WAY Camp 2015

So the last week of June was one of the most amazing camps I've ever been a part of. 

Coming into the camp, I was tired.  I didn't have enough energy to introduce myself to everyone like I like to.  But I did introduce myself to a few people.  And most of the ones I connected to ended up being on my team!   How cool is that?

Juozapas was my shadow and lil bro through the camp.  Here he is "Kid President," presenting our "Spread the Love" campaign.

So I was teaching English, leading our team, The CRAZY CHOCOLATE CHOMPIN' CROCODILES through various games and putting together daily dramas, and mostly spending the majority of my day with our team, encouraging, playing with, and leading them.  I was really proud of my team and the way that even when we overextended ourselves, our dramas were complex and multipart, engaging most of our team members with speaking parts.  I was also really proud of the way they responded to the challenges the camp and I threw at them.  Whether it was picking up trash as part of our campaign to change the world or climbing a rock to take a picture as part of the scavenger hunt, they worked hard and even though we had the lowest level of English as a group, we won first place and got a prize of going to laser tag.  That was pretty cool, even if the guys completely killed Jonas and I at Laser Tag.  

Kate and I having a dance-off.

Busy from sun-up to lights out, it was an intense week.  I'm really glad Kate was there to help me through and be the amazing sister that she is. (She lead one of the other teams, and worship, and a lot of other stuff).  There was a night game of "find-the-counselors" complete with dark corridors splattered with glowstick innards.  There was the "life game" where I sat and played songs and invited people to church.  It was really interesting people's excuses and confusion as they rushed off trying to get as much money or experiences as they could in the game.  When I realized the game was ending, I started making up a song and singing "One Day We're all Gonna Die."  It was pretty epic.  :D    

I was also able to share about "youth power" and calling in one of the morning sessions.  But I think believing in my team and coaching and encouraging them through everything probably had a greater impact.

Teacher in the "Life Game"

 The highlights of the week though were some of the conversations.  We had an altar call and I got to pray with three or four young people after that.  Some one on ones about faith and belief were pretty cool, God was definitely working.  And on the day that we supposed to make a drama presenting "our campaign for president" we had an amazing discussion on the problems in Lithuania and some ways to maybe solve them.  It was a really tough conversation, because I saw that they really could transform their city, but we had to focus on creating a drama, and also, if they wanted to change their city, they'd have to change themselves.  The conversation on racism was cut short.  I had to leave the room because I was overwhelmed by the needs of young people in the city and knew that I could do something about it, but...not from Central Asia.  :/

Kate and I's teams lined up for an epic battle (her idea)