All is Well

Just got word from St. Lucia that "All is well". Fortunately, Maria did not bring anything more than a little rain as she headed further north and away from St. Lucia.

Also heard that all is well in our village with no exciting news to report. The children are back at school and will reluctantly be getting back into their routines. The other good news about the
return to school is the resumption of the government sponsored lunch programs which benefit many of our students.

Thank you for your continued support.

Blessings

Auntie Shel

Weather Update

Dear Friends;


While this year's hurricane season has been very active in the north,
the Leeward Islands including St. Lucia have not experienced any
direct hits. So far, there haven't even been any near misses!
However, any weather system in the area can cause heavy rains in St.
Lucia. There have already been several serious tropical storms.
I have copied this morning's weather update from St. Lucia at the
bottom of this email. As you will see, the concern once again is that
heavy rains will cause more landslides in areas that have continued to
be weakened since Hurricane Tomas. Just before we left the island in
the middle of August there was a major "slide" on the way to Soufriere
near La Haut. As we drove to the airport. they were still trying to
stabilize the hillside but each scoop of earth they removed seemed to
release more of the hillside.
Many of the smaller islands, like St. Lucia, continue to struggle to
restore the infrastructure damaged by Tomas and subsequent weather
systems. Potable water continues to be an ongoing problem throughout
the rural areas. The catchment systems in Canaries and our own
village of Anse La Verdure are still unreliable.
The irony is that the more rain that falls the less water will be
available in the "pipes". Some of the locals in our area now have
barrels out to catch the rain water that flows off their roofs but
this will not last long when it is the only water available for an
entire family to cook, wash, do laundry, and bathe.
Please pray that this storm will pass well north of our island and
will lose power out at sea. Pray too that the rain that falls will be
enough to fill the water barrels and the village water tanks without
bringing with it the debris that contaminates and plugs the system for
days after the storm has passed.
Pray also for the government as it struggles to find the resources to
make permanent improvements to the roads and water systems throughout
the island. They will need to continue to make wise choices with
limited resources for the benefit of all their citizens while ensuring
the safety of the tourists who provide the biggest boost to the
economy.
Thank you for your ongoing care and concern for the people of St.
Lucia. For those who are camp supporters, your letters should be in
the mail next week. I love having the chance to read them and to be
reminded that together we are making a difference in so many ways.


Blessings;


Auntie Shel

Last Words From St Lucia 2011

It was strange having everyone else wave goodbye to me today as I headed down to the airport. I am the only member of Team 4 that is flying Air Canada. I just spoke to TiTi and Sylvanus, our van driver, had managed to fit everyone in with all the luggage. They should arrive here in about 1 hour with lots of time to make their flight. I may even see them briefly before I have to board my flight.

Yesterday we completed the mysterious process of making Camp Sylvester disappear. Thanks to Auntie Chara and help from Meridith and Bethany, we now have a very accurate craft inventory. We are going to focus next year's crafts on using coffee filters, beads and skewers. These items could be combined for some very unique projects! Chara expects that next year's craft budget could be kept to zero with careful planning. She certainly knows how to make me smile.

Yesterday everyone except Michaela travelled to the rainforest and the hot baths at New Jerusalem. What a lovely way to relax and deal with the stiff muscles caused by all the packing. There was also a brief chance for the Team 4 members to do a "speed shop" in Soufriere.

Last night we went up to the village for our final "dinner up top", prepared by Leona. As always the food was delicious and more than we could possibly eat. Before dinner, we met with our campers to hand out their Blessing Bags which included rice, flour, sugar, lentils, beans, tuna, milk and sardines. While we realize that the food provided is not much, it does allow the parents to re-direct their limited resources to purchasing the books, uniforms etc needed for their children.

While in the village we got word that Marie had done very well in her CXC exams and should receive her acceptance letter to A level college shortly. This is so exciting! She has worked very hard and continues to stay very focused on continuing her education. She hopes to enter the medical profession in the future and we believe she can do it.

Not all the news this week was good. For several years we have struggled to accomodate 2 young men at camp. CJ has been with us from the beginning. As the years progressed CJ's developmental delays became more apparent and it became more difficult to facilitate his participation in our programs. Last year we tried including him in the older boys carpentry program but found it was very stressful for

the volunteers in charge. This year, with TiTi's support, we tried placing him in the kitchen to help out. Unfortunately, this also proved to be too challenging for both CJ and the kitchen staff. Reluctantly, we have decided that we will not be able to include him in camp next year.

The other boy, Iman, has been with us for several years. We have found it challenging to accommodate his Rastafarian ways and dietary restrictions. His attendance has always been a problem as well has his attitude. We felt we could not move him into junior leadership nor would he be able to participate in the carpentry program. Both require regular attendance, good co-operation, and strong listening

skills. On Friday however, the decision was made for us. Iman was discovered smoking marijuana on the property next door. This was an unexpected first. Iman was asked to leave camp immediately and I made it clear that this would be his last year. It is always difficult to admit that we are not able to help every camper and that some situations must be accepted but not condoned. I reminded Iman that he is a smart boy, but that he was making choices that we couldn't accept. I wished

him well and watched him walk up the driveway for the last time. I can only hope that he will be able to make his way in life.

As I drove back and forth to Castries each afternoon for the past week, I noticed how many young men are simply sitting by the side of the road, watching as life passes them by. Far too many still do not have even a basic education. Without this, they are forced to compete with hundreds of experienced labourers who are also struggling to find work.

There is certainly lots of work that needs to be done to repair the infrastructure of the island that was so badly damaged by Thomas. However, the government has very little tax base to use to fund all the projects that are incomplete or have yet to be started. As I drove to the airport today, I had to stop as rocks and dirt from the most recent landslide was being loaded into heavy trucks and hauled away. The roads crews never seem to be able to get ahead of the situation.

Please pray for the continued safety and health of the people of St. Lucia. In particular, remember the students, teachers, campers, women and seniors who join with us each year. May God bless and protect them.

Blessings to all;

Auntie Shel

Video Update

Our video update from the first 3 weeks of camp is now online for you to watch.
Enjoy!  Thanks for watching.

Hospital Updates

Dear friends;

Today Morgan will return to camp after 5 days in Tapion Hospital with dengue fever.  Michaela is into day 2 of her hospital stay and has already gone through gallons of saline solution.  She is much more comfortable after taking antihistamines for her rash.
We have also learned that Zoe has been diagnosed with a mild case of dengue fever back at home.
The score is dengue 3 SLLP 0.
There is no dengue fever in our area so we must have been exposed to it at Rodney Bay where the outbreak seems to be centred.  Fortunately all our campers are fine with everyone at camp today.
Morgan will be fine to fly home on Sunday and there is lots of time for Michaela to recover and fly home with the team.
Please pray for good health for the rest of the team, continued improvement for Morgan, Michaela and Zoe, and continued protection for our campers and the village as a whole.

Blessings

Auntie Shel

Field Trip 2011

Yesterday we were finally able to complete our field trip to the "Our Planet" interactive presentation in Castries.  The campers were divided into pairs for a buddy system and then 2 teams to facilitate our 2 transport vans and the 2 guides we would have at Our Planet.  Things did not start out well for the Green team in Gary's van as our youngest camper Camill was sick all over herself and her buddy.  After a stop at the side of the road to clean up a bit they were able to continue on and join us at Place Carenage.

Meanwhile the Blue team had arrived safely but one of the campers quickly developed other problems.  Poor Auntie Chara graciously assisted in cleaning up the child and the washroom and then lent the child the shorts she had in her bag.

After a rough start we were relieved to get everyone inside the centre and begin our tour.  The focus of the centre is to promote awareness of the need to conserve and protect our planet.  There were a number of video presentations, interactive displays and games that highlighted various environmental concerns and solutions.  Many of the junior leaders did a wonderful job assisting the younger campers to read the information and take part in the games.
 

Once our tour was finished we went to the Ice Cafe where we had arranged for a light lunch and treat for each camper before heading back down island.  Many of the older campers really enjoyed the entire experience and several declared it the best field trip ever!

Please continue to pray for the health of both the campers an the team as the damp conditions are creating some difficulties.  One of our new campers, Amanda, will not be returning to camp.  She has been experiencing a high fever which appears to be the result of a number of infected sores on her legs and feet.  Several other campers seem to be suffering from sinus irritations.

Blessings to all;

Auntie Shel

Very little sun, but lots of stars

Last week we ended our unit on the stars and we were able to complete all the activities despite the weather.  The campers seemed to enjoy the unit and learned a great deal about stars and our very own star, the sun.

Unfortunately, we have seen very little of the sun this week.  Tropical storm Emily entered our area with heavy rains and thunderstorms that began early Monday morning.  This caused us to reluctantly cancel our planned field trip to the Our Planet exhibit in Castries. 

The team spent the day cataloging the hundreds of books that arrived in the shipment.  Books were sorted for placement in the Infant and Primary schools as well as the Canaries library.  For the first time we will also be donating books to St. Mary’s Boy’s College as a number of National Geographic books seemed better suited for use as reference material at this school.  Morgan and Graham took on the games cupboard and prepared an up to date inventory of all our resources

Overnight the rains intensified.  At around 3 am one incredible downpour was likened to trying to sleep next to the subway!  Our galvanized roof is great for keeping out the rain but it does nothing to soften the sound of heavy rain.  Our rain gauge was already full before the storm so we have no idea how much rain fell.  However, our large hand washbasin was overflowing by mid-morning.  It is 7” deep.

Not only did we cancel camp again but the entire island was shut down by order of the Prime Minister.  A number of landslides were reported and both Castries and Soufriere experienced heavy flooding.  Since Monday was already a holiday, Emancipation Day, this meant that for the second week in a row there was a 4 day disruption in the supply of food, gas and other essential services. 

On Tuesday afternoon the weather had finally started to improve.  We cooked up a giant pot of soup using our Gleaners mix combined with 6 lbs of chicken and macaroni and made fresh bakes.  At 5pm we headed up to the village to be greeted by many of the children who had received word that we would be up.  Together we shared a meal with the village, delivered soup to our seniors and took part in a cricket match on the road.  Chara and Michaela brought up sidewalk chalk and paint.  Many of the younger children helped them to decorate the steps to the washhouse.

Once camp was able to resume on Wednesday, we were scrambling to get the food necessary for our hungry campers knowing that some would have had little to eat in the last 2 days.  There was nothing left on the shelves in the shops in our village or Canaries so I headed toward Castries.  Fortunately, I was able to get the ingredients for TiTi’s famous chow mien and tuna.  I also stocked up on the ingredients for macaroni with hotdogs for today’s lunch.  There was no chicken or any eggs in the stores on my route.  I tried the shops in Soufriere late yesterday with no luck.

As I write this, the rains have returned and at times the wind is blowing a mist into the courtyard and onto our covered porches.  We have been unable to resume swimming due to the large plume of debris that enters the sea from the rivers that run from the village above.  The heavy rains also means that there has been no water in the village for over a week now.  The washhouse has been closed the entire time which also means there are no bathroom facilities.  This causes concern for the health of the children and adults too.

Later the same day:  Camp ended today with the younger children proudly going home with the Home Depot donated helicopters that they built and painted.  The older boys and girls have stayed back.  The girls practiced the dance routine that Auntie Zoe taught them and now they are making bracelets with Auntie Blythe in the courtyard.  The older boys finished their second picnic table and treated and painted both today and are now enjoying tetherball and basketball with Uncle Graham.  Normally Uncle Morgan would be in the middle of all this but he has not been feeling well for several days now.  Somehow he is managing to sleep despite all the racket but we are anxious for him to rejoin all the fun.

Tomorrow we are finally going to take our field trip.  We are experimenting with a new junior leadership model that we hope will carry us into the future.  Each of the junior leaders was asked to list the 3 younger campers that they would like to partner with on the field trip and into next week.  Auntie Chara spent time explaining expectations to this group and I was pleasantly surprised by the choices made by both the boys and the girls.   Tomorrow we will use this buddy system as we divide the campers into 2 vans for the trip to Castries and 2 groups to tour the exhibits.

In other news, we were all touched yesterday when Aloysius came to me and asked for help to go to the Care program next year.  Many of you will remember Aloysius as a very troubled angry child who had a very hard time fitting in at camp and in the village as well.  He has struggled at school so it was wonderful to have him realize, on his own, that the Care program would give him the best chance to learn a trade and make a future for himself.  Many look down on this program however, we have seen what it can do for students who struggle academically.

Right now we are anxiously awaiting word from Joe about the job interview he went to in Castries.  Joe spent 3 years at Care and learned carpentry.  He had several very successful job placements at Bay Gardens resort.  This week he got a call to come in today.  We are so hopeful as he can serve as a role model for some of the other boys here at camp who find school so difficult.

All safe & sound

Dear friends -
All is well - the sun has returned (though our beach is missing) and camp resumed with our "Around the world" week from Mareika (and the occasional comment or dance move from Scott).
Damage has been limited; a few localized landslides and some flooding on the island, but no serious calamities.
We've rescheduled our field trip for Friday ... Only our 3rd reschedule this week.

Thanks to you all ...

Uncle Scott

Tropical Storm Emily

All are fine here but we are dealing with a tropical storm Emily. All
our tanks are overflowing and we still have electricity and a full
tank of cooking gas so we are fine.
The Prime Minister has just announced that the island is closed for
the day due to the unsafe driving conditions.
There have been several landslides already and more can be expected if
this rain continues.
We have been forced to cancel camp yesterday and today. We are
planning to make a big pot of soup and bakes to take up to the village
late this afternoon to share.
Please pray for an end to the rains and safety for all the people of
St. Lucia. After Hurricane Tomas, there is great anxiety whenever
there are heavy rains.

Blessings

Auntie Shel

Some Photos - Week Two

Some photos to give you a taste of week two of Camp Sylvester 2011.

Women's mentoring group show off their craft

Uncle Graham's work boys

Bonnie

Minute to Win It

Billy dealing with the unwanted guest in the kids' bathroom

Hockey night in Anse La Verdure

Morgan the Astronomer

The ever-popular "Drip drip drop"

More Rain

While we hear that Toronto continues to await some rain, we have more than enough.  It has been raining every night and for the past few days we have had more and more downpours.  On Monday night, while taking Sandra up after dinner, the van got stuck part way up our driveway.  The conditions were so slippery that it quickly became obvious that we would not be able to safely go up or down.

Scott, Graham and Morgan came to the rescue in the 4x4 jeep and we placed cement blocks behind each tire.  We had hoped to return the next morning to reassess the situation in daylight.  However, the rains continued during the night and off and on throughout the day.  Finally, we were able to arrange for the rental company to come down with another 4X4 to pull the van up the steepest part of the hill.  A tow truck would have charged $400.00 to pull us up the short hill.  We are so grateful to Solomon for coming down and helping us out.

Today we will head to Castries after camp to exchange the van for another 4x4 jeep.  As I write this all the children have had to stay under the roof in the courtyard all morning as we have struggled with the noise of the heavy rains and thunder that keeps passing through.  It appears that the decision to change vehicles is right for this time of year and that in future we will have to use only 4x4 vehicles despite the space restrictions.

This week at camp Auntie Chara and Auntie Michaela are leading us through a week on stars.  Using skits, books, crafts, games and lots of activities the children have been totally engaged in learning lots of facts about constellations, asteroids and our star, the sun.  They have arranged regular visits from Mr. Astronomer (Morgan) who reinforces the day’s facts and provides some strange ones of his own.

Today, while discussing the constellations, we had a visit from a lost traveler (Scott) who seemed to be channeling Johnny Depp.  Apparently, he was trying to reach Toronto but had lost him GPS overboard and had been relying on the stars to navigate.  The children helped him get his directions straight and wished him safe travels.

- Auntie Shel 

St Mary's College

I am currently sitting with Garvey on a bench outside the principle’s office at St. Mary’s Boys College.  This is the top school on the island.  We are meeting this morning to decide if Garvey will continue here, repeating Form 3 or if it is best to transfer him to another school for Form 4.

After long discussion amongst the team, with Garvey, and with his mother, we feel it will be best if he is allowed to remain at the college and repeat Form 3 in order to address the many gaps that have now appeared in virtually all the subject areas.

Last year Garvey was 3^rd in his class but this year he has really struggled.  It has become obvious that there are a number of factors, which need to be addressed.  These include more reliable transportation, better nutrition, and additional tutoring in several major subjects.  There will also need to be a major change in Garvey’s study habits and commitment to school work if he is to continue at this school.

Our appointment was set for 10:00 am.  At 10:50 the principle had still not arrived at the school.  It was 11:15 before a very nervous Garvey and I met with the principle.  This is just another one of the concerns island wide with education.  It is difficult to find good examples for the students to follow.

Once the principle finally arrived he focused on Garvey’s poor attendance record and failure to produce a letter from his mother, especially for missed tests and exams.  However, once I clarified that Garvey would need to write the letters himself and that he often came to school without food, the principle’s tone changed completely.  In the end, he agreed to allow Garvey to return to the school for Form 3, to allow us to establish a meal account in the cafeteria, provided the book list so that we can ensure that Garvey has all the materials necessary this year, and to assist with extra help if necessary.

Garvey was very relieved by the outcome but still doesn’t seem to fully understand that this may be his last chance.  During the meeting it became clear that Garvey’s results would make it difficult to secure him a spot in many of the local schools and that space might not be available for him at any school within a reasonable distance.  Throughout the next few weeks we will take every opportunity to impress upon Garvey how hard he must work this year if he wants to continue working towards his dreams for a higher education.

Back at camp, Blythe and Zoe are settling in well after arriving on Sunday.  The airport was chaotic as flight after flight arrived.  The immigration line spilled out of the arrivals areas and people had to wait in the hot sun.  For 2 hours I watched as hot, frustrated tourists arrived.  Finally Blythe and Zoe appeared dragging their luggage since all the porters had decided to take a break!

The late arriving West Jet flight is looking better with every airport pick up.  By the time the WJ flight arrives the airport is quiet again and all the passengers come through quickly and easily.

Herb and Chris left yesterday after a great week of sports and our 8^th annual Olympics.  The campers had a great time and we are finding that this year’s crop of junior leaders is doing a fantastic job.


- Auntie Shel 

Camp Sylvester Week 1 - Some Photos

Here's a few photos of our first week of camp - as taken by Scott and Mareika.

Pre-Camp Update & Beginning of Camp Sylvester 2011

We are having internet problems this week so I am sending this out
quickly while in Castries.
Teaching week ending with a fantastic celebration of the
accomplishments of the Grade 6 students who, once again, placed 1st
in the district along with the Grade 2 class at the Infant School.
The top student in the district was also from Canaries Primary School
which is an amazing accomplishment.
Herb and I really enjoyed working with this group of Grade 6 students
and it was obvious that they would be successful. Thanks to Auntie
Kate for letting us take a turn running this program. Hopefully, next
year, we will be able to continue with the new group of Grade 6
students and run another special program with the Grade 5s.

Val left on Saturday after reorganizing and cataloging the books in
the Infant School library that survived Hurricane Tomas. As I write
this however, we are still trying to track down our shipment. There
were obviously delays at sea but due to Carnival, there has been
nothing happening in the government offices for almost a week. I was
able to confirm that the container was "unstuffed" today and we are
trying to expedite the paperwork for customs clearance. Realistically
this might mean that we will be able to begin unpacking the goods by
Monday.

Scott, Morgan, Mareika and Graham all arrived safely on Sunday and our
4 Sports week has gone very well. Chris has added a fitness session
with the older campers after swimming using his coaching talents.
There were some stiff bodies this morning but everyone seemed eager to
continue.

Early yesterday morning we got word that 84 year old Marcella had died
suddenly. Marcella was diabetic and bed ridden for the past several
years. She was being cared for by a daughter who received one of our
monthly blessing bags to help her. Marcella is the grandmother and
great grandmother of several of our campers so we expect to attend her
funeral once the family has made arrangements.

Please pray for peace for her family and safe travel for those who
will come from abroad. Also pray for a co-perative spirit among the
children at camp. We have added several new children and we are
sensing some jealousy right now.

Blessings;

Auntie Shel

First Few Days

Everyone arrived safely on 2 different flights along with a very largepile of luggage.  Chara and Michaela have set a new record for baggage
weight, 92.5 lbs full of craft supplies.  Thanks to Tina and West Jet
for helping to expedite 5 bags that were close to the record.  Herb,
Chris, Val and I managed to bring down 9 bags that each hovered just
over 50 lbs via Air Canada.

By 8 pm Sunday night we had managed to unload all the luggage, have a
delicious light meal prepared by Sandra and Joanna and begin to
prepare resources  our week in the schools.

There have been a number of changes already due to government
workshops and problems with the computer lab but, as usual, the team
has pulled together and made the best of it.  Val has been doing an
inventory in the new library while she awaits the arrival of our
shipment, Chara and Michaela have been working with the Kindergarten
and Grade One students, and Chris has been trying to get the computer
lab functioning well enough to introduce both students and teachers to
some exciting Math resources.  He finally succeeded this morning and
an excited group of Grade 5 students began to see what was there to
help them.  Meanwhile, Herb and I are doing the graduation week
activities with the 24  Grade 6 students.

I have attached a few pictures to help you see what is happening.

Blessings to all

Auntie Shel

Camp Sylvester Kids sing "Wavin' Flag"

Here's the video we showed at our recent fundraising concert (which was an amazing success - if you missed it, get tickets early for next year!)

This is our Camp Sylvester kids singing K'Naan's anthem "Wavin' Flag, which they learned and kept singing this summer. Enjoy - thanks for watching.

Sugar & Spice - SLLP Annual Concert 2011

Book this on your calendars now - this is a night you do not want to miss.
Past years have been sold out - contact Michelle today to get your tickets to ...

Click on the picture for the full-sized PDF of our Concert Poster.
Word-class singers ... the perfect way to support a great cause, and get an amazing concert in return!