Logistically the camp went amazingly well considering all the campers speak Spanish! Everyone began arriving right on schedule at 11am, got signed in, got their Huddle Number assigned (small groups) and then headed off to the bunk house to unload their gear.
Then everyone headed to the Cafeteria (a covered porch by a building where we put plastic tables and chairs) and ate lunch together.
Next everyone got on bikes or in vans in our case, and drove a little less than a mile over to the track.
When they arrived the Pros (Ryan, Shawn, Jimmy, and Mark) were racing around on the track and doing stunts and jumps which really impressed the kids.
The campers are mostly about 15-30 years old with the majority being about 18 I think, and then a handful of little kids. The youngest is 7 maybe?
We showed the Riders that we had separated the track into 5 separate stations called Zones. At each Zone they will learn a different technique or skill. So for example at Zone 1 they are learning to start out and go straight. At another they learn to go over hills or jumps, another is about taking sharp curves. There's even one where they get to weave in and out of a line of trees.
The guys had carefully caution-taped-off the whole track into sections, so everyone knew where to go and not go.
They stay in the class for 40 minutes and then rotate. We got all the 6 groups around to all 5 Zones before we had to call it a day. They were out there from about 2:15-5pm.
There is a water station at each stop, which consists of a big blue plastic tote filled with these interesting little plastic bags of spring water. You basically tear a tiny hole in a corner and drink it all down before it pours out!
My job today was to keep an eye out for the water running low. The only real problem there was that the Zone 3 supply kept disappearing because of all the spectators! We had lots and lots of people come to watch! Which usually is not the case. Mostly the camps are far away from gawkers and no one is allowed to hang around.
This can create a problem for several reasons. Safety obviously. We have enough to worry about without some 12 year old wandering out into the track. We eventually had to put in a whole new set of wooden spikes in the ground and run caution tape across just to make it really obvious, You Have to Stay Back Here! Then of course, as I mentioned, they were drinking all the water!
We drug the big tote for Zone 3 out in the middle of where we were so they wouldn't take it all (spring water is expensive!) but then the riders weren't drinking any of it. Which is what we don't want. We wanted to be sure everyone is drinking at every stop. Remember it's every 40 minutes! Well, eventually I asked Kramer to carry it way out on the track between Zone 3 and 2 so they would be standing right next to it, and maybe they would drink some.
We only had one real injury. Sam's one rider (he got more later but they were all late!) fell off his bike and his knee went sideways somehow. Anyway he thought he was done for, but Amanda and Mary, the nurse, examined it and put ice on it but said it was really fine. He sat there for awhile with it up, well ok the whole rest of the day, and then eventually got up and limped around some. Then when we told everyone to head back over to the camp, he finally got back on his bike and right away it fell over again. Amanda really watch him moving and how his knee bent, and his flexibility, and assured us all he was totally fine and being a bit over dramatic. In the end, they took him to the hospital to "check it out" but no one really thought that was necessary. He looked about 15 to me.
The cutest part was watching the tiny little 6-8 year olds on tiny little bikes doing little bitty hills together. They were all in one group and Ryan had them I believe. One had to stop when his Mom made him come eat dinner she had brought, and he never got back out there, although I'm not totally convinced he every was on a bike, and maybe just likes wearing all the gear.
It was really cool at the end before we headed back to the camp when the Pros took off again doing wild stunts with a MUCH bigger crowd now. Even some people on Harleys or something had stopped in, a boy on an ATV? 3 Wheeled thing, and a dunebuggy! Probably 30-40 people just watching. So, when they finished showing off with much applause from the peanut gallery, Shawn came up to the group, and the others joined him, and he gave a really straight forward gospel presentation. Wide spread audience that wouldn't have gotten it otherwise.
He led by "We had so much fun out here today, but there is nothing better than knowing Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior."
Mary Conver
We had been collecting everything that wasn't in use during the last Zone time, and were able to pack everything up before Shawn dismissed them. We didn't leave even one thing other than the caution tape and stakes. But the boys sincerly hope they don't get stolen because they have several blisters each on their hands from Pic Axes and Hammers driving them into the ground the first time.
We went back to Camp for dinner (we waited and ate here and man was I glad! Ms. America - her real name - had cooked Chicken patties and hot dogs and french fries! Sooo good!) and then had chapel.
At Chapel we started by playing the game "I like..." which goes "Me Gusta....Mickey Mouse." and if you like Mickey Mouse you have to run to another seat, or "Me Gusta....Elvis" etc. This was a big hit. We made a giant circle of all the campers and a bunch of the adults and staff, and played for about 30 minutes. It was funny to see that we all Gusta the same things. But of course translation was an issue. By the time the translator told us in English what the person in the middle said they like, everyone else was moving!
Then we all met back up in the chairs in front of the stage. You won't believe this, but Ryan, the FCA Pro who was saved on Sunday, gave a testimony right in front of these 50-60 people! How many people can say they did that? And man it was good too. For a 21 year old, he has a lot of depth and emotion. I told him that during his testimony I thought, "I'm so proud of him! I wish his Mother was here to see this." and then "What a strange thing to think!" But he just laughed and reminded me that Kramer video taped the whole thing!
After that Ronnie gave the message about Nichademus and Jesus and finished with John 3:16. It was very very good and I learned a lot. Apparently so did a lot of others, because he had us bow our heads and close our eyes and asked if anyone felt that they needed to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior, and then asked them to come up for prayer. I looked up to see a whole big group including one of our translators!! :-)
Finally we got to come home and get showers. Everyone was totally covered in a visible film of powdered dirt from the dust on the track blowing in the wind.
Ooohhh I'm sooo tired. I said I wasn't going to say anything...well you knew better.
:-)
Night.
Oh, I didn't have my memory card in my camera when I got to the track! So I had to use the cell phone. As soon as I get them, I will post track pictures.
Haven't I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9 (HCSB)
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