rest of retreat
it feels wierd to be sitting at my computer. I'll probably wake up tomorow and not know where I am. That happened to me every saturday and monday when going to and from the blind school on weekends LOL. Anyway, the rest of the retreat was gee anyone wanna guess? Yes! awesome! grin That afternoon I took a walk with Judy my STM and then rode the buggy. I sat on the redwood deck and did interviews and just chatted. I got so sunburned because I forgot sunscreen that day. I'm getting to the point where its starting to hurt. Fun! fun! That night for dinner was hamburgers hotdogs, tater tots, and mac and cheese. The majority of the d food at retreat was great. After dinner was the talent show. There were 26 acts. i thought it would go on forever, but it went quite fast. It was awesome! singing dancing poety, more singing dancing and poety, and yes more singing dancing and poetry, oh and a bit of dre drama. I went back to my room afafter letting a girl in a wheelchair play ball with Ellie to pack. The next morning we had breakfast and closing session. The worship was fabulous. They past out the streamers again and I took 2 and moved all around mostly holding on to stm shaking my streamers and singing. Sometimes we marched around sometimes people danced. Somtimes children ran. There were people pushing wheelchairs. People wheeling themselves, people on crutches. i was able to be up and moving praising God with my body. Nobody offered to "help me find a seat out of the way" nobody cared if I hit them. nobody cared if someone was offkey or hard to understand. The worship at camp was so pure and so open. Then we had a short sermon and a chance for people to share. And then it was over. One of the STMs drove me back to the airport. I missed the cut off for checking baggage by ten minutes so had to take a flight that was an hour and a half later. Kinda sucky. So I mad it home at 9 instead of 7, but at least I'm here and all went smoothly. not counting the fact that the guy at the airport thought I wanted to catch to the airporter to Ketchacan instead of Kitsap county. I'm a bit of a difference as Katchacan is in Alaska LOL. Oh one other thing, I am not putting vidios on youtube we aren't supposed to share anything that could be missued or treated with disrespect by the d nondisabled public. So, unless its spicificly of me or maybe the tour of the camp I won't put it up unless I can pass word protect it which I thin I can. I may put some of it here as scrapbook entries since I think that can be protected. We;ll see it'll depend on how they come out. I'd love to share some of the experience visually , but certainly don't want to violate anyone's privacy or cause anyone any discomfort. There will however be podcasts and posibly just some soundfiles put on sendspace. I wish the worship from this morning had recorded better. I left it on a back pew so you can't tell that people are moving aroud since mostly we didn't use the back space. i didn't even think when I stood up to move around to tie Ellie or even to tell her to stay, but she did. She was excelent this week. even with the loudness and fast or strange looking movements such as flapping or jumping that some of the campers did she was just calm and sweet. She got pet by tons of kids and staff nad even when a coupe got to rough she wasa gem. My sweet wonderful worker! Oh and her work was good only needed some reminders of guide dog like actions in the dining hall and while crossing the line. Food on the ground is so tempting. She fast asleep now. And will probably sleep for days and days LOL. I know I feel like I could. I just can't say enough how amazing this experience has been for me. Its so hard to put in to words. I hope the podcasts will help with that. I'm trying to think of spicific things. Things like moving during worhip. Hearing a little downs syndrome girl sing Jesus Love Me, worshipping while a mentally handicapped man led worship along side the normal leader. She brought him up to sing with her she told him to "sing what's in your heart." Freddy couldn't sing most of his words were hard to understand, but you could just sense his love for God. God just filled that room. From what I've heard everyone cried! I loved being able to just stop everything and pray for a camper who asked for it. I loved hearing God in so many conversations as you walked through the camp. I loved hearing the squeals of excitement from a little girl who is just about 5 years old who does not speak or walk as she was led on the horse. It was awesome to see the way God matched up the STM's with the campers they served the personalities and energy levels were perfect matches. And the staff gave all the credit to God! I loved square dancing. I was just so myself. I didn't feel like people were laughing at the way I moved or the way I talked or anything. God wanted me to come to this camp. I wasn't sure why, but I knew he had something for me here. Its so hard to find words for what that something was. All the big and small ways I felt God this week. It is my desire to return as a staff member this next summer or the next. i'll have to pray to be sure its God's desire as well. Most likely if I feel that it is I'll apply and just see what God does. Through a couple conversations with the director I believe they would make it a matter of serious prayer, I know they would not simply refuse me, but would only take me if they believed it was in everyone's best interest. It'll be interesting to see what happens. But for now, I'm just going to stay here, soaking in the amazingness that was this past week. And thanking God for providing this for me. Thanks for all your prayers.