It's been a while, but I'm back at this blogging.
It's interesting to see how people respond differently to the things that they encounter. At three consecutive camps it rained quite a bit, or at least by my desert standards, and caused minor inconveniences in terms of schedule adjustment and dampness. Even as campers were cooped up inside due to cancelled activities I enjoyed watching them build connections with each other and solidifying their ties as a group. This was especially true in the West Virginia camp that was held a Bethany College - if you haven't heard of it I suggest that you look it up, because that place is amazing (shameless plug). As I am currently at the end of my time as a peace intern I can say that it was the smallest camp that I attended; however, it was the most closely knit and open group of people that I encountered this summer. I have seen many group covenants saying that being vulnerable is accepted and that the group is there for support, but the campers actually lived out that statement before my eyes so many times and in so many ways. It was inspiring. More than that I feel that the concern held many on the decreasing youth attendance may be detracting from what can be done with the youth that are present. It felt as though this small West Virginian camp had some of the deepest conversations about life and managed to leave a larger footprint than some of the large camps I encountered.
I feel that I might have drifted a little bit just then. Eh, I think its fine. Moving right along. I really noticed the power of friendship while I was a Dunkirk, or rather how awkward it feels to be on the outside on the first day (**Disclaimer: this happens everywhere**). Don't get me wrong. I love that camp and really want to get back, and the same is true wherever I went, but its rough being the new kid on the block. If not for one person reaching out by giving up a seat with their friends to come and sit at my table, then I don't know if the week would have been the same. I actually observed this throughout the week from various people as the people who were at the fringes would be drawn into a group and included as though they had been there forever. The rain that drove us to the same area during free time assisted with this; however, it was initiated entirely by the campers without prompting so that was fun to watch.
More words and things. If anyone is on the fence about being a peace intern just take the dive. The only drawback is getting tired, but that's only really at the end. Plus there is plenty of time to sleep on planes so it balances out. More than that it makes a difference in real time.