the horror that is...

...day camp.

this last week we had a vbs/day camp here at the church. 9 hours a day--which is longer than any vbs in their right mind. 75 inner-city kids who are awesome but not super well-behaved. probably something like 4 1/2 volunteers who actually do something. a poorly planned schedule and awful curriculum makes for too much time and not enough to do. there is much more that could go on this list, but i'll stop there. and the best part is--it goes for another week! that's right, we have a whole nother week of this utterly exhausting "camp."

first of all, let me just say that i am not much of a camp person. i never have been. it's probably the introvert in me that gags at the thought of 168 hours constantly surrounded by other people that made me hate kanakuk and other similar experiences. that and all the strict rules and uniformity and strange chants and songs and all around weird behavior. camp is weird folks. whatever gives us the excuse to act all strange just because we have so much time together was not constituted in my makeup.

sure this camp is not quite that extreme. let me just thank the Lord right now that this is not an overnight camp. but then again those sorts of camps usually have fun activities like pools and campfires and all sorts of things to entertain the kids. we have a basketball court, which is admittedly really great but not for all that long.

anyway i don't need to go on ranting about how draining the whole thing is and how difficult it is. especially because it's not really the kids. i love kids. i love meeting these kids and hanging out with them--so many of them are from around the neighborhood. it's just the poor planning and the lack of help that makes it so hard. so if you're free to help come stop by! seriously.