August 3-6, Iwate Kids' Camp

On Wednesday, August 3^rd, Tomo, Maki and I (Sarah) took our leave of the other goobers and struck off for Kodomo Campu!  After a two-and-a-half hour drive (there about), we arrived in Iwate.  There were about thirty kids at the camp, ranging from 3^rd to 6^th grade. 

The theme of the camp was “The Lord is My Shepherd.”  There were many ovine (pertaining to or resembling a sheep) aspects to the camp.  The rooms for the kids were named after different species of sheep, such as Black Face and Merino.  Tomo’s room was Lincoln.  Oh, and due to an imbalance of male to female staff members, Tomo had to share his room with a whole TWO other people, while Maki and I slept in a room with five others.

The general schedule for the days was as follows:  Wake up at 6; attend staff meeting; help set up breakfast; eat breakfast; clean an assigned area; do the day’s Activity (which included playing in the river, playing with water guns, chasing the adults, flying hashi-airplanes, etc.); help prepare lunch; eat lunch; sit in the lunch room in a daze, sweating, while the kids run about buying ice cream and going to the ofuro; nap time (which may or may not include actual napping for us); attend another staff meeting; help prepare dinner; eat dinner; worship and sermon time (in which we sang about 5 songs about 20 times each); attend another other staff meeting discussing/preparing for the coming day; pass out around 10:30 to 11 at night.

The three of us were primarily occupied with helping prepare meals and games, and then overseeing said games.  Each of us also gave a testimony (Maki was extremely gracious and helpful and functioned as my translator the whole time we were there.)  Apparently, our mere presence at the camp was a blessing to the people there.  They were encouraged by the fact that people had come all the way from America to help them, and that people all over the world are praying for them.  I think that was probably our greatest contribution—simply being there.