Thankfulness

 

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NAS)

in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I wanted to share with you one of the happiest moments I had at the camp getting ready for the start of the children’s camp! The arrival of the new kitchen equipment!  

 Lucy cooking on her new stove!

Lucy has a big responsibility at the camp. She is not only Roy’s secretary in the office she is also in charge of meal planning, shopping and cooking all of the meals when we have groups come visit and when we hold events at the camp. This means cooking, planning and shopping for up to 200 people for periods of time of up to two or three weeks straight.

It was really wonderful to be at the camp to see the completion of the construction in the kitchen and the installation of the new equipment but there was even something better than that! The children that came to camp last week were all invited to come up to the microphone and were asked what they enjoyed the most about camp and most of them said – “la comida” which means “the food”. Many of the kids who came only get one or two meals a day which consist of rice, beans and tortillas. I sat with one little eight year old boy who never used a fork before and was really struggling to use it and reverted to scooping the food into his mouth with his index and middle fingers which were the only utensils he has to use in his home.

My job for the week was service in the dining room. The first day of camp all the kids came rushing up at once grabbing drinks as fast as they could. At the end of the three days they waited for their turn and many of them said “Thank You” to me in english and would giggle and walk away. What a difference being in a Godly, caring and loving environment makes in a child’s ability to express thankfulness! Many of the children made the decision to follow Jesus during the camp and it made a visible difference not only  in their attitudes but in their faces! They left shining like little lights and I am praying that the Lord will continue to guide each of them as they take their first baby steps as Christians and share the light and love of Christ in their homes and neighborhoods.

And yes I did get really homesick last week!!!!!! I really missed my children, grandchildren, family and friends and of course Thanksgiving dinner but I wouldn’t trade the first week of camp with those little ones for anything. We are back in San Salvador  for a week preparing for the start of two weeks of camp for the teens and we are going to try to cook a turkey and share a meal of thankfulness together before we go back. I am learning  “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for ME in Christ Jesus!

Under His wing,

Linda