Day 9

The kids left today.  Most just after breakfast.  A few a little later, a little less at about 4 and the rest at midnight.  So today was a day to just hang out with them.

The team went on a little excursion to down town.  We went to the metradat and walked around the ruins that look roman by the pillars but with out a tour guide I'm not sure.  There also was the memorial about the world war and the 420 steps to go down.  I have gone up in past years but in 95-100 degree heat that wasn't about to happen :o). After that we did a little shopping and  came back home.

We had Shashlik (kind of like shish-kabob but way better - meat is marinated for 24-48 hours then wood is chopped and set on fire.  Wait till you just have coals.  Sprinkle with water and salt to make more smoke and then very slowly cook the meat, so tender and so tasty)  We learned from the counselors some of the stories of the kids.  I'll try to send that later to you.  And we shared Smores with them.  A treat as they don't really have marshmallows here and can't do that.

A few highlights that I have heard over and over again.  Is that the kids love this camp.  They go to a lot of camps but non christian, and this stands out to them as very different.  They love that people actually pay attention to them, and are nice and don't cuss, and have interesting games for them to play.  Many begged to stay for another camp.  Others called their counselors less than an hour after they left and said how much they still miss it.

Also I told you I would tell you more if I knew of more kids that gave their lives to Christ.  This camp seamed to have a good number of kids with some Christian Background.  Some said they have prayed the prayer of salvation before.  But all of our ward 4 boys prayed with us (the youngest in the group).  Also 1 boy had hurt himself after a game.  He was limping for days.  In the day before the salvation message, he still limped.  But in the evening after the skit he was jumping around and doing cartwheels.  Wondering about the miraculous healing one team member asked and he said he was healed after giving his life to Christ.

Please pray as these kids go home that God continues to work in their lives and protects them from all hard things in their lives or gives them the strength to get through it!

And tomorrow we start home at noon, I most likely won't be posting before then so please pray for safety on the bus ride and 4 planes and (walking to the hotel between our 1st and 2nd plan in Keiv at 10:30 at night)

Naomi