Update #3

Another glorious day at Camp!

 

Madison led our morning devotion early and then we trooped up to the dining hall for breakfast. The dining hall is open-air but screened, with a tin roof. At breakfast and supper it is quite pleasant, but at lunch, with the hot sun beating down, you can actually feel the heat on your face when you look up. It is kind of like sitting under a broiler. I feel like the first muffin in Laura's muffin joke! At any rate, breakfast was lovely, Rhett and Molly made peanut butter and cereal sandwiches to the great amusement of the rest of us. Fr. Marshall made a grilled cheese sandwich on an ancient waffle iron and shared with Nick.  Connor and Ellison had Gatorade and Pedialyte respectively, as they had both been ill. Anna Marie and Thomasina laid hands on Ellison and prayed fervently for her, she was a bit feverish and very quiet and still, but I knew she would be better soon as I have learned in the past how effective the prayers of these two women are.

 

After breakfast, Connor hit the rack, Ellison and I went to our room so she could sip liquids and rest, everybody else went to work.

Half of the group headed to the school to work on the playground, the other half to the Caruthers' house to paint, Jonathan continued to check things off of his list. Leaving Ellison for a few minutes, I checked on the playground group and found them making fast progress assisted by some local children. By lunch time, an amazing amount of work had been done. When the lunch bell rang, Ellison jumped out of bed ready to go. Her fever was gone, her appetite restored. Although she wanted a full lunch, we convinced her to stick with rice and juice for that meal. Connor was still not ready for solids. Lunch was, as usual, delicious, and everyone went back for seconds, some thirds and fourths.

 

After lunch, the kids were determined to catch a chicken, I cannot describe for you how funny this was, I am thankful that I had my camera to record it. We have watched the video several times and laugh every time. I will say that after lots of running, shrieking and other antics, they managed to capture a chicken and were extrememly pleased with themselves.Sam-Neill captured it with his foot and Madison hoisted it in the air in victory. I will post the video when I get home.

 

It was time then for a siesta. Connor was still looking a bit green, so we sent him back up to the dining all for a visit with Thomasina and Anna Marie. He returned saying that they were "intense" and VISIBLY looked better. After siesta, he was back to work. When Ellison woke up from her nap, we joined the work, painting dresser drawers with Sally. Nick helped Jonathan by wiring some ceiling fans and closets were painted.The playground crew spiffed up the Camp playground during the afternoon.

 

When the clock struck five, the village children poured in the gate ready to play! Laura had a great time on the teeter-totter with a whole bunch of kids, Connor got whooped in basketball, Nick worked the kids in soccer, everyone had a ton of fun. At 6:00 when the kids left we skipped shower time and headed down the rather precarious path to the river for a swim. It was stunning, though very shallow there was a little white water, enormous rocks, mountains in the distance and the tropical foliage all around. We climbed rocks, splashed about and had a blast. Most of the kids and Marshall decided to do the mountain version of body surfing, riding the current down the water. If you thought the video of Fr. Marshall on the slide was funny, you ain't seen nothing yet. Words fail me. The current washed away Rhett's flip flops, Sally, Molly and Ellison collected rocks, some village boys joined in the splashing and then it started to get dark, so we headed back up the steep hill.

 

We ate supper late, at 7:30 and everyone was starving. Nick and Sam-Neill ate 4 pork chops each! We ate every bit of potatoes, all the pork chops, all the sliced mangoes and only left a couple of slices of tomatoes. After supper we headed to the dorm for showers and then social time. As part of the evening's entertainment, Nick and Connor composed a power ballad declaring their undying love for Molly. Jonathan finished his work at 9:15 at joined us in the common room for Compline led tonight by Sally. `

 

Please continue your prayers for us. Pray that no one else gets sick, that good attitudes continue, more successful work and especially, pray that when we invite the village children to join us for church tomorrow night, that many of them will come and that they will see the light of Christ shining through us as we worship and praise Him. I am really excited to worship in the new church for the first time!

 

As I close, we are sitting together singing and praising. Compline is over and we are just not ready to go to bed.

 

Yours in faith, Dorothy