The first week was YoungLives - Young Life's mentoring ministry to teen mom's and their children. There were 170 young women at camp and about 150 babies under the age of 3. The rest of the girls were pregnant. About 100 men and women paid to come to care for their children (think of it as a mission trip of sorts). Every lobby of a dorm and some other spaces around camp were turned into nurseries for these sweet babies while their mom's enjoyed the morning and evening activities. The girls had their babies with them during all the free time and at night. Imagine a cabin of 8-12 girls AND their infants and toddlers. You can't until you see it first hand. I woke up girls in the mornings while their leaders were at leader meetings to make sure they were up and moving to make it to breakfast. But they did it and it worked. Girls felt loved and cared for and so did their babies. As a parent, I know what it means when others care for my children. It was beautiful.
These are the actual videos of the week we were at camp. At least check out the welcome video. I was a hot mess that day as girls got off buses from FLORIDA and Nashville. And out of vans and cars from many other not close places.
Next summer, my plan is to take some people as childcare providers. I'm going to sell it as a mission trip and use it to jump start YoungLives in the Mountaineer Area.
Sophie loved all the babies. We spent a lot of time playing with them in the pool. This little guy would throw a ball into the water over and over again for Sophie to retrieve.
Every other seat in the dining hall was a booster seat or high chair.
Every lobby was turned into a nursery.
Strollers everywhere.
Sophie and a new friend, Aaliyah. They sat back to back one night for dinner and both had pigtails.
Tents were set up with water tables and sand boxes for the babies while they were with the childcare providers.
The babies got to play outside a lot too.
My heart is forever won with YoungLives.
The second week was Capernaum - Young Life's ministry to kids with disabilities. 230 kids (the biggest Capernaum camp ever) with special needs were at Rockbridge experiencing the best week of their lives. They range in various degrees of physical and intellectual disabilities. Every single camper has a buddy that stays with them every minute of the day. Camp is significantly altered from the program to ramps around camp to the club room to food choices to slowing things down incredibly. Many campers have trouble communicating and caring for themselves. But there are leaders and buddies here who hold their hand wherever they go, chase after them, change them, fix feed tubes and wheelchairs and tend to their every need.
One morning I was completely blessed to be a "buddy" for a girl on her first ever horse ride. A women who does equine therapy with kids with special needs came for the week to oversee the horses and helped every kids that wanted to be able to ride. Autumn couldn't balance herself on a horse and had one good hand to hold on with. Her buddy and I balanced her on the horse so she could go on a trail ride. We have done several weeks of Capernaum camp since our first camp in 2009. Every time I am blown away by leaders love and extreme time and energy they are investing in kids with special needs. These leaders KNOW these kids and care for them in ways you and I can't even imagine.
Sorry for my lack of pictures on this one. Just watch the video. You'll be blessed.
So, below are the links to some of the videos of YoungLives and Capaernaum camp (in case you missed them earlier). Take a minute and watch one or two - each one is about 3 minutes. You'll be amazed. My favorites are always the welcome when kids get off the buses and are so very excited and surprised about how beautiful Young Life camp is. Watch a video or two and pray for these kids and their leaders - many who went home with a new relationship with Christ!
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