There are so many details from camp that we haven't had a chance to talk about yet, so now we are going to try to fill in the gaps with a series of posts. First I'll go over the structure of camp and how we ran the program most of the time.
We took kids from 5 different orphanages around the Bucharest area - Peris, Risiori de Vede (3 from there), and Voluntar. The kids would arrive on Monday morning or afternoon, always at a differnent time and never right when we expected them. When the kids got to camp after a 2-3 hour drive we would take them to registration tables to get them set up in their teams. We split the kids into 4 teams: portocaliu (orange), galbin (yellow), verde (green), and albastru (blue). The teams were mixed between orphanages and each had at least two translators in addition to us volunteers.
Then we gave each kid a toiletry kit with toothpaste, deodorant, soap, etc. Then they got a camp shirt and a brand new pair of shoes, which they were really exited about. A side note: most of those supplies we gave them were donated from our church for the container we sent to Romania last year. We then gave the kids their cabin assignments. They were in cabins with kids from their own orphanages so they would feel more comfortable sleeping. At least one volunteer had to sleep in the cabins with the kids so we got our assignments at that time too.
After all this we would take a hike up the mountain which the kids really loved. We would play games and hang out at the top until the kids got board, then we'd go back down. After that we would have free time until dinner where kids could work on crafts or jump on the trampoline. After dinner we would play a large group game like capture the flag or ultimate Frisbee. The last thing of the night would be the campfire where we would sing songs, have skits, and pull fun pranks on kids.
The rest of the week we would start off with a VBS skit after breakfast and maybe some singing. Then we would go into rotations that supported the lesson, such as games, crafts, memory verse, and story discussion. Then we would have lunch and after that the kids had to go to their cabins for quiet time, which was required by the Romanian government. We would also go to cabins even if we weren't sleeping there in order to get to know the kids better. After that we had structured free time where we would hike, go swimming, do crafts, jump on the trampoline, play cards, or go to the store in the village. Before dinner we would usually get back together to play a group game and then we'd do a game again after dinner. Then we'd have campfire and bedtime right after.
When Saturday came it was usually a sad time because the kids had to leave. Their buses usually weren't on time so we had lots of long goodbyes, with a bit of crying and lots of hugs and kisses. When the kids were gone we would clean up the camp and get it ready for the next group to come. We'd have some free time to relax, do laundry, go hiking or swimming, go horseback riding, etc. We would usually go into Curte de Arges and eat at McDonald's so we could give our cooks a break, and then we could go to the Internet cafe.
So that's generally what each week looked like. Each week had its differences so I will soon be writing more about each one, with more pictures.
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