El Rancho & Junior Camp

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January, 2009

Friday, 2nd
I left Clive & Lize’s at 7am, not realizing it’s a public holiday and the busses only run from 08:30. I phoned a taxi and was at the train station in a flash! Public transport rocks!

I took the train, and various other modes of transportation including my feet to El Ranch (Waikanae Christian Holiday Park). I checked into my flat, aptly named The Ritz, unpacked and set about exploring the grounds with a map. I walked around for about 2 hours, including the 20min walk to Waikanae beach. The grounds are huge and it’s really beautiful here.

I stood and watched as Sam and Burnie took some kids from the motor camp Go karting. I observed how they interacted with the kids and their parents, quite interesting. After the session I had a go in one of the karts, I was spinning and sliding all over the place, I felt like a kid again, it was AWESOME!


Saturday, 3rd
We met in Clint's office at 08:00. Clint is my boss for the time that I am here. I also met my fellow Internationals, Emily, from Minnesota, USA and Nikki, from Oregon, USA. I also met Aimee; she's a host/instructor here and would show as our duties and train us on assisting with activities.

Clint took us through radio, flood and emergency protocols and explained what will be expected of us in the time that we are here. After the meeting we started the cleaning rounds and as I was cleaning my first public toilet, I realized how much I have changed! If you told me I would be doing this a year ago, I would have laughed!

After morning tea, strange concept to me, we had an introduction to archery. The do's and don’ts, how to interact with the kids etc. I'm no Robin Hood with a bow and arrow, my aim sucks!

After lunch, I assisted Aimee at the bottom end of the Flying Fox (Foofieslide). I helped catching and unhooking the kids from the T-bar. At afternoon tea, Nikki wrote my name on the dinner board and it came out as Chad. We cracked up with laughter, guess you had to be there, and thus I will be known as The Chad!

After work I was invited to a girl’s night, we drove into town for chips & ice cream. We watched a movie and pigged out on chips, chocolate and ice cream. It was great!

Sunday, 4th
After the usual morning cleanup, Clint instructed us on air rifles, at the range. We shot some targets and moved on to Rock Climbing. Aimee taught us how to strap up the harnesses, attach the ropes, how to instruct the kids and how to belay them. I had my first climbing experience and enjoyed it a lot!

At lunch, Bryce and Amy asked me and Emily to be Leaders at the upcoming Junior Camp. They told us that they are short on leaders and would appreciate it if we could help out. I was a bit scared to do it at first because I’ve never done anything like this before, but God told me that this is what I’m here for, to serve and get some experience working with kids, so I agreed to do it.

After lunch we headed to the pool with some kayaks. Aimee taught the girls how to get out of the kayak if it tips over. As Emily was launched into the pool, she tipped over, and after the rescue we all cracked up laughing. I rowed around in the pool on one of the open kayaks, as I was a little too big to fit in the one the girls were using.

Rodney invited me and Emily up to their house for a braai after work. We met his wife Cathy, and their sons Luke, Ethan, Ben and Joel. We had an awesome dinner, lamb, boerie, potato wedges salads etc. Rodney and Cathy are awesome people, they really made us feel welcome and at home and we had a great evening.

Monday, 5th
I got the day off, as Junior Camp starts tomorrow. Aimee took me and Emily on an inner tube ride down Waikanae river. The river was running a bit low and we ended up doing a lot of walking over the shallow parts. My butt took a pounding on the rocks, I’m sure it will be blue tomorrow! The scenery down the river was beautiful and I was reminded of the kayaking video that inspired me to come here in the first place. 4 and a half hours later we reached camp, bruised butts, sunburned and dead tired. It was an amazing ride, wish I had an underwater casing for my camera! I also destroyed my pair of $20 shoes from The Warehouse; apparently they aren’t made for aquatic adventures!

Tuesday, 6th
The Leaders for Junior Camp arrived at 11:00, me and Emily hung out with Bryce and Amy. We went up to the Outdoor Chapel for some peace and quiet before the kids arrived. The kids, here after referred to as “campers”, started arriving from 18:00. Adam and I were given Poplar 1 and Pete, Poplar 3. We all bunked together in the Elm Dining hall, 3 adults and 19 highly energetic boys, ranging from 8-11 years old.
Poplar 1: Dushyant, Joseph, Bodie, Angus, Adam, Ruben, Christopher, Corey, Warwick, Lipoi and Luke.
Poplar 3: Samuel, Thomas, David, Mathew, Daniel, Dre, Kyle and Chris.

After our first Worship, supper, and bedtime story, it was time to put everyone to bed. That, my friend, is no easy task. After a lot of raised voices, consoling some homesick ones, and some more raised voices we finally had everyone a sleep… 2 hours later!

Adam is 27 and has done numerous camps and children’s ministries, and I just thank God that I was paired with him as a leader. He is so good with the kids and I’m learning so much from him.

Wednesday, 7th
We did three activities today, Horse Riding (we lead the campers around a circuit), Team Initiatives (our boys did a lot of running because they would not listen or cooperate) and then finally the Waterslide. Everyone enjoyed this a lot, me especially and with my momentum almost went over the far side of the slide!

I enjoy interacting with the boys and find it quite easy to talk to them and relate to them. We had a great day, but I’m not going to lie, this is tough! A lot of the kids are naughty, rude, have no discipline. They test your resolve and watch you so closely and pick up on the things you do and say very quickly. It’s not an easy job, but I am definitely enjoying it!

Thursday, 8th
At this mornings worship, I participated in a challenge with two other leaders. We had to eat a spoon of Marmite, a piece of dry Weet-Bix and drink half a glass of Cola. It was absolutely disgusting, but I won the challenge and scored some points for our team, and gained some street cred with my cabin. We had a busy day, we did the Flying Fox, the boys went to the pool while us leaders could relax at Cathy & Rodney’s house for an hour, it was marvelous to spend an hour with grown ups!

After the break we get back to the madness, and archery. The girls in our activity group enjoyed it more than the boys, which I found quite weird.

We had another worship session before the evening’s Barn Dance, and afterwards three of my boys, Corey, Warwick, Adam and Manson, from another cabin, stayed behind to give their hearts to Jesus. It was the first time I lead someone in prayer to accept Jesus as their Savior, It was amazing! I get tears in my eyes just thinking about it! At that moment I understood why God had brought me to El Rancho.

The Barn Dance was awesome, Nikki and Aimee was on the stage in their cowboy getups, teaching the steps to the campers. We danced our little hearts out! It was the most structured chaos I have seen!

The night ended in a pillow fight as per usual and we got them to sleep in an hour, it gets easier and easier every night.

Friday, 9th
Today was awesome; I’m starting to get the hang of it and the boys are starting to respect me. I believe this morning’s breakfast helped, I was cheered into skulling (downing) a jug of leftover milk mixed with water. The whole hall was chanting my name, I couldn’t wuss out, I had to do it!

We did Air Rifles and Go Karts. On the track I was driving my heart out, and let Joseph (one of my most difficult boys) win, he really enjoyed that.

At some point during the afternoon, another one of my boys, Ruben came up to me out of the blue and said he wants to give his heart to Jesus. I lead him through the prayer and sat with him as he read the booklet. El Rancho provided bibles for them which they were very exited about and I think it’s incredible that 4 out of 11 boys in our cabin gave their hearts to God!

Saturday, 10th
After the big pack up and cleanup, the camper’s parents started arriving. I was almost sad to say good bye to them, this has been such a milestone in my life and I have learned so much, about myself, God and ministry. I learned that I have a talent to work with kids, and I enjoy it. I feel that this is the closest I have ever been to my calling and my purpose. It might not be this exactly, but it’s close.

The staff here at El Rancho was impressed with how I handled myself and the kids, Nikki even commented that I reminded her of the leaders they used to have at summer camp in the US when she was a kid. I later found out that if Emily and I didn’t help out they would have had to call some of the kids and tell them that they couldn’t come to camp due to lack of leaders. I believe, for me and for them, that God put us here for that specific reason.

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