While we were short staffed, everyone came committed to giving their all. It is fair to say that we all surprised ourselves with what we were able to accomplish with such small teams.
Our secret weapon however, was the amazing Junior Leaders and of course Sandra and JoAnna! Our Lucian team amazed us week after week. By week 2, the older boys were arriving early, helping set up for breakfast and flipping the pancakes on Friday. By the last week they were making the pancakes from scratch!
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| Chefs Philip & Leo at Work |
We were also grateful to welcome Ms. Paul back to camp as a volunteer. She missed most of last year with other commitments but we were thrilled to have her help. The laughter from the kitchen told us how happy Sandra and Joanna were too!
We were also joined ,for 2 days, by Elphege Brown, a local high school teacher. Her extra hands came just in time for our “kit” day. Each of the younger children chose a wooden kit to make a birdhouse, bug trap or book ends. There was hammering, gluing and painting going on for 2 hours but in the end everyone proudly took home their project. Thanks Home Depot!
Another advantage we had this year was amazing weather. We did not lose any days to rain and the temperature was bearable. Even the bugs seemed to be calmer this year making it easier to work in the evenings and to sleep at night.
Uncle Graham had the boys choose their own carpentry projects this year. We were concerned by how ambitious they were but on the last day we loaded tables, dressers and shelving units into the van to deliver up the hill. It was obvious how proud they were to show off their finished products.
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| Uncle Graham and Garvey discuss his dresser. Rick’s dresser is in the background. |
The last week of camp is always the busiest as we hand out the gift bags to each camper. These bags have been prepared for each child by a special Canadian friend. The children are always so excited to see what is inside but they also cherish notes and pictures that are inside.
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| Garvey, Stephan, Emissa, Makaela, and Natalie look inside their bags. |
While Graham and I delivered the carpentry projects to the village, the rest of the team packed up the Blessing Bags for the campers. These bags full of rice, beans, lentils, tuna, flour, sugar, pasta, chow mein, sardines and peanut butter were distributed to the campers and delivered to our seniors.
For many of our volunteers this is an extra special time as they help the campers carry the bags home to share with their family. It is a chance to learn more about the children and the culture they come from.
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| Below you can see our youngest camper Shane as he proudly struggles to carry his first Blessing Bag |
The end of camp also signals the announcement of the top Junior Leader for the year. It was especially difficult this year as the whole group had worked so hard and so well as a team. We felt they had all done the best they could. It was obvious however, that Philip was the leader of the whole group followed closely by Rick and Leo. As the top Junior Leader, Philip has been offered a job as Junior Staff next year.
This year’s reward was a tour of Ti Kaye Resort by the General Manager. Sarah showed us the top rooms, the kitchen, the wine cellar, the renovated restaurant and the new rum bar. At the same time, she highlighted the qualities they look for in their employees and their strong commitment to team work.
After meeting several of the department heads we all headed down to the beach bar for a delicious lunch and a talk with the chef, our own Andy Leonty from Anse La Verdure. The whole day was a perfect way to reward the JLs while giving them a chance to learn more about what employers want from them. Unfortunately, the sea was too rough for our planned snorkeling but everyone enjoyed a swim to end the day.
When asked what job they would like, we had several general managers, a chef, a bar manager, and a pool guy. The funniest answer was from Leo. He hesitate, then smiled and said :“ I want to be a guest!” I think he got the message that Ti Kaye is about service.
Packing away camp is always a major job at the end of a very tiring month. This year was so much easier thanks to Auntie Marissa and Auntie Lisa who took over the space during week 3 and organized it all in advance. This turned out to be an extra blessing on the last day!
At 7:30 am on Sunday I got a call from Sandra saying she would be late arriving for work as she was at the hospital! There had been an accident the night before and her oldest son was waiting to see if he needed stitches.
Sandra arrived down about about 10 am to fill us in on the details. Her 2 sons, 3 grandsons, and several of our other campers were riding in a pick up truck that went out of control and over an embankment after a cricket match in Castries. Fortunately, the injuries were minor considering the severity of the crash. Lots of scraps, bruises and cuts but nothing serious.
We were able to complete the rest of our close up routines and some of Sandra’s as we waited for Sylvanus to arrive to transport our luggage. Our trip to the airport and home was uneventful – another blessing.
As a team of volunteers, we began every morning “counting our blessings”. Each of us shared something we were grateful for from the previous day. As the weeks progressed it was clear that such a positive start helped us to deal with all the little problems each day. We felt it was also helping us to create a more positive atmosphere at camp.
Reflecting back on this year and the past 10 is full of overwhelming blessings. It is also full of over 50 committed volunteers, almost 100 enthusiastic campers, the laughter of the women’s group, the shy smiles and hugs from the seniors, the shouts of hundreds of school children, and sharing with over 50 teachers, and hundreds of supporters just like you!
There have been lots of successes and some failures too. We have had the privilege of celebrating joyous and sad events. There have been challenges met and those yet to be attempted. It all comes down to one thing really. The relationships we have been able to establish and continue in this special part of the world. The reward is in seeing a child succeed, and knowing you had a small part in making it happen.
Thank you for 10 amazing years! With your help a dream has become a reality in a tiny village on the island of St. Lucia.
Blessings
Auntie Shel
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