Kevin took Cooper with him early every morning and came home around 6ish every night. The interns and Kevin ran the show and it was a big hit. I took Isaac and Mei over one day for a few hours, but we felt it was better for them not to be there since it was for jr. high kids. I did get some pictures the day I was there and at the end of camp. The last day they had a presentation for the parents. They showed off the English words they knew, sang some songs and showed the parents some of the dances they learned.
Cooper was kinda of a star because he knows english and how to play kick ball. He loved it and made some new friends.
Here is one team lined up to play kick ball. The French know all about soccer, but baseball, ect is just not played here at all!
Everyday at camp, they focused on a different city in America. Then they would learn things about that city. On the New York day, Claire taught them a hip hop dance!
This sweet boy was a big fan of all the intern girls.
I got to talk with some of the moms at the end of the week and I heard over and over again how much fun the kids had. You can continue to pray for these kids and the families. It was a lot of work but it seems very successful. God is working even if it was not a "VBS" type of camp. I know the kids felt loved:) I know my husband was wiped out every night, too! I heard some comments about how great he was with the kids. I wish I could have been more involved, but I had an important job to do...
I was the entertainment director for this girl....
and this boy!
They kept me running around all week. We made several trips to the beach and the park and even rented go-cart bike things one afternoon!
That was a fun adventure!
Towards the end of the week, we started preparing for Isaac's birthday! The boy is hard to buy for so we took a few adventures to toy stores, but the best thing he got for his birthday was a trip to the...
WATER PARK!!!
He told me several times that day that it was the funnest birthday ever!
We took Pete and Ruth's daughter, Mary Ellen with us. She is a year older than Cooper.
The boy does not really like cake, which is good because a cake mix is pretty hard to find here. He did get ice cram at the park and later I made him a big chocolate chip cookie and put a couple candles in it!
I can't believe he is 9 now!
The past 2 weeks we have gone to the English church that meets on Sunday night. Our home church meets at night so we love it! Last Sunday, Cooper had a fever so Kevin stayed home and I went. It was the first church service I have understood in a month, so it was a breath of fresh air. I did enjoy going to the French churches, but it is so hard to sit through if you do not know the language. It is hard to get my boys to sit through an English church service, much less a service all in French. I am happy we have had these experiences here this summer, though. I am praying it will open all of our eyes more fully to the beauty of how God has made people and cultures so different. Each culture has some wonderful things to bring to God and the world around us.
I have been thinking about that idea tonight, because I did not get to go to church because Cooper had an upset belly. Kevin took the other two and I stayed here and listened to a great Tim Keller sermon on "Culture". He was talking about cultivating is like culture where you take the raw materials you have been given(like in a garden) and use them to make something beautiful. He talked about using your gifts and knowledge to do something, like taking a music for example. You take the raw material of notes and put them together to make a song. "Cultural activity means to take the raw material and draw out the enormous potential for the good of human beings and human activity." I love this idea and the many ways that it fleshes out with people and their gifts. One of the things I think the French are very good at here is food and entertaining. It is an art. You do not just grab a quick bite, but you feast for hours.
This week all 3 kids will be in an English camp everyday all day we hope..pray for no more sickness. Kevin and I could use some time together to eat a meal and have some exciting adventures without the 3 children who have been with us 24/7 for a month:)
We are starting to talk about coming home in a few weeks! crazy! The kids really miss their puppy. I miss zumba and friends/family and Baja. Kevin really misses air conditioning!
Good night from France!
It's so great to keep up with what God is doing through your family this summer. Thanks for taking the time to write and post pictures! Praying for good health for the kids and a restful week for you!
ReplyDeleteI love getting the updates, too, Wendy- what an entirely memorable summer. It reminds me of being in elementary school in Germany and how my parents made the most of it. How awesome that all of this fun and all of these stories are going to be woven into your family's history! Hoping it's a wonderful week with some special dates for you two. :)
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