July 1 – July 5
Since camp was so crazy busy, we are going to give a brief overview of the week. (but be warned – this will still be a long post!!) We have so many more stories than we could even begin to express here about the kids, the other leaders, and camp itself, so we decided to not even try to describe everything for words would not suffice to explain how wonderful this past week was.
Breakdown of schedule for each day:
8:00 – wake up!
8:30 – breakfast (generally eggs, bread & cheese, pancakes, something like that)
9:30 – morning devotion (generally one or two songs to open and then each morning a different person led)
10:00 – Bible study (each morning a different person led with generally a couple of songs beforehand and maybe one after)
11:00 – working in the camp! (There were five teams that each had one leader. Each leader had a specific project that they stayed at all week. Their team would stay together but move fro each project to experience all the different work sites at camp.)
13:00 – lunch (generally potatoes of some kind with a type of meat, most times in a soup or stew fashion with a dessert like whipped cream of some flavor in a liquid or a pudding type dish)
15:00 – working in the camp! (These are the five leaders and their projects:
*Brandon – pulling out stumps (a ton) from the orchard & then clearing brush along the road and making a stack by the firewood) *Lauren – clearing the basketball court of the large rocks and creating a seating area in the back & then cleaning, creating, and decorating a new prayer chapel in one of the old barns *Vivita – cleaning duty (dishes, floors, bathrooms…etc.) *Steve (the leader of the team from Alabama) – fixing the doors in the hay barn & clearing hay off the field *Dan – clearing out the ditch in front of the dining hall and making the pump work for clearing the water)
18:00 – dinner (again some sort of potato dish)
19:30 – evening program (led by a different country each night)
22:00 – evening devotion (led by someone different each time, generally by the country in charge of the program)
23:00 – late evening snacks (bread & jam or cookies – and always tea)
23:30 – leadership meeting (to talk about the next day and how the day went)
*this is the tentative schedule and sometimes things did not really begin or end on time, but you get the idea.
The devotions and Bible studies each morning were very different in how they were led, but all very good in their own ways. To write each one to fully record their worth would take forever, but they were very much enjoyed and appreciated and were deeper than it may seem that I am making them out to be. Some of them were quite moving and talking to the kids really did well to make them think about Jesus and who He is and what that means for their lives. The evening programs were very cool because we got to share and experience different cultures. Here is a very brief description of each.
July 1st: Yanis did the morning devo and spoke about Isaiah 54:10 and how God can move mountains! Steve had Bible study and talked about how the Lord provides. The Latvian group did the evening program and we were taught how to dance traditional dances and sing traditional songs of the country so it was really exciting to experience true Latvian tradition! We played a lot of silly games outside that were a lot of fun before coming in to Trevor’s devotion (he’s what we’d like to refer to as pseudo-Latvian…as are Dan, Courtney, Brandon, and I. We are not a part of the American group, but we aren’t Latvian by blood, only in spirit). He spoke about Jeremiah 18:1-6 and Mark 12:28-29
July 2nd: Vivita did the morning devo and spoke with such compassion about Psalm 139:1-5 and how the Lord loves us the way we are. She showed a video that was as if the Lord was writing us a letter and it was very moving. John (from Lithuania) did bible study and we split into our groups to act out the story of the Good Samaritan. We went to the beach after lunch today and some people (who were crazy b/c it was cold outside and the water was FRIGID) went swimming and other went dune jumping and just hung out. The American group had the evening program and taught us dances from the fifties and recited the preamble and a bit of our country’s history. We had relay races outside where we were in our work groups and had to move from station to station after completing it. Louanne (from the Alabama group) spoke after showing a vide of the drama to the song Everything by Lifehouse. If you have never seen this drama, you need to. It is simply amazing and such a wonderful visual representation of God’s love for us. Fireworks and smores completed the American night.
July 3rd: Grezina (from Lithuania) did the morning devo speaking about Psalm 136 and used the movie Happy Feet as an example of wanting to fit in. Courtney’s Bible Study led us on a prayer walk through camp as we discussed as work groups what it looked like to be a servant. The night devo was a bit different, combining all three countries in leading it on the beach. We walked silently in random pairs to the beach and there each collected stones to lay at the foot of the cross (that one guy from each country helped carry down to the seaside). We went out in our pairs to find another rock to exchange with one another as a symbol of prayer as we prayed for one another at the foot of the cross. Lastly we went out in our work groups to find a piece of driftwood that we piled together while Trevor played a special song. We all circled up at the end holding hands around the cross to pray and ended with the Lord’s prayer being loudly proclaimed in three different languages. It was truly a powerful moment. I have chills just writing about it now.
July 4th: Kay did the morning devo and spoke about loving one another and how we express that in so many ways. Her main focus was on the word Mizpah in Genesis 31:49 which literally means “watchpost”. The verse says “May the Lord watch between me and thee while we are apart” and since we would soon be leaving each other this was only appropriate. I had the Bible Study and tried to focus on why we follow Christ instead of how we do it or what it looks like. The scripture I used was Ephesians 2, John 1:14, Hebrews 1:3, and Colossians 1:15-23 and my prayer was that we would all know God more both at camp and after we left. We played Breath of God by Shane & Shane as the closer. I just hope and pray that the Lord spoke though me and that it wasn’t just me up there rambling! We had a talent show before dinner that was hilarious. People sang, danced, did skits, rapped; you name it! It was a lot of fun for the kids and so much fun to watch! The Lithuanians did the evening program and we learned some songs and games and then went on a walk thought camp to the Stations of the Cross. We came back for an incredible time of worship that was so full of energy and was just so great to be a part of! Some of the leaders stayed up for a while talking and hanging out after our meeting since it was our last night all together and we had gotten really close; especially Brandon, Trevor, Sneidze, Vivita and I and the two of us and Dan and Courtney. It amazing how the Lord moves in relationships that are centered around Him. The Lithuanian band didn’t arrive until 2am so there was a lot of moving around on our last evening at camp.
July 5th: Steve’s team did the morning devo and Bible study and we played a lot of songs since the worship was so amazing the night before. After worship Laura recognized Brandon and I am brought us up to give us each a little gift to say thank you. I was ok at this point, and I was ok even when some of the girls started to cry and come give us hugs, but when one the boys there, Alturs, who is 12, started crying when he gave me a hug, I lost it. It was such an emotional day for us leaving everyone. Instead of working today, we had different craft stations set up to participate in before lunch. There were places to make bracelets, God’s eyes out of yarn, necklaces (of the nails bent into the icthus which the American team got the idea from mine and Trevor’s necklaces – he had made one with ARM several summers ago and I had made mine in Bolivia; which we had gotten the idea from ARM – again, crazy how small the word is), painting rocks, making bookmarks and drawing. The number of bracelets and crafts the girls made for us is innumerable and the gifts from everyone were so gracious. The leaders throw us a “going away” party with cake and tea and gave us each a card they had all signed. The circled around the two of us and laid hands on us to pray for the next step of our journey. The tears were too hard to fight for most everyone in the room and hugs lasted forever as we said goodbye. Leaving the kids and the other leaders was so hard to do, much harder than we ever expected it be when we first arrived to Latvia. We were driven to the bus stop by a handful of people and then departed for Riga on the bus for a very sad journey back to Dan and Courtney’s place.
The Lord moved so much this past week in the relationships with the kids and the other leaders and we were able to not only share the love of Christ and the Gospel with those around us, but we were blessed beyond belief by those conversations and were discipled by those around us as well. It was truly an experience of a lifetime that we never expected or could have dreamed of. The Lord is so amazing!!
June 30
Today begins the first day of camp! The Alabama team went into Liepâja today after breakfast to do some more sightseeing and shopping and such while everyone else stayed at camp to do some more last minute projects. Courtney, Brandon and I finished the flower arrangements that Courtney and I began last night (under Maria’s directions – she is quite talented in the field of floristry!) and had a little help from Kristine (not the same Kristine from Riga) and Altis who are from Latvia so it was fun getting to know them a little better and talk to Altis about the Bible and Brandon got a chance to talk a little more with him later about the power of the Scripture and how it has changed his life. Kristine goes to the Baptist church so it was good to hear the differences and similarities in her church and the Methodist church in Liepâja. Brandon and Altis helped Ingmars with a project building little houses for part of the program tonight while Laura, Courtney, Kristine and I peeled potatoes.
Dan arrived just before lunch and helped fix some leftovers and such to eat. The four of us had a brief meeting afterwards to clarify some things about the coming week (which has been slightly confusing as to what we are doing and what our roles will be). Brandon and I are both going to be team leaders which, as far as we know, means that we will be heading up small groups (mixed with some people from each country on each team) for the work projects that we will have every day. Brandon is speaking a little tonight about one portion of the house and I am leading a bible study later in the week.
That’s about all we know for sure right now, but it could very well change soon. Who knows. We are learning to be patient and just roll with whatever is thrown at us. The group from Alabama didn’t get back till around four and hadn’t eaten lunch so Courtney and I prepared something for them and then made necklaces for all of the campers so we will know who is registered. We tied washers to yarn and the washers are to symbolize the cleansing blood of Christ that has washed us clean and how God is the beginning and the end and like the circular shaped of the washer, He is never-ending.
The opening service began with John Wesley coming to speak to us a little about his background and encourage us for the week. Yanis dressed up as him, wig and all and it was really funny. Everyone at camp went out to put the new sign up, and then the Alabamians led worship. The youth were split into five groups for the evening project of building a church. Each group rotated between the leaders and received a piece of the church (the walls, the floor, the roof, the door, and the cross) and what that part represented, and then they nailed the pieces together to make the five small churches. We had a bit more worship before heading out to the fire for a later dinner of a delicious stew the cook had prepared. After the leadership meeting a few of the leaders played some cards before heading to bed…only to be greeted by the dog snoring again. It seems odd that the one who is getting the most rest is the canine who will not be doing any work…
June 29
This morning for church there were two groups going to two different places. One group went to Liepâja and the other went to Tashi which is a smaller church and where we went. The church is actually in more of a house on the second floor where they have a room for worship and then a room for fellowship. It felt like family. We did a lot of singing, together and a few solos. The music director played the guitar and was joined by two other ladies and then sang a solo and the music was beautiful. She is a very talented musician! The group from Alabama sang “Better is One Day” while Brain (one of the youth in their group) played the guitar. Brain also did a song solo, which was pretty awesome. Brandon preached and Laura translated and it was a very good message. The pastor had read Psalm 84 and Brandon referenced it so it was really cool to see how the Lord is connecting us hearts and minds to one body ready to worship and serve Him. We had fellowship time afterwards with snacks and tea of course but we got a surprise as well. Some of the young mothers had made these knit socks/slippers and they gave each of us that were there a pair. They are so fun!
After church we met up with the other half of the group in Liepâja and had lunch downtown before walking around for just a bit and making a pit stop at the Rimi (supermarket) before heading back to camp. Dinner was pasta and sauce that was homemade from a real Italian recipe (Dan’s mom is Italian) and it was delicious. Some of the girls from the team were able to help out a little in the kitchen before dinner so we had the guys clean up after dinner to even things out. Ingmars graduated from his specialty school in carpentry the other day so we had a small celebration for him with cake to say congratulations! We still had a few more projects to do before all of the campers arrived so Brandon helped Ingmars with some things while Courtney and I help Maria with some decorations in the sanctuary. Poor Trevor has been kind of sick so we tried to let him rest a bit while the house was still kind of quiet.
Side note on the sleeping arrangements: In one room there are six female leaders (four on two air mattress and Courtney and I on the floor). In the “living room” there are four male leaders (Brandon on the couch, Trevor on a cot, Yanis on an air mattress, and when Dan returns tomorrow he will be on the floor). In another small room Joe and his son Jim are both on cots. A few more of the leaders may be sleeping upstairs after tomorrow. In the back of the sanctuary the team form Alabama is staying on air mattresses and mats. The groups that are arriving tomorrow will be in tents in the barn and in the yard just past the apple orchard.
Some of leaders watched the final of the Euro Cup (Spain vs. Germany) so that was really good, especially since Spain won :). Courtney and I were the only girls, so at halftime we organized the craft stuff and were very productive. It was just Courtney, Laura and I in our room so we chatted a little before bed and before the dog came a decided to sleep with us, and snore…very loud…all night long.
June 28
This morning we began with pancakes and eggs before talking a walk to the beach for the first session of the retreat for today. While on the beach, were to find a rock that describes us. There are so many rocks on the shore, so there were so many options to choose from. We also had a time to walk around and then write a letter to someone (that we could send or not, or it could even be to ourselves or to the Lord). Some people spent their time on the shoreline, and some of us went into the cemetery that is right there to write. After this time of reflection and time to get out what we wanted to say on paper, because often it is so hard to say what we want aloud, we returned to camp. Some particular John Mayer lyrics have been stuck in my head all day…say what you need to say.
For lunch we had a wonderful meal of rice, sausage, tomato and cucumber salad, and bread. We did a bit of last minute cleaning in the dining room and organized all the sleeping bags and tents in the attic before playing some more King Mau. The last part of the leadership retreat was a prayer walk. We picked names from a hat to make partners, and then went for a walk around camp in pairs, talking about our anxieties about the coming week and praying for one another. It was a very special time, and we were all hoping for another day together in our small group because we were really opening up to each other.
The group from Alabama arrived just before dinner, so after some unpacking and settling in, we had pelmeni (the Russian pasta filled with meat) covered in kreums (a cream type sauce) and cheese and sliced tomatoes and then baked. After we had our fill, the team had some meetings; Brandon worked on his sermon (he is preaching tomorrow at the church we are going to in Tashu!); and Courtney and I went with some of the other girls to pick some flowers. It is always an adventure here. When we agreed to help pick flowers we were unaware of the task before us. We drove in the direction of Liepâja, and whenever they saw flowers that were worthy, we pulled over on the side of the road and cut them down. We were pulling on limbs and climbing trees and going through ditches to get these flowers that were beautiful, and very wild. Despite the thorns and prickly stems of several of them, we were able to gather a good bit to take home (the whole back of the van was full).
As camp is beginning to fill with people, we are finding out that sleep may be a luxury. Adding two three year olds, a seven year old, and a dog to a small room that already had four adults, makes for interesting sleeping arrangements. Pray for energy and patience as we begin camp!
June 27
We slept in today, trying to get some rest and prepare for the weekend and next week. At breakfast we manna (kind of like cream of wheat or grits, but not really) and eggs and it was a good way to start the day. Everyone arrived around noon and we started the retreat with a simple lunch of bread and cheese, potatoes, and cucumber and tomato salad. The theme of the retreat is recharging ourselves before we prepare to lead others. The two main verses we are focusing on are Deuteronomy 4:5-6 and Mark 12:29-30. The first session began with discussion about the theme and an activity. There were seven of us (nine including Dan and Courtney, but they are the leaders) so we split up into two teams to build a working stool with whatever we could find. We then talked about how we need to be fed spiritually, emotionally, physically, and mentally. The analogy that was used was the stool, with the seat being the spiritual aspect, and the legs comprising the other three and how all parts need to be taken care of for it to be ok to be used. The second session was a time for recharging spiritually. We had an hour to go wherever and spend time in the Word, journaling, praying, whatever; we just couldn’t talk or be with other people. As a semi-guide we had a (lecio devino) over Psalm 46, especially verse 10 that says, “Be still and know that I am God”. The time was very much needed and very refreshing. Being able to just stop and forget about every anxiety and distraction is something we are so bad at doing as humans. It is so hard to just take time to stop doing and just be, but when we do, it is such an amazing time.
We had a break before dinner and so there were several things going on. Vivita and Sneidze cleaned the bathrooms, Dan started preparing dinner, Brandon and Trevor built the fire and Laura, Kaiva, Courtney and I drove back into town to get some more stuff from the store for the next couple of days. Hamburgers on the grill with toasted bread for buns and baked potatoes in the fire pit made for a wonderful dinner outside. The session after dinner was an art session in the sanctuary where we were to display artistically through some craft our interpretation of some passage of scripture. There were beads and markers and paint and rope and all sorts of things that could be use to make our creation. We shared the meaning behind our pieces of work and discussed the emotional side of our being that needs to be recharged.
The plan was to take a walk to the beach, but halfway on the journey it started to rain so we headed back to camp to have some ice-cream and play cards instead. By this point, it was just us, Dan and Courtney, Vivita and Sneidze, and Trevor (who, randomly enough, is an American here for Wesley Days. As if this coincidence was not enough, he is also from Alabama. And he is our age, having just graduated from “the other school” – the University of Alabama that is. Small world.) We played cards for a while, playing King Mau, which is so much fun, but quite confusing as well; much to confusing to explain on here.
We have an early day tomorrow so it’s time for bed, but today was such a great day and we’re even more excited about tomorrow for the rest of the retreat and for the team from the states to get here tomorrow night (who coincidently enough is of course from Alabama).
