"Something has changed within me, something is not the same..."

SALTT camp was amazing. I'm still in awe of what happened in a little Catholic school in Lake Worth, Florida--both to little Guatamalan kids and to my high school kids. Lives were changed last week, including mine. I didn't know, when I agreed to go, what it would really be like. I knew that working with Ms. D is... a challenge for me and that I'd get very little sleep. Both of these were true. However, what I did not realize, is that the beautiful little souls who came to St. Lukes were there because they've been kicked out of thier own country, proud and strong decendants of the ancient Maya. They were there because Guatemalan gangs, some of the most deadly in the world, prey on these kids before they're even teenagers.

One girl had already been initiated into a gang at 13 years old. She had the three dots on her wrist and spent most of the day texting, until we got her busy doing stuff. Ms. D talked to her about the situation, and the girl reported that her mother thought she was "bewitched." This girl's mom could not fathom any reason in the world why her daugher was behaving as she was, why her daugher was in a gang, except that she had been cursed or bewitched. I can't lie--that broke my heart. But that's what camp is about--trying to teach kids about God and give them an alternative support system so that they can make a better choice. There was even a camp "graduate" there, Evelin, who had come back to be a counselor. She's now an honor's student and doing really well, not to mention she's a good person.


We even had special guests with us--Father Bob, Patrick, and Gill, from England. You know I LOVE me some Brits, and Father Bob MIGHT be the coolest dude ever. If more priests were like him, I'd consider being Catholic! Patrick and Gill were awesome too, and hopefully they'll be back to camp next year. :)


At camp, we took the kids to see Kung Fu Panda (I love Jack Black, talking animals are adorable), went to the beach, went bowling, and went to Rapids, which is a water park. When everyone was talking about "The Rapids" though, I thought there were ACTUAL rapids involved. I'm special. lol. It was awesome.


I really can't even describe camp much better than I have, yet I feel this is so inaccurate. I actually made peace with a student of mine after prayer one night (Every night, sometimes early into the morning, we'd pray together as a group and let me tell you--this group LOVED to pray. A lot.) I hope that she and I can start over next year, with the understanding that I can see through the person she pretends to be and see the person that she really is. And I hope she can BE the person that I see.


Annie even came to visit me on Saturday for our camp carnival. I was so happy to see her and can't wait to see her again tomorrow! Yay!

Some of my favorite camp moments include:

• The LPDC, Las Pachangas De la Cocina. We WASHED those dishes.
• The stress that was creating t-shirts for The Jamin' Giraffes. They turned out to be the best ones, though.
• The boys' excitement over "Mickey showers" a.k.a. a hose shower.
• Bonding with a kid over Veronica Mars
• Setting the tables every morning with The Brits
• Puffy paining until I wanted to die
• NO TEA ON SATURDAY MORNING!
• The little kids
• The big kids
• The amazing sense of love and purpose my students felt and how moved they were by the experience
• The Argentinian barbecue we had one night for dinner. A. Mazing. Words cannot describe the buttery, salty perfection that was this meat.
• Telling Jonathan (a chubby 5 year old camper) stories at prayer every night

Finally, I'll close out with some pictures. I don't want to post too many, but I might make an album of them online and then post the link later. We'll see.

This is Maria, me and Juana at the beach. I lost my $1 Target sunglasses to the waves that day...

The obligatory group photo.

Everyone's favorite carnival game... smash me in the face with a wet sponge!

Finally, Patrick and me after the carnival. I got my hair did and he got his nails did. We were quite the pair, I must say... And aren't our T-shirts amazing? Because I made them.

So that was my last week. One of the most amazing experiences of my life. I can't wait to go back next year and not sleep again!!

This week has been surprisingly busy. Monday night was a late one with an impromptu hang out with a friend of mine from church that began with a quest for ice cream and ended at a bar, where so many good quests seem to end. Then last night I went over to the Fred's house for dinner and Wii Kareoke (weird but awesome) and then tonight T and I drove to Broward to look at dogs and then had dinner at a Korean restaurant. Dulsot Bibimbop did me right! Leftovers tomorrow, holla!

Annie's coming in tomorrow for the 4th. I can't wait!

Much love.