Outdoor Camps are Over!

Breakfast, week 2 kids.I think they were much more excited about getting CEREAL for breakfast (something they don't often get) than me taking a group picture!

Playing outside, week 1 kids! I couldn't seem to get a shot of them all looking at me...don't worry though my update (coming out later today) will have a lot of close-up shots of the kids!

After an extremely bumpy, almost 2 hour drive in a blue van with apparently no shocks we, the 2nd half of the Casa Alba orphanage kids and adults, arrived back in Marghita. My neck and shoulders hurt so bad this morning from driving that van again - yikes! The majority of the kids and supplies were set up in the massive air conditioned 15 passenger van while I volunteered to drive the one mentioned above. The roads are really horrendous with massive potholes all over the windy road back to Marghita. I was really thankful that God kept us safe both weeks of driving up there and back...
The camps went really well. Thank you to all of you who were praying. The first week was pretty difficult. It rained almost the entire time and the kids we chose for that week definitely struggle with some behavioral issues that made working with them in a new environment pretty difficult. I think being with them for that time, though, allowed me to be re-burdened for them.
The second camp was amazing - the weather was perfectly hot the entire time. The kids, for the most part, handled the transition to a new environment really well. I feel that during this past week I fell in love with these kids again. Being able to do the camp a 2nd week also allowed me to have a second chance at running the camp and activities again. Mistakes from week 1 were fixed during week 2 : ) Also the spiritual environment was different week 2. The kids, in my opinion, really were able to grasp the truth that God is the Creator of all thing. The kids during week 1 seemed to not 'get it' the same way as week 2.
God is the Ultimate One...growing all seeds that were planted. I am so thankful for the time that the kids had OUT of Casa Alba. So thankful that I could be there to interact with each one. So thankful for the 'friend times' I had with the other adults there. So thankful that the kids were able to see God's creation right in the middle of a beautiful setting!
Thanks to all of you who, through your prayers and finances, allowed this camp to happen and allowed me to be there running it!