The middle of a week is always interesting. It's the day when we really start to feel the rhythm of the week. The fast pace and surprise of Monday is long gone and things start to feel more comfortable. At camp out its at this point that t here are usually potential problems. Things continued on smoothly overall. We had rain again in the morning, and started the pattern of combining first thing for Compass Check. The theme of the week followed the same theme as t...

The day been early with rain waking us before many others were up. The cloudy morning made for comfortable weather for climbing rock walls and building trust on the low ropes course. As the sunshine appeared and the clouds broke up and spread out, we headed out past the camp gates to where a zip line hung high above the bushes surrounding a small pond. The seniors flew through the air first while the juniors played in the mud. Then we switched. The mud was of the...

The mud and rain in the early morning made for more indoor activities. We played some team challenge games, learned about reptiles, and danced all before lunch time. In the afternoon we took a walk in the bush, learning about different African plants and animals. In the evening we played more games.

In life we are promised trials. God sees what we do in those situations and helps us to grow accordingly if we are willing to participate in that growth. Sometimes these are small things like a lack of sleep the night before summer camp in a new place with new people. Other times it's a broken down vehicle full of little kids when the car was just fixed a few days before. Or maybe trying to pick someone up at the wrong airport or having to drive back and forth to...

We arrived in Johannesburg late Friday afternoon after a short 15+ hour flight. Jason Webster, a deacon in the local congregation picked us up from the airport along with Nick and Megan Lamoureux. He and his wife Monique live in Pretoria with their four children. We had a lovely candle lit meal with them outside under a tree in their yard as the clouds rolled in and we could see lightning off in the distance. Jason drove us to the Avalon Guest House where we woul...