Camp 3 - Day 2

Today was our first full day of camp. This means we started by helping the little girls with hair, mostly we do braids and french braids. But unlike last camp we have a number of girls with short hair so this is a little more difficult. Then we did morning exercise.

For morning Bible Lesson Paul talked about the Bible. Then we gave each child a bible. (Tonight at bedtime stories we started to teach the kids how to look up verses.) The sky threatened rain early but we decided to go to the sea any way. Which was perfect because the sun showed up. However, promptly at 12:30 when everyone was back up at camp, it started to down pour. This hindered the kids getting to lunch on time (and all were very wet).

In the afternoon the kids did interest groups and then prepared for opening ceremony. During this time, Paul and I were invited to eat Dinner at Sergey's (the dentist) house. I was worried that I would have trouble eating the unknown food and in turn offend them, but God is good. We had a Tatar (Muslim) soup. Very, very tasty. It looked like stew but was thinner broth. It was cooked over open fire. It had all sorts of vegetables in it that I don’t know what they were. But I did know aboutpotatoes, carrots, red pepper. The meat was lamb. We had bread, raw red pepper, tomatoes, and parsley to accompany it. Followed by “tea” but instead they served us coffee and treats. They were very kind and I don’t think Ioffended them (except when I cut the fat off the meat, butsomething tells me it was ok.)

After dinner he showed us his coin collection. I saw a coin that dates back to 5 AD. He makes replicas, and paints, and does other metal work, and since he is a dentist he makes his own dentures and retainers. I was literally in awe of all his talents and skills, and yet I'm told there are even more that we didn't have time for like playing the guitar and making shashlik. I was speechless, which most of you know doesn't happen very often.

Then He made me sit inhis chair and was wowed by all the “work” done in my mouth. He counted and then told me special for me he would cover them with white.

Then Tanya decided she would help.

More or less they just thought it was hilarious to take funny pictures. After my turn they did the same with Paul. I think that if we didn't have to get back we would have been there all night, making silly pictures.

We got back just as the opening ceremony was starting and just in time to do our parts in our skit, of course completely unprepared for. I had to juggle, a skill that I do NOT possess. This was followed by craft and bedtime stories.