The Little SALTT Camp that Could (aka, "Bootleg SALTT Camp")

I am currently fighting a plague of some sort, brought about by a week with little sleep and snotty-nosed kids of various shapes, sizes, and ages. Please forgive me if I make no sense. My brain seems to be trying to escape through my left nostril, while simultaneously trying to explode out my forehead. It's awesome, trust me.

As many of you know, SALTT camp was last week. SALTT is a club at our school (Service And Leadership for Today and Tomorrow) that ministers to Guatemalan children of Mayan descent, most of whom are illegals. They had to flee from Guatemala because of their ethnicity--the government doesn't want them so they have to get out, or, in some cases, die. Our kids put on a camp for them for one week during the summer and our goal is to not only teach them about God, but to show them that education and good choices can open up a world for them that seems closed. But the biggest, most important thing we do, is love these kids who are told, time and time again, that they are unlovable.

While camp is stressful, sleep-deprived haze of children and crafts, the mission of what we're doing is important and so I go, to participate and to witness.

This year's camp was slightly "bootleg" as timing and weather prevented our first two field trips from being what they could have been. It was kind of the running joke throughout the week. We did make it to bowling (for what seemed like 10 hours...) and the water park so all was well in the end. EXCEPT that at the water park, we found out about the death of Michael Jackson. RIP, Moonwalker.

The day of the water park, Thursday, was uber traumatizing. Not only did MJ die, but I called my friend Drew to de-stress and he told me about Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon. PLUS I was having a nervous breakdown over the way the lady in charge runs things (which I went to camp knowing would happen) and I basically couldn't take it anymore.

Funny story: I'm in the back of my car with three ILS alum. One, the only guy, is driving because I couldn't take his back seat driving anymore (yes, I actually pulled the car over and got out mid-trip), another is in the front seat with a bum ankle, and the third is in the back seat with me, offering me her hand for comfort. The three girls are, like, bitching about everything, basically, and the poor guy didn't know what was happening. I think we may have destroyed his life. lol. This SALTT camp also highlighted something I've known to be true for quite some time: I have a SUPER awkward life. Like, seriously awkward. Case in point: on Tuesday morning, two random guys (CUTE guys, too) show up to camp after breakfast. I a) look like a homeless person b) am not wearing any make up and c) have HUGE bags under my eyes from lack of sleep. Needless to say, I was not looking or feeling very presentable so I avoided these two guys. I said hi, but otherwise avoided them like the plague. But Father Frank, like, corners me and makes me introduce myself to them. I was like, "I already said hi mumble, mumble, I gotta go." I went back to the library (where the girls sleep) and made myself more presentable, then went to find out what these dudes were about. Turns out they were in town for a deportation case, they were "doing a story" on it and they had heard about camp through Father Frank, who they'd heard of because of the case. They were cool guys, or seemed to be, so whatever.

So a little bit later, I'm in the library writing names on bags (trust me, it was VERY important) and the camp director comes in going, "Have you seen Father Frank?" I reply, "He's probably with those guys." Then I hear, "You mean us guys?" Yeah... they were there, in the doorway. Awwwwesome. At least I didn't say, "He's probalby walking around with those hotties" 'cause yeah, that would've been more awkward. And if all that wasn't bad enough, Father Frank and D insisted they get my phone number for NO reason AND they talked to the guys about me like I wasn't even in the room but I WAS SITTING RIGHT THERE! I wanted to sink into the floorboards, for SURE.

And let's not neglect my final awkward story. I was called a boy THREE times during camp. Twice it was by kids, so whatever, I can deal. In their culture, much like the culture of Miami, girls don't have short hair. So they see short hair, and they assume that person is a boy. Okay, fine. I can deal. But then I go to Walgreens to get stuff for the poor sprained ankle (see above) and I'm checking out, and the guy goes, totally unprompted, "Uh, like, don't take offense but, uh, I thought you were a dude for, like, two seconds." Um... Really? REALLY guy who works at Wallgreens? WHY did you feel the need to share that?! Did I ASK you? Did you call me "sir"? No. AWKWARD! More so for him than for me, really. Whatever. In his defense, though, I did look like a homeless person.

Sadly, that was my second adventure at Walgreens during camp. The first adventure, whose point I cannot at this time recall, was funny only because I found this:

Had it not been $20, I would have bought that hot little number and worn it every day. Aww yeah!

Our fieldtrips were, as I said previously, pretty bootleg, but we did manage to make it to the water park for a good three hours and I spent my time there with Aileen who is so sweet and lovely. Here we are after an afternoon of waterslides.
At the end of the week, the kids put on a little show. They have singing, drama, and dance classes throughout the week, and they all culminate in the show, which was Alice In Wonderland this year. The show is always a shortened, dare I say bootleg, version of the real thing, but it goes along with the theme which was uniqueness. After the show, we always do a group picture, and here it is. You can barely see anyone, but trust me, I'm there in the bottom left corner, with Selvin and Domingo on my lap.

Selvin, I decided, is my child, not only because he's cute as heck, but because his last name is also Garcia. Clearly, meant to be mine.
After the show we have a carnival and then the kids leave on the bus, just as they do every day previous. But on the last day, the big kids follow the bus nearly into the street. It's really touching. Here's what it looks like.

All in all it was a great week, although I wish I could have gotten more sleep and I wish I could tell D how to run it more efficiently and smoothly. But I know if I tell her, it won't really matter, so that sucks. Anyway, this last photo is my favorite of camp. Ana Lourdes (another Ms. Garcia and memeber of the English department) took it and when I saw it the first time, it brought tears to my eyes. I just love it...

I think it says so much about the camp experience--it's all about hands. Two hands, reaching toward each other, trying to hold on for a minute.

On the way back from camp I almost got into a serious car accident because the road was wet and this IDIOT of EPIC proportions decided to come into my lane (FALSE) and I slowed down and moved to the next lane but lost control and slid across four lanes, ending up facing oncoming traffic in a ditch. It was scary and horrible, but luckily no one was around so I didn't get hit, I didn't hit anything, and both me and Georgia (my car) are fine. I was pretty shaken up, but I made it home and Tanya, my savior, picked me up for our friends' going away party. I am clearly a rock star.

Monday night I drove up to Ft. Lauderdale to have dinner with Annie, which was nice, and then Tuesday I had lunch at Five Guys, which, apparently, is super famous but I've never been. Let's just say I WILL be going again! It was delicious!

This week has been devoted to researching London, finishing up travel plans, watching Hugh Grant movies, and healing myself from this awful plague. I leave for London tomorrow... I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!

One final FYI--my church is doing a competition to promote their summer series called At the Movies. Congregants had to remake scenes from a famous movie, and my friend Yesi and I couldn't resist. Here's what we made--check it out! The video with the most hits is the winner so watch, watch, watch and tell your friends!

Much love!