I just got back from a four day camping trip with kids from Plan B, and it was the most fun I have had this whole time in the Czech Republic! There were about 21 of us including campers and leaders, and the whole trip was centered around a Vikings theme. (Sorry to all Minnesota football fans, but for the week we were actual Vikings, not famous sport players.) For four days we did training exercises for how to be Vikings, as if we were all to be role-casted in a new Vikings movie. We had sword fights, javelin throwing practice, shield battles, yelling challenges, formation groups, team building activities, agility training, and midnight bravery tests. The days were definitely filled with lots of fun activities!
(Vikings Formation)
(Sword fighting)
Throughout the week as activities were explained to the students, there were numerous times my limited knowledge of Czech language failed to provide enough of a translation to guide me through the activity. As the youth pastor would finish the instructions, all the kids would begin running (most of the time in opposide directions), and I would simply stand in the middle of camp looking confused and calling "
překládat prosím!" ("Translate, please!"). Thankfully, many of the kids know enough English to guide me in the right direction, and my three faithful Plan E translators along with the other leaders helped when they saw me standing cluelessly. It was just very funny that after five minutes of instructions for the kids, the translation the kids would give me would be something like "We run to forest. Be loud!"
(With some helpful translators)
(Vikings defending the camp)
This week also provided many new experiences for me. The kids taught me how to throw a knife, which sticks make the best javelins, and, of course, I learned more new Czech words! This was also my first time really camping. The kids thought it was funny the other times I have been camping it was either in my yard or in a camper - both within a couple feet from a real bathroom. My favorite new experience though was sleeping under the stars. For the last night at camp, seven of the leaders and helper leaders slept outside under the stars around the campfire. The stars were the brightest I had ever seen them before, and I saw many moving comets and even a shooting star! As I was laying in the grass watching the night sky, I wondered why I never sleep outside at home, and then I remembered... mosquitoes make sleeping outside in Minnesota nearly impossible. But in Czech, there aren't so many mosquitoes, and I actually never saw one at the camp the whole trip!
(Javelin throwing practice)
The really fun part was all the quality time I got to spend with the Plan B kids over the past couple days. One night at the campfire, I realized about six of the kids who came to Vikings Camp I had in my first Children's English Class three years ago! They have grown up so much in three years, and I am excited to see how God leads their paths in the future. As the kids were singing songs around the campfire, one of the students I had in my English Class three years ago began to sing a song I had taught them. I guess my former students had taught some of their friends the song and actions because many of the kids joined in with singing and dancing!
(Agility training)
Some of the best times were in the evening when everyone was around the campfire. The youth pastor shared some stories with the kids about how Vikings used to be a very mean group of people who had multiple gods and killed Christians for their faith. But then there was a change in the Vikings' ways, and they began to believe in one true God. Three leaders and I shared our life stories with the kids about how our lives were once like the Vikings, not focused on God, and how we came to know Christ and follow Him. I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to share my faith with all the kids, and I know God has big plans for each one of their lives also!
(Around the campfire)
