I have been waiting to post about our trip because I was not sure how to explain it. There is not a way I can explain it. I am in awe on what God can do to a person. I questioned, alot, why we went on this trip. Why these children are treated the way they are? I did not realize how attached I would get. Why some opened up to me... And told me how they were treated... I think what can I do now? I know for a fact I am going back next year!!! Main reason to make sure my little girls are ok!!! But what can I do now... I don't want to wait a year I want to do something now.
I'll start off with when we got to camp. I was not prepared for the bugs!!! BULL FLIES!!!(aka horseflies on steroids) I have never seen so many flies in all my life. They would not leave you alone either.. But once they were gone(the day it rained) the mosquitoes were there... So do you want flies around or mosquitoes.. I choose flies.. Silly but the day the flies were gone I prayed for them to come back... Just think of 100 flies all around you.. No joke!! It was crazy.. The first day the kids were not at camp. We had to set all the tents up and get all the food and clean the kitchen and the Chow Hall. The Chow Hall was the only building we had to do the worship and to eat in. We practiced the music and discussed what everyone would be doing.
The next day the kids came. At first they really did not have anything to do with anyone. We did our thing for couple of days and they started to warm up to us. Our youth would pair up and they would have 4 kids to a group. I was the adult over Courtney and Amy's group. There were 4 little girls I grew very close to Tiana, Sierra, Aleah and Destiny. Some of these little girls had a potty mouth. They knew every bad word in the book. Words that would make some one blush!! Some that made me laugh! They were only 7 to 8 years old. They told me all the scary movies they watch. Movies I would not even watch. I would just seat back and watch and listen to them.
One after noon we played Hide and go seek eh!!! I won their trust! After the 3rd day they were my little girls... We would draw pictures and play outside... The night before it was time to go home we had a share service and some of the kids got up front and just cried thanking us for coming. Mainly telling us this is the only love they get all year.. I knew then this is what God wanted me to do was to love them..
The day they went home we all met at the church some of the kids parents were there and the parent did not say a word and took their kids and left. There were some that the parents did not show up. There was one little girl, Destiny, that was in my group, who had no parent showed up, but had a couple of foster kids come to pick her up. I knew she did not want to go.. She was scared, I did not know what to do. I took her and held her for a long time. This little girl was only 7 years old and I know something bad has happened to her in the past. She had all the signs of abuse.. Letting her go was the hardest thing I think I have ever had to do... I do know she is not with her mother right now because of drugs and she is in a foster home.. All I know is that it is not a good situation for her. So I ask you to please pray for her everyday that God will keep her safe.. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of her.. I have already adopted her in my heart... Travis and I both want to go and get her, we would bring her home if they would let us. She is not the only one but she is the one that took my heart... She was the little girl at the first of the week that would not let anyone touch her or come close to her... I won her trust and then I had to let her go back to the environment she came from. I am not sure how to handle this, But God has put her in my path for a reason... I pray that God shows me what to do next...
This trip was not what I was expecting!!! God has showed me alot and it so hard to explain!!! I feel there is more we can do but I am not sure what it is yet... Please pray for Travis and I to find what God wants us to do... Thanks again for your prayers !! Below are pictures of my group and Destiny that day before and the day she left...
