CAMP UPDATE

We are now in the second (and final) week of the camp program at ZOE.  

“Spy Camp 2010” is finishing on Friday night when the kids will get to see the camp DVD that Dave is making for them as well as share the highlights of the past two weeks.

Most of my contribution with camp has been in the months preceding camp.  I spent time brainstorming ideas for themes, room decorations, props and activities.  To me, it’s just like planning a big themed birthday party, ha ha! 

When Jess, Dave and I started sharing ideas for this camp, back in July, we were so excited to think about how the “spy” theme would all come together.

Unfortunately due to Spencer being so unwell, I haven’t been able to get in to ZOE since the Boot Camp day and see for myself how everything was turning out.  Thankfully Dave is great at coming home and updating me on the day’s events and showing me lots of photos and video footage.

On the day of Boot Camp, I did manage to sneak a peek at the rooms that had been set up though- which I thought was just extraordinary.  There are three themed rooms for the different age groups (5-9, 10-12 and youth).  Each room was designed keeping with the “spy” theme but appealing to the various age groups.  

The younger kids have a really colorful room full of huge jigsaw pieces.  The room is ‘puzzling’ and clues need to be pieced together...

The 10-12 year old was designed like a secret agent/detective headquarters with maps of the world, wanted posters, board room style tables, purple lighting, computers and very “official” looking. 

And, the youth room has a forensic science type of feel with ‘evidence’ around, police tape covering the door and a chalk drawn body on the ground.

To go in and see how these ideas written on paper had been made in to a reality was just astounding.  I think that Dave and the team of people who just “made it happen” are truly amazing!

Another area that I love to help with is with the daily snack.  Once again, I couldn’t actually be there to see the kids, but because I chose the snack ideas, bought the ingredients for each day and sent in instructions on how to make each one; I get so much enjoyment out of hearing Dave tell me how much they loved making and eating their special treats.  

Knowing that I was missing out on the fun, David was kind enough to swap me for part of the day today and be home-dad so that I could go on the outing to the Chiang Mai Zoo and Snow Dome with the ZOE family.  

It was lots of fun taking photos of the kids getting all rugged up to enter the Snow Dome’s minus 6 degree weather and see their little noses all runny and red as they emerged with huge smiles on their faces, laughing at how cold it had been.  

These kids have never experienced anything like this before!!  It was so great to be a part of.

Thank you again to everyone who sponsored a child for camp.  You are helping to change lives!