My summer

I was trying to think of something that has happened recently that's “bloggable”. Maybe something that has good shock effect or a deep spiritual insight that I've had, but then I realized I don't think I really ever told you guys what it is I've been doing this summer. Looking back at my past blogs I wouldn't be surprised if you guys thought that I just sit around the house, play Monopoly, go to the movie theater, listen for gun shots, and wait for the end of the world. Sounds like fun...maybe not. Has anyone ever known me to sit around my house for more than a day and do absolutely nothing (this question is not for my parents to answer)? I think I would go nuts if I started to do that. This summer has been interesting...to say the least. It started out with Rob Heather and I hanging out with kids and keeping them entertained by thinking up random games or playing the games that they know (that's basically basketball and man hunt). Then we had to aussies join us; Anthony and Andrea Castle all the way from Vancouver, BC on their summer assignment. So they joined in and a real summer in the USA South, but I imagine this probably isn't too different form a summer in Australia. Then we had a Summer Service Team join us. Three girls from the USA South signed up to do mission work and were sent here. Debbie is a registered nurse from Kentucky who just finished school, but she wanted to do some mission work before she started her job. Tempress is from Norfolk Virginia. I think she laughs more than I do (hard to believe, I know). Just because of how loud she is and how strange her laugh is it would make the rest of us start laughing. The third team member is Jamie Riefer, enough said. She was able to scam her way on a service team to come here, which is where she was planning on coming after it was over, and get paid for it. To use a quote from Stephen Court “good scam”. We all got together and started a day camp with the kids in the neighborhood (Rob and Heather's idea). So they loaded up on Macaroni and Cheese (aka Kraft Dinner), chicken nuggets, ravioli, hot dogs, Cheez-It's (that was more my idea and for my sanity), basketball's, soccer balls, volley ball's and enough craft supplies to choke a horse. We started at 10:30 in the morning and went until about 2:30 or 3:00 (depending on how long we could keep or minds going at 187mph).
As soon as the kids arrived we would try to split them up and send them to different stations we had setup. We had sports, games, computers, crafts and a few others and it started out well, but after July 4th things satrted slowing down. We kept going on with our normal daily routine but the kids didn't. Kids just started showing up half way through the day and others just stopped showing up. I would love to meet whatever genius thought that kids enjoy having structure. I know we were always told that when I worked at camp and at probably every YMCA and Boys and Girls club. I haven't met any kids that work better in a structured area with a set schedule. Kids don't do schedule's. Whoever came up with that theory was on drugs. I would love him to come here and prove that it works.
The times they did show up on time was when we went to the pool which is only a ten minute walk from here. God Bless the pool. It was ridiculously hot so when ever we had to go to the pool we were in heaven. The kids loved the pool and so did we. For Anthony and I our time in the pool was spent trying to get away from the kids who wanted to dunk us. There were two kids who would spend all there time trying to do it and the they recruited Deb and Tempress to help them. I always came out victorious. I was never dunked (never try to beat a Floridian in his own environment).
The six weeks came and went and the Service Team left back to there homes. So it's back to me Anthony, Andrea, Rob, and Heather doing stuff as it happens. Trying to keep the relationship going with the kids we know and make new relationships with the kids we meet. Jaime is coming back today, but Anthony and Andrea leave in a few days back to Vancouver (where there is no sun). So they will be much cooler ans everyone in Vancouver will probably notice that they have color back in their skin now. Hey, so do I!! Woo Hoo. We also taught the Summer Service Team a very important phrase HALLELUYHWH.