who translated? How is Jono sorting out his interaction with Canadian and Ecuadorians? He must feel a little schizophrenic at times...and torn.
We have just had the worst snow storm of the season...and that is saying A LOT...can't believe it. Tim just went out for the 5th time TODAY to shovel!
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