Steadfast Love (10th Arts and Crafts Camp)
From January 16 – 18 we had 29 girls from six different children’s homes gather for our 10th annual arts and crafts camp at Youngnak Church in Seoul. We’ve now held 10 soccer camps and 10 arts and crafts camp for 3rd to 6th graders from different children’s homes in Seoul. At this point the younger kids weren’t even born when we first started our camps back in 2008 (soccer camp) and 2009 (arts and crafts camp). That is amazing to me.
I’m also continually amazed by the changes in the kids during these camps. They’re placed in a furnace of love, with there being more adult volunteers than kids so every girl gets focused love and attention all three days. Most of the girls start the camp shy and insecure, but our volunteers just keep loving them. During our training we tell them just how important steadfast love and commitment to these girls are. We encourage them to keep loving whether they see results or not.
Here is a translation of a letter that one of our 4th graders wrote to our directer Jee on the last day of the camp…
<< Hi! I’m Eun Young. I was fearful when I first came to the camp, but I was encouraged by you and all fears have gone away. Because I was with you, the camp was so much fun. Thank you. Without you, I probably couldn’t have this much fun. Jee Ssaem (Teacher), wasn’t it hard? It must be hard for you to prepare for the next camp. I know how hard it will be. Don’t work yourself too hard. I won’t like it if you get sick or get tired. I would like you to be healthy. Don’t work too hard and make sure you get some rest. You are the best!
Love,
Eun Young >>
Eun Young was actually new to the orphanage I serve at and she had given the workers at her children’s home a difficult time for her first few weeks. But at our camp? She was wonderful. Her love tank got filled up each day and she was smiling nonstop. I could tell she felt so safe at the camp. Praise God! Here is a picture of her during one of the games…
With her volunteer pair, Grace
From one of our volunteer drivers who drove four girls to and from the camp: “I saw that Sujin changed throughout the camp. She was an older girl that I had given rides every day. She kind of gave a “I’m too cool for this” front. As soon as she got in my car, she would pass out both in the morning and on the way back home. On the ride back home on the last day, she didn’t go to sleep. She was a lot brighter, and she was a lot more talkative. She voiced out that she had a lot of fun and that she wanted to come again next year. To my surprise, she made me a card and handed it to me when she got out of my car. It was a picture of a car with us inside, and she wrote, “Thank you for giving us rides for these past couple days.”
Here is a picture of Sujin on the left of director Jee along with another girl…
A 6th grader at our camp shared with us, “The younger girls at my children’s home like the camp too much. They woke me up at 5:30am to get ready.” =) This same girl bought with her own money a large pack of colored pens to write cards for teachers and for friends. That was a big purchase for her considering the small allowances the kids get at their home. Here is a picture of her from the camp sharing a compliment about another girl…
One of the children’s home planned a big trip to the largest amusement park in Korea (Everland) for the last day of our camp. The girls from the home attending our camp chose our camp over the amusement park. That morning all the kids at the children’s home were supposed to be out by 8:30am to go to the amusement park, but they were all late. Not even a trip to an amusement park excited them enough to get up and be out on time. But for the girls going to our camp? They were ready right on time at 8:30am to go to our camp. This was true at the other homes as well. The kids were all right on time, excited to attend the camp. It’s amazing how much more exciting it is for the kids to be with loving, committed people than to go to the biggest amusement park in Korea.
For the girl on the right in the previous picture, it was her last time attending the camp. She (Mi Ran) had been at the camp since she was a 3rd grader and she is now in junior high. At previous camps it was hard to get any emotions out of her. She is very gifted artistically and loved the camps, but also struggled with being insecure and shy and would rarely crack a smile. But at this camp? I was shocked by how happy and expressive she was! Director Jee serves during the week at her children’s home and she too was shocked by how free Mi Ran was during the camp, from the very beginning!
She even got up during the show and tell time and happily shared what she had made with her volunteer
It brings me such joy to see the girls from my children’s home happy and joyful during the camp and I know Jee was super happy seeing how blessed Mi Ran was. Here is a picture of them together during the camp…
After the camp I gave all of our pictures from the camp to my children’s home so they have them on record for the kids. The office worker was surprised as she looked through pictures of my kids. She expressed she hadn’t seen them so expressive and so happy, especially this girl…
These pictures give just a glimpse to how special these camps are for the kids and how safe they feel around the volunteers. Director Jee does an amazing job running the camp and setting a healthy tone of discipline and order. These girls who are usually shy and insecure or loud and rude end up showing their true colors during the camp. They act in the freedom and light that God meant for them to live in. It’s beautiful to witness!
Here are some more pictures of girls from the children’s home I serve at… Eun Suh was so happy to see that this volunteer returned to serve again at the camp =)
She was also very comfortable and happy working with her assigned volunteer
Sun Ah hates the camera and tried to avoid it most of the camp. She has a strong personality and is very particular as she works (she is gifted!). Despite the rough edges, she loved the camp! She didn’t know the camera was on her while she was working. =)
She did know the camera was on her for this picture and she smiled since she was with her other girls and with Sky and me
Here is a story from one of the volunteers: “After the training and your stories of how the girls could be in the beginning, the first day was as expected. (My girl) Mikyung was just like how you guys trained us to be ready for (shy, distant, insecure, negative), but she warmed up to me towards the end of the first day. It was so cool to see that she was becoming more comfortable. On the morning of the second day I was expecting to pick up from where we were at the end from the first day. I thought to myself, “it’s going to be great”. But I was completely wrong! Second day she was back to her first day morning behavior, maybe even worse than the first day. She kept giving negative comments like “I messed it all up again,” “I can’t do it,” “Teacher, please do it for me,” but when I helped her she often wouldn’t like it and would blame me and then she would want to do it and didn’t like it again, asked me to do it, didn’t like it… the vicious cycle didn’t seem like it was gonna end. She was so dissatisfied with her work all day. Perhaps the crafts were a bit too hard for third graders. She didn’t want me to put my arms around her, or touch her. Even simple demand from me like asking her to put the last piece of trash in where I was collecting all the trash, her natural response was “No.” She just kept saying no to everything, showing negative attitude all day and I was burnt out by the end of the day. Yet I could tell that God was giving me strength to be patient with her and to keep loving on her. I was scared that even by the third day, I wouldn’t see any changes in her. I almost think something might’ve happened at her home.
Third day arrived, she walked in happy and excited!! She was finally feeling comfortable. Though she begged me before every activity to not go up to the podium to brag about her work still, she was doing great. She even sat on my lap, held my hand and dragged me to places and wrote me a note and posed for selfies afterwards. She kept saying things like, “We’ll probably never get to meet again anyways” which I think she means she wants to =( but not only her but her friends from her children’s home were opening up a lot that day as well.”
Here is a picture of Mikyung with her volunteer on the last day… so sweet! =)
God is good! Here are some more pictures from the camp…
Welcoming the kids in one by one in the morning…
Starting with prayer
Having fun making the crafts
Sharing about what they made with everyone
Playing games together
On the last day we usually take the girls out for ice skating or sledding, but for this camp we decided to stay in and extend our nail art and face painting time. The girls loved it!
Hope you were blessed by this long post! Thank you to all who sponsored and/or prayed for this camp! And thank you to all the volunteers who served! =)
***The song at the top is “Heart Won’t Stop” by John Mark McMillan.
