Week Four Craziness

So, instead of 75ish kids like we were supposed to get, we’re ka-chilling with more than a hundred, split between 21 counselors. We had 13 kids in my cabin before we switched from five cabins to six. Now I’ve got ten kiddos, and we’re down to two counselors in each cabin, except for one girls cabin.

“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” James 1:2-4 (Message)

Let’s hope I survive long enough to enjoy the benefits of the week. For now, I’m going to consume copious amounts of Jell-O with the hope that it will give me some added energy for the coming storm.

Stories

Instead of a long, drawn out explanation of why I’ve been exhausted and too emotionally worn down to type up a decent post lately, I think I’m just going to try to tell a couple of stories. The first is a funny one, and the second is more serious.

First story is of a precious little girl in a friend’s cabin. She had taken her girls to the bathhouse to get changed for swim time, when Michelle pulls her aside.

“Can I tell you a secret?” asked Michelle Laura said yes and bent over to listen. “It’s kind of dirty, so I’ll tell you in the cabin…”

I can’t imagine what was going through Laura’s mind at that moment, but she left her other girls with her co-counselors and took Michelle to the cabins. “What did you want to tell me?” she asked.

“I have a dead fish in my pocket.”

A sentence that will forever live in Camp of the Hills infamy.

“Was it alive when you put it in there?”

“Yes, but now it’s dead. Lemme get it.”

At this point she began digging through her pile of clothes, searching through her pockets for the deceased. It should be noted that fishing time had occurred over three hours prior to this conversation.

Eventually she exhumed the ichthyoid from her pants, and dangled its 5 inch body in front of her.

“Oh, no… It’s bleeding.”

“It’s okay, sweetie, I don’t think it can feel anything.”

“What do we do with it?”

Laura paused to think for a moment before coming to the best possible solution.

“Throw it in the woods?”

The next story happened just last week. One of the more troublesome looking kids, Andre, was getting ready for his first act in the Talent Show, a rap with his friend Jamal. At first I thought they were going to freestyle, which always worries me, especially since I was in charge of the sound system for Talent Show and it was my job to cut them off if things got less than appropriate.

But instead, he handed me a CD of Christian rap, and told me he wanted to warm the crowd up first and that he’d tell me when to “let the beat drop.” Not that many people would be able to peg me for it, but I’m a huge Christian rap fan, particularly of his music of choice, Lecrae. After a fairly rousing number, they left the stage, where I greeted them with some encouraging words. Andre was down to perform once more on his own, at the very end of the show, but his CD was scratched and couldn’t play the song he was wanting to sing.

But instead of giving up, he dropped the entire rap a cappella, only stumbling a couple of times. It was a great effort, and really showed how much time he had put into learning not only the words of one of Lecrae’s more powerful songs, but the meaning behind it.

For the rest of the week, when we saw each other things were not the same. I looked at him in a different light, knowing that I had more in common with this fifteen year old than I had thought. He smiled when we crossed paths, in part due to our shared appreciation of music and partially because I took the time to talk with him about his performance.

I earned Andre’s respect. I showed him love. I can’t tell you who he lives with, where he comes from, or even his last name. But I can speak confidently about a young man who was seen not as a thuggish looking African-American youth, but as a talented and beloved son of the King. Moments like these and stories like his are why I’m out here after all these years.

Fall and the Future

So, after 4 1/2 months on the other side of the planet, what are my plans for the immediate future? Well, it should come as no surprise that I’m planning to spend the entire summer working here at Camp of the Hills, the place I feel most at home and the place I feel the most needed. But as far as the Fall and beyond, I’ve switched up my plans.

Before my journey to Thailand, my academic plan was to keep attending Blinn College until I had all my basics out of the way, then transfer to Texas A&M or Sam Houston, pursuing a degree in Construction Science. The thinking behind that course was for me to gain building expertise to one day be used as Executive Director of Camp of the Hills. I’d still love to come back to Camp as Executive Director someday, as it still holds a place in my heart as my dream job, but I’m taking a different path now.

This Fall I will move to Abilene and begin living with one of my best friends, Adam Hollifield. My plan is to begin studying Missions in the Spring of ‘09 with the intent of heading back to Thailand for a long-term mission. Since Abilene Christian University is way over my budget and that of my parents, I’m going to spend the Fall working and settling in, while making contacts with different Professors and Admissions workers. With their help, I hope to find and apply for any and every scholarship available.

As of right now, I see this summer as my final year as a Counselor at Camp. I haven’t ruled out a return as a Maintenance Coordinator or something like that, but as far as being in a cabin with kids, I feel like this is my swan song. I’ve loved this job more than anything else I’ve ever done, but all good things must conclude eventually. I can feel my age catching up to me already this year. While twenty-two may seem really young to some of my readers, I’m not the counselor I used to be. I don’t have the same unending well-spring of energy that I had back in the day, and patience with the campers takes more effort than it used to.

Even with that said, I know without a doubt that I’m where I need to be right now. Camp is ridiculously short-staffed this year, with the lowest numbers I’ve seen in seven years of working here. I’m providing some senior leadership and veteran knowledge, as well as a strong back for the swimming hole. I’m happy to say that even as the oldest guy counselor, I’m still an unstoppable force in the water.

I’m scared about the second half of the summer, when we’ll have possibly less counselors and twice as many kids. But no matter the numbers, I’m determined to go out with a bang. I’m currently on my 82nd week on Camp property, and I’m looking forward to making them just as memorable as the first few were.

I should recap Training Week and Week 1 or at least mention some highlights in the next post. Some good stuff, some bad stuff, and some difficult stuff, but as long as I’m here, I feel like everything’s going to be okay.

Unfinished Business

First off, I must apologize for being so very late. I think I needed a little extra time to get back into the swing of life in America before digging too deeply into my time in Thailand. That was followed by an eventful and hectic Training Week at Camp of the Hills, which preceded a baptism by fire Week 1. All in all, I’ve been pretty busy and pretty mentally occupied. That being said, I feel like I’m finally ready to finish up with my Thailand posts, and start into Camp of the Hills and Future Posts.

Mom: What aspects of the Thai culture, Thai Christian culture, or your experiences there would you like to take back with you to the United States?

There are a whole lot of differences between our cultures, many that I’d like to bring back to America or export to Thailand. I’ll focus on just the biggest, though.

Of all the differences in our Christian cultures, the one I’d most like to spread around America is the true family they have. I never felt like the Thai churches were just a bunch of different people who happened to attend the same church because it was the most convenient. They were truly a united in love. They leaned on each other in times of trouble, rejoiced together when happiness came their way, and wanted to be together. We always seemed to have a group of church-goers want to eat lunch together on Sundays, and other members just dropped by throughout the week to hang out.

I wish our churches were like that. I wish American churches wanted to hang out more often. Pot-luck lunches once a month are great, but what if a church of 200 people just decided to go out to a couple of assigned restaurants for lunch. Imagine if we not only got the chance to fellowship with our friends and family, but were also held accountable for how we treated the waiting staff. Maybe we could help change the stigma that the Sunday afternoon church rush is the worst time to wait on tables by being extra kind, extra forgiving, and extra generous.

Cathie Orozco: i wonder will this experience have you look at people as souls more than before this experience. what prayers have you had answered or what new thoughts has this experience provided for you thru interaction with God.

Even though experiences like my summers at Camp I’ve been moving towards seeing people more as souls, I’m sure my time in Thailand, watching the homeless beg for scraps, watching monks bow down to golden idol, and seeing Thais choose Christ as Lord against their family’s wishes has helped me along that path.

My early prayers from before I left were answered mightily. I prayed for Kaz to choose to come, and God lead him to Thailand. I prayed that I’d find enough money, and God provided exactly what I needed, and a dollar more. I prayed that I wouldn’t get too homesick, and I feel like that never became a problem for me.

I prayed that I would be used, and through English classes, camps, Cambodia, Youth Group, and so many other things, I was used. I wanted to learn, and I gained knowledge and wisdom. I hoped that I wouldn’t need to use my epi-pins in an allergic reaction situation, and it was never necessary. I prayed for safe travel, for the apprentices, moms, and Thais, and it was granted.

Robert Borden: I would be interested to know how you and other Americans were accepted in Thailand? I also would like to know more about the Christian community there? How big is it, how is it looked upon my other religions?

In the church, we were quickly accepted by everyone. Since they are used to interns from other countries, especially America, most of them were great at making us feel welcomed and loved. Sometimes random Thai people we met out and about would mutter something under their breath about “farang,” but our demeanor didn’t give them much reason to complain, or at least they didn’t say it out loud. I felt out of place at times, but for the most part felt like an welcomed outsider.

Last I heard, Christians only made up about 1% of the Thai population. I found most people to be generally amiable or indifferent toward Christianity. Since the country has religious freedom, I never felt persecution. Most Buddhists didn’t seem too keen on having their kids become Christians, but then again, how many religious people do you know who would be happy to see their kids choose a different religion?

Overall, I’d say that Christianity is viewed in the same light as the Christians. If a Thai knows a really kind and generous Christian, that greatly influences their thoughts of our religion. If their only contact with Christians is serving a family that prays before a meal, then treats the waiter badly, they probably have a much different idea of Christianity.

Mmm. It feels good to answer those questions. I’m glad y’all asked them, and I’m pleased to finally get back to y’all. No promises about when the next post will come, could be this weekend, could be over the break. Until then, blessings.