Shades of Camp LoMia

Often during our time here we think about and feel like we are working at girls' camp. We always like girls' camp, so it's OK and Brent has Robert (our guard) to haul the trash. But this is how it is.

Girls' Camp Mission

Campers with lots of needs Elders with lots of needs

We fix food for campers Fix food for Zone Conference

Everything is pretty dirty Everything is pretty dirty

Girls cook out on fires Congolese cook out on fires.

A lodge w/power & water Usually power & water at home

Eating what's fixed Eating whatever you can buy

Leaders are the camp police We are the missionary police

Leaders are the medics We are the medics

Missing and loving home Missing and loving home

Love camp mail Love weekly missionary letters

Now for this weeks comparison. Some of you are aware that I was the "pack-out lady" at camp for quite a few years. Well, now we're the 'pack-out' people here. We are not packing food for them to prepare in their apartments, but we are packing cleaning supplies and delivering them in boxes, just like we did with food at girls' camp.

Our living room was full of soaps and cleaning products, toilet paper, candles, matches, a bidon full of gas to start fires, and some really terrible smelling bar soaps with which they wash their pants. We had to count, sort and pack it all.

Now deliver all this to our elders, which means driving all over the city.

Then it's time to check to see if the capers (that's the camp word for jobs) are really done. I do like girls' camp, but an 18 month long camp? Good thing we love these boys so much and know that we are supposed to be here. Hey, isn't that how we felt about camp?