This week is our boys's and girls' camps--two days, two nights each. This afternoon I went to the camp with a few others to give some short presentations on various topics--mine was on setting priorities. The camp is a half-hour outside of Tirana in an area that was a World War II battleground (with the Germans) and has several memorials to fallen soldiers and other communist-era monuments. There is no running water, no toilet facilities, no shelters. The 30 boys and their young leaders, along with six of our elders, set up a few tents, a large, outdoor gas stove, and "Viola!" camp! Oh, and they had to get some pesticide and spray the ground for biting, chigger-like bugs. They brought in large bottles of water. It was kind of strange thinking that we were treading where so many had fallen in bloody battle.
I think it should have been preserved as hallowed ground.
There is a bar/restaurant nearby, and supposedly the owner had agreed to let the camp use his bathrooms, but the boys were just going anywhere in the fields they could find a private spot. I don't know what the girls will do. I hear there are 70 girls coming.
The young man making dinner (rice and sausages) severely burned the rice because he had only a small plastic spoon to stir it with. Apparently it was totally ruined. So the boys were kind of hungry today. They did have apples and some melons, and we brought up eggs and other breakfast foods for tomorrow morning. The bar/restaurant is supplying a sit-down dinner for the boys tonight--probably fasule--beans and rice. Today we were with the woman planning the food for girls' camp, and she seemed to know what she was doing and had made long lists of groceries, which the assistants helped her obtain. I think the girls will eat much better. Fires are not allowed as it's been dry in Albania lately, and so there could be no roasting of hot dogs or potato baking in coals. I think the missionaries found some marshmallows at the German store in Tirana, and they were going to roast them over the gas stove tonight.
I saw a few frisbees, and a couple of soccer balls, and someone had strung a volleyball net between two trees, so the boys did have some activities, and the four workshops went well this afternoon. This morning the boys took a small hike where Marty was supposed to give a "sermon on the mount," but he became very ill with fever/chills/cough and couldn't go, so two (Albanian) recently returned missionaries talked about what it was like to be a missionary.
Oddly, the leaders forgot to tell the boys what to bring, so no one brought bedding. The mission has some tents for camps, but some boys had to sleep under tarps hung over ropes, and there was a drop in temperature last night, so they were all very cold.
Amazingly, the boys were all in great spirits and seemed to be enjoying the camp.
This is the first year the Albanian members have planned boys camp all themselves. In the past the elders have totally planned and prepared for the camp, but Marty thought it would be good for the members to learn to lead it. The girls' camp has been planned by members for the last two years, with only a bit of support from the mission.
Little by little. Avash, avash, as we say here. Don't I love camp. ; ) Glad I could come home after my presentation!
The boys said were amazed by the stars, as most have never seen the night without city lights obscuring the natural light of the heavens.
2 comments:
Wow. I'll never again complain about how rough girls camp is.
They sound slightly less prepared than Isaac's group of scouts. :)
Really, one of Ike's leaders is a real mountain man who knows how to survive off the wild, and they usually do eat well, but they are definitely roughing it if you compare it to how the girls camp.
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