Mommy for a Week

For the past five years, Karl and I have had the privilege of being involved with Royal Family Kids Camp (RFKC).  Although Karl has not been able to be a full-time counselor as much as he would have liked, he has always been there in some capacity, and I have been lucky enough to serve as a full-time counselor.

If you know me, you know this camp is dear to me.  It is one week of ministering to local abused and neglected children through songs, stories, meal times, and activities with counselors and staff members.  RFKC was founded by Wayne and Diane Tesch in California, and there are now 157 camps throughout the United States, as well as 27 international camps.

The very first camper that I was assigned is "graduating" from this camp this summer.  She broke all of our hearts with her shy smile and silence; so much was said without saying anything at all.  Although she speaks now, that little girl suffered.  And no one would believe the stories these children bear.  No one would believe the burden that the counselors and staff bear as they watch some of the children go to homes where they are not wanted--a place where free gifts are rejected because it is considered unnecessary junk, when all that is in the box are school supplies, clothing, and small toys.

One week may not sound like long enough, and in a sense, that is correct.  How could I possibly shower enough genuine love and attention on my two campers?  I go to the camp, drain myself emotionally and physically in a week, then come back home and continue leading my privileged life.

But I find that I've changed at the end of the week every year; for a week, I get to a be a mommy.  Not a "mother" and not a "mom."  To me, "mother" is what I say when I'm feeling annoyed, sarcastic, or silly, depending upon the tone.  "No mother, I didn't get a chance to do that," or "Yes mother, I will do that right away."  I also tend to use "mother" when she has not heard me say "mom" fifteen times before.  "Mom" is a word that I have come to use as I have grown.  When I made the transition from childhood to adolescence, I learned to use "mom." At camp, the campers are shy and scared on Monday.  However, the moment I see that I am making a difference is when they look up and ask if they can call me "mommy" for the rest of the week. They are asking me, with that request, to love them unconditionally.  With some campers, it is easy; others involve a lot more work and prayer.

So basically, I'm asking for prayers.  Lots and lots of prayers for the following:

• It's difficult to give 100 percent all day. Nap time is surely appreciated.
• It is even more difficult to focus entirely on the kids without thinking about their lives outside of camp.  Sometimes, anger and bitterness come into play, and those are not the attitudes that I should have.
• Prayers for the entire camp--staff members, kids, and counselors all around the world.
• Karl.  Emotionally and physically, I rely on him heavily as someone who can sense my moods without me talking.  Also, he has his own two campers to think about and pray about.
• That I remember that God's love is steadfast.  Sometimes I think that I've got to rely on my own strength alone...and that is far from the truth.

During training week every year, we listen to this story.  It is truly an encouragement and inspiration as we begin camp.

The Starfish Story

While walking along a beach, an elderly gentleman saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it into the ocean.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water.
He came closer still and called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”
The young man paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”
The old man smiled, and said, “I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?”
To this, the young man replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”
Upon hearing this, the elderly observer commented, “But, young man, do you not realise that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!”
The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it into the back into the ocean past the breaking waves and said, “It made a difference for that one.”

If you are interested in becoming involved with the camp in some way, please visit Royal Family's official website to learn more.