Day 5 - July 24: Off to camp!

We can’t believe that camp is ACTUALLY here! We gathered ourselves and our luggage for an early pickup at the airport before driving across town to Capel Seion to meet the bus and the first group of kids. We met lots of parents as they dropped off their kids and started to get to know the students, most of which had never been to camp before. After meeting the other groups at a travel plaza, the bus headed out for the 4 hour journey to Coleg y Bala (Bala College). The weather has been remarkable since our very first day in Wales. Apparently, the day of our arrival was the first fully sunny, warm and dry day in at least two weeks. Everyone here was completely miserable and worn out by the rain, but we haven’t even seen a cloud in the 5 days we’ve been here. Today, the sun was as bright as ever - and the heat on the un-air conditioned bus became quite uncomfortable on the 2 hour trip to our lunch spot at a church in Aberystwyth. The winding country roads, hot bus and too many snacks always takes it toll, but we only had one student get sick, which is a considerable improvement from last year! (Note: when setting up a sick bag, be careful to get one without holes in the bottom). The second half of the drive - across some incredibly beautiful mountains, next to the sea, with vast views and scenery - went much more smoothly and got us to Bala in time to get the kids setup in rooms, establish the snack bank, and prepare for the first set of games: wacky relay’s and ultimate football (soccer). These events went fabulously well (more or less) with only minor injuries, not bad for 60 kids, teens and adults. The heat and activity did take its toll, and the group was getting pretty tired, but nothing could stop the enthusiasm for The Great Bala Water Fight of 2012. Nearly everyone was soaked (which, after all, was really the point) and had a blast. After drying and resting a bit, we were able to meet together in the chapel for our first service, learning a few songs in Welsh, and finishing the night with a nice hot drink of tea, hot chocolate or the Welsh equivalent of “Kool-aid” called “Squash.” After getting the kids to bed, Derek led a leaders’ de-brief where we discussed the day and made plans for tomorrow. The most common feedback was a great sense of fun and joy from seeing the kids from across multiple churches bond with each other and with the leaders. We are all anticipating great things in the next few days!