This past week Lyndsey and I got the chance to go with the secondary school to their camp. From Tuesday through Friday we got to live it up with year 9's- year 13's, their teachers and even a couple of parents.
To be completely honest (and Lyndsey would tell you the same), I really was not looking forward to secondary camp. Older kids, man. KIDS! They're practically our age, the older ones. I'm great with young ones, but teenagers?!
I had a million questions running through my head--would they like me? What about the other teachers that I really hadn't had any time or opportunity to interact with before? The whole situation made me uncomfortable.
I almost didn't go. I told Lyndsey and Mrs. Sellar that there's no reason for me to go and that I would just rather stay and teach in Room 7. I thought to myself, "Okay, if they resign and say, 'yeah, you know what, you should stay home,' then I will. If they do the opposite, I'll have an open heart towards going."
Wow. Thank God for that.
This past week has been one of the most enjoyable of my life. I have gotten to know the most mature, incredible, kind-hearted, INTERESTING group of teenagers I have ever known. And they embraced me! I knew Lyndsey, whoops, sorry--Miss O-- wouldn't have any trouble, they all know her and love her already, and she loves them.
And now I know why. They are such an enjoyable group of students. Just genuinely fantastic. All of them beautiful and so alive.
It's an incredible thing, too, I still have NO idea what years most of them are in... I know the students who are year 13's, but apart from that, I would have no idea how where they "belonged" if someone asked me to group them.
They are a completely assimilated group. Year 13's taking care of year 9's. Year 10's playing soccer with year 12's. Students enjoying time with teachers. To say the least I was blown away.
The activities were incredible. We got to go caving--and I'm sorry to say, that true, New Zealand caving is nearly impossible to describe unless you've experienced it, so I won't even waste my words. Let's just say it's muddier than imaginable, tighter than you can suppose, and more fun than you assumed it would be at the start.
And man is it ripe for symbolism. I definitely saw God in those caves.
So Tuesday, the group I was with went caving, and Wednesday we stayed at the campground and did different activities. I got to belay for students at the Tree Climb area, all day. It was an awesome time. Getting to interact with the students in smaller groups and talk to them one-on-one was unreal.
I love how personalities jive, how they mesh and dance with others, like the licking flames of a roaring fire. It was so cool. I now have a new nickname--Mr Skittles--thanks to the group 9 girls. For some reason they loved the way it sounded with my "accent" hahahaha! Miss O (Lyndsey) is now known as Miss M&M :D!
We had a lady, Cindy Ruakere (gospel singer/evangeliser), come and speak for us on Wednesday night and Thursday morning for devotions. It was a pretty awesome time. She is an excellent speaker, but her music was my favorite thing. She sang "Receive" for/with us and one of the first things I did when I got back home was download the song... if you get the chance, check it out.
A few students, Emily, Clarrence and Dawn led our worship times for most of our devotions and they were incredible. Just one example of how gifted these kids are--they could sing and play like no one's business!
Thursday was originally planned to be a beach day in Raglan, internationally famous and a surfer's paradise. However, the call was made Wednesday night to change plans as rain was in the forecast.
Instead we headed to Hamilton to check out the museum and do some indoor rock climbing. At first, I was thinking, "Ah, man... not the best, but we'll see. Maybe I'll be surprised again." I definitely was. I had a blast.
There was a Dr. Seuss exhibit at the Hamilton Museum that was so fresh. There was also a TON on the history of the area and information on the Maori people and their impact on the area. Fascinating stuff.
I got to hang out with Jon, Nick, James, William, Jackson, Luke, Pierce (Joe Jonas), Jason, and Samantha and Brooklyn. Incredible kids and so fun!
Thursday night was an insanity of a blast. After observing some INTENSE pool time activities, we all had dinner (burgers, mmmmmmmm). It was a really fun night. Everyone was laid back, all the stress of making sure that everything work out right just melted from all of the teachers and parents and we all just enjoyed every minute. We gathered around a fire outside and roasted marshmallows.
Lyndsey, Mr. Malcom Davidson and I all also had the honor of being the judges for the camp's talent show. It was HYSTERICAL. The first act was a play and I just have to say, contained the most incredible slap I'll ever witness... hopefully.
After this first act we went inside to the lounge and got to see a couple of acts--a piano piece by Gabriel, which was fantastic, and some Jack Johnson guitar slappin' by the Dawson Brothers.
We took on the roles of Simon, Paula and Randy for these... and it was a definite score.
Friday was crazy, and if I've lost you by now, then bummer for you. Lyndsey and I had devotions for Friday morning and it was so enjoyable. Lyndsey took half and talked about all of her travel experiences, how she's gotten to see different parts of the Body of Christ in her journeys, how the people always outweigh the place itself. I did some sharing about the mountaintop experiences, like camps and revivals and how we have to come down from them, but how we have to take part of it with us--that we have to take the light that surrounded up there deep into the valleys and the caves that are ahead of us so that we don't miss out on the beauty that would otherwise be left in the void.
We really hope we uplifted the students, because they deserve to be encouraged. Lyndsey and I both wish that we could give them just a glimpse of themselves through our eyes... and it's our hope that years from now, if they remember nothing else of us, that they will know that they are "torches in the night"-- light in the darkness where else there would be none... They ARE God's majesty.
So, needless to say we had an incredible time.
The trip home was a bit bitter sweet, getting to know so many of the students and all of the teachers so well and then having to just come home. But I look forward to seeing them around now, and long for the students to continue to interact with me!
This morning, Mrs. Sellar about made me cry...
She gave me this t-shirt. It's her tribe.
I'm starting to feel a bit scared, and a more bit sad, realising that our time here is nearly half-done. This place has felt like home.
If you are a praying person, and you pray for me, pray that somehow I would be able to return here. I really want to get some kind of teaching job in Auckland if I could, but would settle for a janitorial position, hahahaha! Seriously, though.
If I can't live here, I'm not quite sure what I'll do...
