So after eight weeks of day camp my eight middle school boys in my huddle group the "Swagg Surfers" was winnowed down to three on the last day of camp. The last day was bittersweet because of this. Sweet because I so appreciated the three boys who stuck with me to the end. Bitter because of the five that left my group either because of discipline issues or because they were transfered to another group. Looking back on it I wonder if there was anything more I could have done to help make my boys into more of a team. In the end I just have to accept I did the best I could and hope that something I taught will stick with all my boys.....even those who did not make it to the very end of camp.

Friday of this week the older CHAT kids went on a city wide scavenger hunt for letter boxes. A letter box is a box containing a book to place your distinct stamp. The box is then hidden and the location put online for other letter box hunters to find. The locations of the boxes were all around Richmond including Hollywood Cemetary, near the James River, Union Seminary (which I have had to inform the kids is different from a cemetary), and Bryan Park. Out of the seven boxes that were hidden we managed to find two. Because of this the kids were a bit discouraged, and to be honest so was I. But when we reached Bryan Park, our last location, we saw that the sprinklers to the soccer fields were going full blast. And we had a new objective, to get as wet and wild as possible.

Today CHAT lead worship for Leigh Street Baptist church, which is the congregation that is graciously letting us use their facilities for our day camp this summer. The worship was a huge success and came together very nicely, despite the fact, that like much we have been doing this summer, the CHAT staff was a little unsure of how things were going to go. I have learned that working with CHAT requires a certain amount of creativity and going where the Spirit moves you, because frankly so much is happening it is difficult to make plans.

In recent weeks there has been a wild creature sited in CHAT day camp, primarily during morning skit time. This strange creatures is known only as "the Will-Da-Beast." Those who have seen this creature describe it as something akin to a rastafarian werewolf with a voice reminiscent of Yoda from Star Wars. Along with his faithful friend Noah (who's strange hairstyle has won acclaim from the international fashion community), Will-Da-Beast has embarked upon an epic journey to rid a post pre apocalyptic world of the Empire of Taco Bell. Noah and Will-Da-Beast have overcome the evil alure of Tacos through a intense training program involving cool whip. Their friendship has survived Will-Da-Beast's betrayal of his calling in favor of a life of fame and fortune. And just recently Will-Da-Beast was freed by his good friend Noah from an evil circus master who had captured Will-Da-Beast and turned him into a sideshow attraction. Where will Noah and Will-Da-Beast's epic journey lead them next? All the kids of CHAT day camp are anxious to find out what mayhem will ensue in coming skits.

 BROKEN

I am broken and shattered.

I am torn and tattered.

Reconciliation

I tried to avoid writing this blog entry because I thought
it would be cliche. The verse I have been contemplating writing about is Jesus' blessing of the children. In Mark 10:13 Jesus is teaching to the crowd and they bring
children to him. His disciples try to prevent the children from reaching Jesus
but Jesus rebukes them sternly saying, "Let the little children come to me; do
not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God
belongs."

It is late at night and there is a song wringing in my head. The title of the song is "fade to grey" by the popular Christian band Jars of Clay. The chorus goes, " then I see you there.....these lonely tears I cry I wish they would release me. It is in despair that I find faith and summon the night and bow down to day. If ignorance is bliss won't you save me from myself. Then I see you there with your arms open wide and you try to embrace me. These lonely tears I cry they keep me in chains and I wish they would release me. Cold is the night but colder still is a heart made of stone turned from clay. And if you follow me you will see all the black all the white fade to grey."

If I have not love

            At the time I am writing this it is the end of my second day of my CHAT internship. I have barely gotten my feet wet in urban ministry but it is already changing my perspective on life. One thing I have realized is I have never lived in a real community before. I have never lived in a community where people know and care about their neighbors. A community where generation after generation has lived in the same neighborhood for their entire lives. A community that is full of joy as well as full of struggles. A community that is real. A community that is bound together by love, especially love for the children of this community. I have wondered these past few days who is ministering to who, the tutors to the kids or the kids to the tutors? Certainly the kids come for the love, affection, attention, and structure that CHAT provides, but why do the tutors come? Why do people volunteer their time to enter relationships with kids who have grown up in circumstances so different from their own?