Tom's at Summer Camp

St John's Parish in Gulfport, MS has been holding a summer day camp for decades. And the Director, Ms Paulette, and some of the staff have been here for most of them. Then there are a couple with three or four years experience and then us shell shocked newbies. The other two volunteers are college sophomores who went to the camp when they were kids.

After all this time it should run like a well oiled machine. But there are two challenges. Since several of the other parishes in the area aren't rebuilt yet, they are not having camp. So St John's facility and staff which has traditionally handled 40 campers is now faced with 79 and counting. Neither the staff or the facilities have been increased.

The second challenge is every morning we go on a field trip. Monday and Thursday is swimming. Tuesday is Fun Factory or Chuck E. Cheese. Wed is Roller Skating and Friday is Bowling. But because of Katrina, the only facility that is the same as past years is the Knight's of Columbus' pool. The skating rink, Chuck E. and Fun Factory are about 30 minutes away. And the Bowling Lanes are close to 45 minutes away. So we're all spending almost as much time on the bus as we are at the activity. Then we've got 6 adults trying to get skates or bowling shoes on 65 kids under 10. While some of the bored 11 and 12 year olds act out.

Oh yeah, and then we have to match them back up with their shoes.

Those of you who know me KNOW that I'm HAVING A BALL !!

In spite of the overcrowded chaos, I'm getting to know the kids. They're getting to be know me.
And in spite of the official "Protect our Children" diocese rules, if a 4 year old comes crying to me and crawls on my lap, I am NOT going to put them on the floor.

One 5 year old boy had to be DRAGGED away yesterday afternoon, screaming, "But Mommy. I can't go with you. I'm supposed to stay with the 'Red Group' and they're playing in here." The ultimate irony would have been if he had been one of the ones we had to peel off his mother that morning. He wasn't, but I'm confident that that will happen before the end of summer.

Just like St Ann's, since I showed up unannounced, I didn't have an assigned job or age group. Turns out it doesn't matter because everybody here does everything with anybody that needs attention at the moment.

The Airstream is about 35 minutes from St John's. When they told me that the buses leave for the field trips at 9:30, I said, "Oh good." Then Ms Paulette said, "But we start accepting the children at 7:00 to accommodate working parents." I said, "Oh, not good." We compromised on my arriving at 8:00.

I leave at 5 or 5:30 and come back to St Ann's to help Karen fix dinner for our volunteers. Then Karen leaves. I eat with the volunteers and stay to make sure the food gets put away. And get back to my trailer around 9:30 or 10:00. The volunteers do the dishes and clean up the kitchen and eating area.

I read and answer emails and fall into bed. I fall to sleep exhausted and excited about getting up to do it all again tomorrow.

My favorite Meister Eckhart quote is:

“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, 'thank you,' that would suffice”.

And as the publisher of "Tinkerbell Jerusalem" says, all that is required to develop Belief is "SUPA" - "Show Up and Pay Attention". If you do, you'll see God at work in your life.

I see reasons to say, "Thank You." every day. And the more I say, "Thank You.", the more reasons I see and the stronger my Faith grows.

Life really is good.