Leaving a Legacy

We just finished fall camp and I cannot believe it is already over. We plan and plan for it and then in a whirlwind we are already unpacking. Truthfully, we never know exactly what to expect. We always have kids tell us they are coming then the day of they either don't show up or let us know they can't make it. This of course makes it really hard for planning. We always have to guess how much food and supplies we need. We even had leaders not be able to make it and let us know right before camp. I used to be SO frustrated by this but I have had to learn to be flexible.

Our theme was Leaving a Legacy. So often our kids do not think about tomorrow. They do not think about how their choices affect their lives in a positive or negative way. We wanted to show them that they all leave some sort of legacy whether they want to or not. We had 18 kids at camp and it was probably one of our best camps yet. The kids that came were so excited to be there and participate. We had 3 new girls from a different orphanage. Girls that we have worked with in the past have been, how to put it, difficult would probably be the nicest word. For whatever reason, once they leave the orphanage they don't always want a lot to do with us. But these 3 girls were unlike any girls I have met here in Ukraine. They instantly wanted to be friends. We had dance parties in the kitchen, they participated in group games, and even shared their thoughts in our small groups. There was a lot of prayer and support that went into this camp and I could definitely feel it. 

We found out about a week before camp that our main speaker couldn't make it. At first, we felt at a loss as it is probably one of the most important aspects of our camp. But God provided as He always does. We asked the boys floorball coach if he could fill in. He said he would and he, his wife, and baby came to camp.  He was really great with the kids and really spoke from the heart.The baby was a huge hit with the kids, and it was so good for the kids to see a family. Thank you so much to all of you who have prayed and supported us. We truly could not do it without you all.

The set up crew.

Unloading for camp.

Goody bags and Hygiene packs.

Lasagna soup.

No better way to get to the know the girls then a photo shoot :) This
pic caught us off guard.

Who doesn't love M&Ms covered in ketchup?!

Yummmm...

Craft time.

Ivan enjoying our ice cream sundaes.

Love them.

Popcorn and a movie.

My awesome dance team.

Sash and Solomia

Group picture