A Day in the Life of Camp

Many of you know that the area of ministry of JV that I went overseas for this summer was to help with summer camps.  These camps are called KECY – [K]conversational English Camps for Youth.  All of the promotion we had done earlier in the summer, paired with word-of-mouth and (of course) God’s pure grace, brought the students in from all walks of life.  This is what I’m most excited to share with you!

I wanted to share what a typical day at camp looks like.

7 am – Morning meeting for staff… our daily devotions, sharing and prayer time, and basically getting ready for our day.

8 am – Breakfast!  Get our campers up and share some čaj (tea) and Slovak breakfast – bread/meat/cheese.

9 am – Morning program… CAMP DANCE!, announcements, general fun things.

9:15-11 am – English class… students were placed in a class and they stayed in the same one all week.  The teachers are all Americans, coming over for a week to teach English and share God’s love.  Class consists of lots of fun and games, all conversational (not very much written content).

11:15-12:15 – Initiatives.  This is the hardest to explain.  It’s kind of a low-ropes course/team building time.  The teams (English classes = teams) are given a task and the tools to complete it.  For instance, one of our tasks was getting a cup of water out from a chalked square with using only the supplies given to us.  It actually reminded me a lot of RA interviews.  Afterward, they would have time to de-brief their time together, all in Slovak.  Many times, it led to deeper discussions about their personal lives and their thoughts/opinions on things.

12:30 – LUNCH! … and a really long, much needed, break.

2:15-4:30 – Activity time… this was all planned and executed by the Slovak team.  These activities were always so varied so it is hard for me to explain them to you, but they were always so much fun!  One of the favorite activities was Hu-tu-tu.  I will probably explain this in another blog… it deserves a post devoted to it.  Sometimes this consisted of a “small” hike, an obstacle course, or water games.

4:30-6 pm – US Sports/Crafts time… The Americans would teach sports like baseball, American football, ultimate Frisbee, dodgeball, etc.  If you weren’t into sports (ahem, sound like anyone you know?) you could craft!  The Slovaks and Americans shared this responsibility and we always had really fun crafts – journals, wooden crosses, silk painting, bracelets, etc.

6 – Dinner!!!

7-8 – Break… again, much needed.  This is also when we would have a short production meeting for the night.

8-10 – Evening program… CAMP DANCE!, announcements, some videos, the band would play and we would sing and dance, ice breakers, a talk (it was the story of the Prodigal Son, unfolding throughout the week), and transitional stories (personal stories that related to the theme of the day).  After this, we would have time for discussion groups – all in Slovak – when students could discuss what they heard, expressing their opinions was encouraged, even if their opinions did not align with God’s truth.  It was a time for them to open up, to be heard, and to hear out their peers.

10-midnight – E-night… this stands for Environment Night.  Each night had a theme and the idea is to carry conversation into another part of the night, in a less intrusive environment.  We had nights such as Slovak (Špekáčky (read: a large sausage) over a fire), American (s’mores), Casino, etc.  We got to hang out, have fun, and get to know the students on a deeper level.

Midnight – lights out… yeah… right…

Every day followed this schedule except for Day 4 (halfway through camp) when we would take a camp-wide break and do an all-day activity.  It varied by camp.  I did something different at every camp.  I heard of things such as: hikes, Survival, playing an all-day game, scavenger hunts, etc.  It was always intriguing!

KECY 2012: Greater Th>n

One last thing I wanted to touch on… themes!  These were essential to each day and many camps centered everything around these themes each day – games, activities, everything!

Day 1 - > Good Life
Day 2 - > Wild Freedom
Day 3 - > Chaos
Day 4 - > Hope
Day 5 - > Me
Day 6 - > Rules and Expectations
Day  7 - > Goodbye

Clearly, Greater Than > was our theme.  J

This was a pretty general overview of what camp looked like for me this summer.  Like I said, each camp was different and really, this is just hoe Slovakia organized their camps.  JV is in many countries and it looks different in each one! 

If you have any questions about a day in the life of camp… let me know!  I’m going to give specific stories from each of my three camps in future posts!  I’m excited to tell you about how God is moving!  J

Until then,
xx

Budapest

We took an intern trip to Budapest!  It was a two-night, three-day adventure.  I have never been to Budapest and I loved every second of it.  It was a gorgeous city and we saw so much.  I am not sure what to write about though.  Ever have one of those?  You know that you saw so much and did so much, you had some great experiences, but.. you don't really know how to tell other people about it?

I mean, I can tell you all about the castle and how gorgeous it was, especially at night.  I can tell you about seeing the amazing architecture.  I can tell you about sitting in the coffee shops in the morning and having quiet time while looking out at the Basilica.  I can even tell you about sitting by the river, looking across to the other side of the city while discussing God's awesome power and plans.  But, none of that will do this trip justice.  So, instead, Miriam is so graciously allowing me to use some of her pictures to show you what we saw.  :)  I hope that is okay with everyone.  If you want to know more - just comment me, skype me, or FB me.  OK??  Here we go!!!

Our group on our way up to the castle.

The beautiful view.

Sitting by the river having awesome conversations.

Getting silly!

Lovely ladies.

The city at night.

More posts coming soon,
xx

Bratislava

So... there may or may not have been one free day in our intern schedule this summer.  (HINT: there was.)  Being us clever/crafty/intelligent/wanderlusting young people, we decided that we should not use this day for rest, as was intended.  Rather, we wanted to use it to explore some of Europe's finest.  You may be thinking, "That's crazy!  They should be sleeping!" or "They shouldn't be spending that money on traveling!" or maybe even, "Oh, those darn interns... always causing trouble."  But... the fact of the matter is... it. was. awesome.

Most of the interns decided to go to Prague.  Now, I know that Prague is amazing and I know that many of you are aware that it is one of my favorite cities in the world.  However, I had another plan in mind.  Once one of the other interns seconded my plan... there was no stopping us.  This was the plan:
Take the train to Bratislava... see the Chase's... sightsee... sit in a coffee shop and talk for hours... return home.  What happened was even greater than this plan!

The Chase's are the newest missionaries for JV in SK.  They have two daughters and two sons.  And, in case you are wondering, they are fabulous.  I got to meet them at our intern picnic and knew that I wanted to get to know them better, had I an opportunity.  Well, this free day was just the opportunity I was looking for.

Mir and I called them and asked if we could see them... their answer was beyond great.  They said not only could we come and see them, but we could stay the night at their new house!  :)  So, we came back from our HCV and hopped on a train that night to Bratislava.  It was so amazing to see all of them!  We talked for a long time before heading to bed.

The next morning, we and the kids took a bus into the city centre.  We did a lot of walking around.  The boys knew a lot of history about the city, so it was super interesting.  We ended up walking up to the castle and looking out over the city.  We could even see Austria from the top of the castle!  How cool?!  Josh ended up coming soon after that and the boys went and had "bro" time with him.  The girls continued on our merry way and had some really good talks.  We went and had bagels for lunch (a rarity here in Europe!) and yes, we eventually got Coffee and Co  :)  YAY! YAY! YAY!  However, looking back --- this day was a scorcher!  It was so hot outside.  I remember being thankful I was only wearing a dress because it was only one piece of cloth and it was thin.

We ended up at this mall... and I thought to myself, looking out over the river - this is almost exactly like Milwaukee.  Could I live here?  Could I move here if God asked me to?  The answer was booming out of my chest... "YES!!!  I will follow Him where ever He leads me!"  The answer in my head... "Not so much."  So, clearly my head and heart have some things to work out.  ;)  We sat in a bookstore for 40 minutes while Ally attempted to read us a children's book in Slovak.  Then we went out and sat by the fountain and just talked.

Josh came and picked us up... man oh man... that drive home was something special.  I will never ever forget it.  We managed to fit 7 people in a car.  Not saying it was legal, just saying it was fun.  I think I laughed more in that car ride than I have in a long long time.  We missed a few turns and the trip took a bit longer than expected.  Gavin kept popping up from the back and asked if he should wave at the strangers in other cars to "make their day a little brighter."  :)  Ian tried really hard to follow the GPS, but it kept changing on him.  Ahhhh - I wish I could share all that laughter with you.

So, after a delicious dinner and a beautiful time with friends, we drove back to Zilina.  I cannot describe to you how much this trip meant to me.  It was much needed.  I loved getting closer to the Chase's and Mir.  God is moving so swiftly here and I get to see glimpses of it every day.  How lucky am I?!  In case you were wondering, the other interns had a really good time in Prague.  It was great meeting back up with everyone.  When we are seperated, its almost like we are apart from our family.  Being reunited is an amazing thing!

Okay, so I loved Bratislava!!  I hope I get to upload some pictures at some point!

Until then,
xx

Host City Visits: Roznava

Well, well, well... my third and last HCV.  I must say, God knew exactly how my heart would respond to the people in Roznava.  It was a moving time.  I was able to connect to a lot of the people in their youth group.

I really wish that I could put into words the experiences that I have, or at least... better words.  I don't really know how to convey the things I see and experience with all of you.  I can tell you - I really connected with this person, we had some really good talks, but I don't think it does the situation justice.

Anyway, in Roznava, we spent so much time with the team and formed some great friendships.  I felt like I gained new family.  I did not want to leave at the end of the week!  I think it was the closest I got with a group of people in one week (just wait, that will change in my post about camp).  I got to hear a lot of their stories and how God is working in their lives.

The school vistis were truly amazing.  It was the best few days of visits I could have asked for.  Students (generally) were super receptive.  We had a lot of great feedback.  I wanted to tell you guys one story that will forever remain in my heart.  I was with a fantastic group for promotion and we entered a class full of younger students (14-15 years old).  We came in with a lot of energy... but we hadn't had a lot of responsiveness earlier in the day.  When we were having introductions we asked one student who is favorite futbol team was.  I cannot remember how he responded, but one girl started yelling profanities at him.  It was a scary way to start the day... I was definitely praying for smoother sailing the rest of the class.  Then, the kids actually responded to us!  They loved playing the icebreakers and actually started chanting names for people who they wanted to win!  We got done and had a bit of discussion group time.  When we shared the details about the camp and asked if anyone wanted a registration form, almost every student raised his/her hand!!!  We ran out of forms!!  It was incredible.  We ran around and gave high fives to everyone and they were cheering us on as we left the room.  It was insane!  God totally changed the feeling in the room and hopefully a lot of the students will come to camp!

I hope that this story is an encouragement to you; it definitely is to me.  Please realize that your prayers and support are appreciated... they are working to further the Kingdom!!

This was my last HCV.  It was bittersweet.  I will not get to return to Roznava, but they friendships I made there will definitely last.  I'm so thankful that God allowed me to experience these visits and even though they were hard sometimes, they were worth every second.  I'm so excited to tell you guys about the intern trip to Budapest and camps!  I will try to get them posted before I leave for my second camp! :)

Thank you again, for being part of this ministry with me!  God is really moving in SK!

Many hugs from miles away,
xx

Host City Visits: Zilina

My second HCV was to Zilina.  This was kind of strange because our home base is in Zilina.  It didn't feel right not leaving the city... but, I must say that I formed some really great friendships.

One other intern and I stayed with this adorable girl, Miska.  Her family was so open and took us in and gave us so many wonderful things.  Her mom always cooked delicious meals for us and her parents took time to talk to us for a few hours one night.  It was truly a blessing to be staying with them.  They reminded me a lot of my parents... they were so sweet and helpful.

School visits in Zilina were interesting.  It was kind of cool because then I got to see the students out on the streets.  :)  Students were a bit more receptive, but it could have just been my perspective of things.  We had two 45-minute classes... gym classes... it was so different than what I was used to.

Again, I got close to the youth group... I am so excited to see them again in a few weeks!  I have been missing them!  They are a younger group, but have some great leadership among them.  I will be the only intern there for camp, so it is important for me to really be focused in on their group and learn more about their dynamics.

Actually, apart from the HCV, they invited me to a picnic in the park.  It was their church service, but outside.  It was so great!  Bekah came with me!  It was so interesting to see their culture in a different way.  It was this huge potluck type event... except, there was way more food than I was expecting.  I got so full off of snacks that I didn't have any room for lunch!

Miska asked us to help lead games for some kids and that was so adorable.  They loved us - being older and American and it was so interesting to see how they followed our every move.  It reminded me that we should be following Jesus like this.  Clinging to Him and living as He lives!

I'm so excited for this camp - not only is it a great youth group, but it will be my church coming!!! :)  I am excited to see everyone and get to know them on a deeper level.

Until next time,
xx

Host City Visits: Banska Bystrica

My first HCV was in Banska Bystrica.  It was the first week I arrived in Slovakia and I really had no idea what to expect.  It was the epitome of flexability... which, if you know me, you know is not my forte.

I was staying with another intern, thankfully.  We stayed with an older couple, Dano and Betka.  They did not speak any English, and we did not speak any Slovak.  We did not have a phone or internet.  We were completely reliant on other people and kind of just flew by the seat of our pants!  It was such a strange concept for me. We didn't have much translation, but then their daughter and neice came.  They were so sweet to us and always had plenty of food available.  :)  I wish I could describe what it was like staying in other people's homes, but I think it really is just something you have to experience for yourself.  It is a pleasure and a challenge all at the same time.  I am so grateful for their generosity and willingness to serve Him by taking us in!

The school visits themselves were kind of difficult.  The students were receptive, but hesitant.  It is hard to judge Slovak interpretations.  Sometimes they look so disinterested, but come to find out, they loved every second of it.  I also think that this being my first city, it was just awkward to stand up in front of a class and promote a camp... but with time, it became easier --- and more fun, really!

The best part of the entire week was hanging out with the youth group.  They took us in as family and treated us like brothers and sisters.  They had a special bond fire night and we could look out over God's creation.  We watched the sun set and it was so majestic.  The most memorable and touching part for me was when someone pulled out a guitar and started singing.  They sang in Slovak, and we sang in English.  The mixture of the two languages just singing out to Jesus, worshipping Him, and lifting His name up... intoxicating.  I didn't want the night to end.

I actually go to this camp next, so we will see how it goes!!

Stay tuned,
xx

Host City Visits: Overview

Hey-o!

This is a super quick post to tell you guys what the heck I'll be talking about in my next three posts. As an intern, one of my responsibilities is to go on Host City visits. These visits are with a team of interns (usually about 3-4) and are in cities that we have churches sponsoring camps. This is basically a team building and promotional time. The three cities I went to are: Banska Bystrica, Zilina, and Roznava. I'm just going to give a general schedule of what a visit looks like and the next three posts will be about the visits.


Friday:
Travel day and arrival in the Host City.  We would also usually hang out with the youth group this night and participate in their club.  It was a great time to get immersed in their culture and get to know people.


Saturday:
We would usually wake up and hang out with the youth group students all day.  We did fun activities like go to castles, palaces, have parties, go on hikes, etc.  This was team bonding time... they got to know us, we got to know them.  It was pretty great.  It was important to build the team so we could have unity as we would go into schools later.  It was also just really fun.  Some of my best talks were on these days.  We would also usually have our checklist meetings this day.  It was just a time for the intern team to check out where the national team was in their planning/preparation.  It gave us a clear picture of what still needed to be done and what we could be helping with or if we needed to communicate anything back to the US team.


Sunday:
We would go to church at the church sponsoring the KECY camp.  We were usually introduced to the congregation and did a short promo there.  It was fun to see the different denominations we are working with and the different cultures at different churches.  Everyone liked hearing from Americans, especially when we tried to speak Slovak.  ;)  We would usually be invited into peoples' homes for lunch and then have time with the youth group later.


Monday-Wednesday:
These days were for school visits.  It definitely depended on the city how many we had and what we were doing.  Sometimes we were only give 10 minutes per class, sometimes we were given 45.  It really just depended on the school and the relationship the team had with the schools.  The longer we had, the more relationship building we could do.  We played games and did mini discussion groups.  Sometimes students were really receptive, sometimes... not so much.  After each day at schools we would have an "afternoon" activity that we would invite the students to.  It varied depending on the youth group and the city.  Sometimes we would go on hikes, sometimes we would just play sports and hang out.  Sometimes we would have a lot of students show up for these... sometimes we would have none.  So, as you can see - it was a time to be flexible and have fun with students.  


I hope this gives you a pretty good idea of what a visit was like.  In my next few posts, I will go into a bit more detail about the actual youth groups and who I met and what I did.  But, I wanted to make sure you had some form of reference as to what I was doing.  The entire point of these visits was to build up the team, encourage unity, make sure everyone was on the right track, and promote camps to students and get them excited about coming. 


As always, if you have any questions - post 'em in the comments or shoot me a message!


Looking forward to more updates!
xx