do you have children? why yes, i have sixty...

Its been an extrordinary week. The labours of three intensive months at last came to fruition as the day camp at the Rez bloomed like a rose in the desert. Though temperatures in Toronto were in the mid-to-high thirties (celcius) and the church is not airconditioned, the sixty beautiful children and twenty-odd adults that came out to play, walk more closely with Jesus, sing songs and do crafts had a truly wonderful time despite the crushing heat.

Each day began at 9am with a period of devotion as Pastor Duke led us through a reflection and exploration of the Lord's prayer. Then the two lovely teenagers joining us from Crosstalk Ministries in Montreal (the organization that sponsored the day camp program) would lead us through a brief meeting where duties were assigned and notes run from the night before. Jessica and April are lovely girls - startlingly mature for their ages - and clearly called to this very special, and completely enjoyable ministry.

By ten o'clock, as name tags, lunches, tee-shirts, and play groups got sorted by the heroic Marion Stephens and Trixie Hoyer (ladies, your Victoria Crosses are in the mail), the campers arrived and were engaged by our teens in a period of "aerobics", which from a distance appeared to be a series of seizures set to music. Ken Weibe, who operated our sound board, is the father of two of our more delighful campers: Big Weibe and Little Weibe. Ken has the extrodinary gift of keeping the soundboard volume hovering somewhere between "MOMMEEEEEEEE!!!!!! and a Rolling Stones concert.

Aerobics were followed by a delightful variety of songs and play-tunes accompanied by Rev. Duke "Eddie van Halen" Vipperman and Colleen "Joni Mitchell" Newell. The two Crosstalk teens and I had the great joy of leading the children in songs that involved much hand clapping, bottom wiggling, face pulling and head waggling. The Anglican children in the group had no trouble with this type of behaviour from people leading worship, but I could tell from the perlexed expressions on several other young faces that we had campers joining us from less liturgically oriented denominations.

Finally it came time to begin to settle the children and guide them in the theme of the daycamp, which was "Jesus: One of Us - the Nativity Story told through the book of Luke". Jessica and April had brought with them a wildly popular and eagerly anticipated puppet called "Lamb" through which KAELEN SIT DOWN!!! they began to teach the children about the story of Jesus' birth.

Once Lamb had come and gone, the teenagers led the children through fun and meaningful activities such as a slide show ELI IF YOU DON'T STOP PUNCHING HIM I AM GOING TO COME OVER THERE AND SEPARATE THE TWO OF YOU!! that related stories from Jesus life through images and prose. Then came more singing, more hand clapping and bottom wiggling, and a drama staged by our very own campers, directed by GIVE HIM HIS HAT BACK BIG WEIBE!!! our own tireless Anne Purvis.


the play


The drama was a highlight of the morning, and was staged by broom puppets, kids in costume and BRENDAN, DON'T PLAY WITH THE MICROPHONE!! two young people in our own community I have come to think of as "The Wonder Twins" - Sarah and Stephen Cunningham.


wonder sarah after a looooooooong day

Then came snack time. The snacks were nutritious, delicious and very thoughtfully provided by Carol, Wendy and Katherine's mother. The children broke off into their devotional groups and clustered about in a circle to enjoy crackers, cheese, fresh apples CALEB GET YOUR HANDS OUT OF THERE! NO I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU LOST, THERE'S FOOD IN THAT BOWL!!! and a variety of juices ranging from iced tea to a Rez invention: "Porange Juice", which is made by combining orange and NO WE DO NOT HAVE ROOTBEER YOU'LL DRINK WHAT WE'VE GOT peach drink crystals.

The children were wonderfully helpful about cleaning up IF I HAVE TO ASK YOU ONE MORE TIME TO PICK UP THAT PAPER TOWEL ALEX YOU'LL BE SORRY!! and then it was off to the various devotional groups to learn more about Jesus and His ministry. Anne (assisted brilliantly by Wonder Stephen) was extrordinary in taking our "Scramblers" - our grade one and two children - for the entire day, and teaching them to make cupcakes, kites and NO HONEY I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOUR SHORTS ARE. WE CAN LOOK FOR THEM LATER leading them in a variety of acivities to stimulate their minds, occupy their hands and fill their hearts with the joy of God.

Dan LeBlanc and Colleen Newell did an outstanding job shepherding our eldest kids through their "Pathfinder Group" devotions, helping them to develop a mature and introspective understanding of and relationship to Jesus. Dan even led them CHRIS QUIT PLAYING WITH THAT ITS NOT A TOY!!! in an arcane ritual involving a bottle, and egg and a lit match.

Sometimes, I have found, it is better not to ask too many questions.

April and "Wonder Sarah" took our grade five and six kids through their devotions, and I say in no uncertain terms that hearts were opened, minds were engaged and the wardens tell me that the structural damage to the church is not irreparable.

I was priviledged enough to be able to help Jessica with our "climbers" group downstairs in the parish hall. The climbers group was comprised of fifteen wonderful, delightful grade three and four children IF I DON'T SEE BACKSIDES ON THE FLOOR BY THE COUNT OF THREE I'M GONNA GET MEAN I'M NOT KIDDING LITTLE WEIBE!!! GRAHAM SIT DOWN!!! each one sweeter and more good natured than the next. KAELEN QUIT MAKING THAT NOISE WHILE I'M TALKING!! Jessica led us through bible stories and wonderful question and answer sessions ALEX I TOLD YOU TO QUIT PLAYING WITH THE BALL AND SIT DOWN !! where the children were empowered to reflect on the life of Jesus and to better understand how God really was like "one of us" in so many ways DON'T MAKE ME COME OVER THERE OR SO HELP ME I'LL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO CRY ABOUT!! and to better connect with Jesus and one another.

After our devotional groups came lunch. Lunch was a wonderful opportunity to connect with the children one-on-one, and I DON'T CARE IF IT TASTES LIKE GRASS THAT'S WHAT YOUR MOTHER SENT FOR LUNCH AND BY GOLLY YOU'LL EAT IT!! more importantly to see who had the best lunch. I am not sure what cruel and unusual spirit possesses a parent to send rice cakes, kelp and tofu sandwiches to camp with a small child; but it sure made me misty and nostalgic for the days when a baloney sandwich would get you two chocolate chip cookies, a gumball, and a scented eraser.

Our "Creative Connection" time was one of peace and bliss. Upstairs in the sanctuary, a group of youngsters BRENDAN GET OUT FROM UNDER THE PEW!! was learning a liturgical dance. Downstairs, they were making ornaments for the Jesse Tree, creating vestments (priest's robes) for Duke, and an altar cloth; and making candle holders with Colleen. This last activity was a particular joy to many kids as there were hot wax and glue guns involved. Children seem to have more fun doing arts and crafts when there is danger involved.

Once the detene was over, however, it was time for the "special event", a period of high energy WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING? YOU JUST WENT TO THE BATHROOM FIVE MINUTES AGO!! activity designed, as far as I was able to tell, to test the structural integrity of the staircases. Each day there was a new and fun game for the children to play WILLEM I WANT YOU OVER HERE JOING US BECAUSE YOU ARE STILL PART OF THIS GROUP YOUNG MAN!! that allowed us to fulfil our mandate of sending each child home exhausted, but by far the standout was water day on Wednesday. Water day involved...well... water. Lots of it. While we were all told to bring dry clothes, I discovered that I had quite underestimated the.... wetness that was involved. I had very cleverly remembered to pack a dry pair of trousers and a dry shirt, yet somehow managed to overlook the obvious requirement of dry underthings and shoes. I expect I had anticipated getting splashed a bit; I had no idea that 60 children, hyped on sugarry freezies and goaded on by visiting teens would be given full control of the Rez's external pluming. Duke, however, was a master of "Grace Under Pressure". Never in my life have I so much as conceived of the self-control required to maintain an air of quiet, ecclesiastic dignity as 30 children turned the hose on him.

Bravo, Duke.

For me, though, the higlight came on Friday afternoon before I left to go to work. Hauled up in front of the children and volunteers, I was geniunely shocked and touched when the children presented me with my first stole - my first ever vestment - hand decorated by my day campers, with the finishing touches added by Duke himself. Babbling inanely in an effort to excuse myself so I could dash into Monique's office to cry, I realized that I had just been given a gift that would have meaning, and bring me delight and joy for the rest of my life.


my first stole

KAELEN USE YOUR INDOOR VOICE I CAN HEAR YOU FROM DOWNSTAIRS!!

So to Duke, the Wonder Twins, Jessica and April, all of our tireless volunteers and enthusiastic campers I would like to say "thank you" for the most amazing week of my ministry, for the love, caring and support, for the great good humour and unflappable calm we shared, and the memories we will treaure always.

As for me? Well, I have decided to take a few days off next week to relax in a quiet, peaceful and relatively stress-free location.

I hear Beirut is lovely this time of year.....