changes and surprises

Camp LIFE 2013 has presented us with many surprises and changes from years past. It’s been challenging and exciting and crazy with all of the new adjustments! Here are a few:

A HUGE summer staff

So this year, we have 14 summer staffers. 14 in the FIRST HALF alone! It’s unreal! I think we had 12 total last summer. It has been such a blessing to have so many more hands on deck to do all that summer staff is responsible for!! It has definitely caused us to become MUCH more organized as a summer staff; we now have individualized roles and responsibilities that we are held accountable for and we have a few different rotations for making sure certain things get done. Summer staff has never been this detailed and organized, so it is definitely a change.. but a change for the better, I think! 

A new location: Chamba Valley Exotic Hotel

Oh, Chamba. This place is something. This year is a transition year, so we are moving from Mulungushi Villas, which is where we’ve stayed ever since I started coming to Zambia, to the Legacy Lodge, which is in the process of being built by the ministry. This place is basically a godsend because there is no other hotel or lodging that would house this many people. The man who owns this place signed a contract with us and is actually turning away business to honor that contract. It is actually a really nice hotel, but it brings its own challenges.

As expected, hot water is still a luxury here at Chamba. The chosen few have hot water in their rooms, while the rest of us do the “shower dance” (similar to the hokey pokey but with a greater sense of urgency) in our ice cold water. One limb at a time, folks. That is, if you can get your water to cooperate with gravity instead of shooting straight up at the ceiling like Old Faithful. 

However, when they say that Chamba Valley is an “exotic” hotel, they are absolutely telling the truth. It is QUITE off the beaten path; in order to reach the hotel entrance, you must first drive about 5 minutes down a very bumpy dirt road. During my stay of about three weeks here, I have encountered many African wall spiders (google it), a colony of ants that lives in the walls and makes daily appearances in our room, cats, wasps, caterpillars, and other strange bugs that I can’t even name. It’s always an adventure when you walk into your room at Chamba Valley.. you never know what creature is waiting inside to greet you. 

Anyway, like I said, we are grateful that we even have a place to stay. The wifi works in the lobby on most days (if you’re lucky), and the staff is so friendly and willing to serve. It is definitely different than Mulungushi, but it is functional and serves its purpose well. 

RAIN

For the first time in my five summers spent in Zambia, it RAINED today. Rain during this time of the year in Zambia is so rare that, when you ask a Zambian, “is it going to rain today?”, they will respond by saying, “No, no. It can’t.” Oh, but it can, and it did. It is the Zambian winter right now, so it wasn’t completely out of the ordinary for the clouds to roll in and the temperature drop to about 50 degrees (or less). However, as we’re bringing kids into the Legacy Center to put in groups on Monday morning, it starts to SHOWER. Not just a mist or sprinkle, but a shower that actually made the pavement darker. 

This year has been so weird, and I haven’t quite made sense out of what God meant by this random rain shower yet, but I do know that He is working. The enemy has taken some roundabout ways to attack our staff and our Americans this year, but God has come right behind him every time and fought back and won. I guess, maybe the rain shower goes to prove (again) that nothing is impossible for our God. And that He is willing to do WHATEVER to move in power for these children. When we say, “it can’t rain,” God says, “let it pour.” So now, I anticipate what other limitations God will destroy during the rest of camp. Nothing is impossible for our God, not even rain in the Zambian winter.  

There are more, that’s just all I had time to write! Until next time, here are a few of my favorite snaps so far!