The Singapore Girls got to go to camp this summer. We are so blessed by this camp. I used to work there as a teen and it's very much how it always was. We drove them up and got them settled in their bunks, with many assurances by them that they were excited and ready to have a week there without us. (Having cousins on both sides of the family at the camp with them helps!) When I left Twinkle Toes, she was impressing the crowd with her ability to fearlessly pick up an enormous bug on a stick, thereby making all of them scream and run away. (I was thinking how nice it was to just let them scream! That's camp, I thought! Screaming at bugs!)
And when I picked them up from camp, I found that God had met my family's needs beyond my wildest dreams. One of the camp speakers was Firstborn's 5th grade teacher, not even from our state. This may be hard for me to verbalize, but my kids are true TCK's...Third Culture Kids...meaning they don't exactly fit in "there," but they don't exactly fit in "here" either. And so they sort of develop their own "third" culture. But for them, to have their teacher there, who knows them, knows why they live in Turkey, just really validated for them why we are there. The camp director had so much fun with it, he even began calling out cabin sweet shop time in Turkish, so all the kids had to ask my girls to translate if it was time for them to go buy their sweets. Something small like that meant a great deal to me from my Big God!
They hung out with cousins, learned a lot, and even made new friends. On the drive home, I asked about the little girl in this picture, whose eyes were full of tears upon saying goodbye. They said she had come to camp without friends, but they be-friended her early on. Her daddy is in prison; she admitted she may not even recognize him when she turns 18 and is allowed to see him. They live far out and don't go to church much. This camp and her new friends meant the world to her. She didn't want to leave. I admit I had a lump in my throat watching her say goodbye.
And then we began the drive home...swapping stories and reminding them not to interupt each other as they all had so much to say. And then I asked about showers,meals, teeth brushing, lake swimming....all that mom stuff. Have a look at these feet!
3 comments:
Sara, I remember well youth camp and the spiritual experiences I had there . . . They cannot be described with words.
My first thoughts to this post were God knew what He was doing when He place you and Ross in Turkey. He was not short-sighted when it came to your children. He had/has plans for them also and being raised where they are fits perfectly in that plan.
This morning I was discussing with my kids once again what swimming against the flow means in life. Ever notice how God often points us in that direction? It causes us to stand out and be different. We do not follow the "flow" everyone else follows but instead follow a path that only God knows.
Kathleen remarked that she is certain God is not going to plop her down in a rose garden among other roses, but rather is going to put her somewhere where she is needed and can make a difference. It is something He has been preparing her for all her life.
Isn't that so true about us all? Your kids are roses and God is not putting them down in a rose garden with other roses but rather where they are needed. He is also training them for the work He has for them.
BUT, like you alluded to, He knows how hard the training can be and so He sends along things to refresh us and encourage us to keep going on. I've seen Him do that many times and like you, am SO thankful when He does!
Melanie
I have done some reading about 3rd Culture Kids. I'm glad God gave your girls (and you)that unexpected blessing at camp.
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