Camp 2 - Day 10

Today the kids leave. It is by far one of the hardest days of camp. We had no scheduled events, yet just spent time with the kids. Our first group left after breakfast, and our last group left about 10 pm or so. Although most of the kids left before breakfast, Mama Luda's group left mid afternoon. Many people on this team have a very close connection with the kids in Mama Luda's group. To the point were one almost adopted a child, until the Ukrainian laws changed. Mama Luda would not allow us to cry, so this good bye was hard in numerous ways. As the kids left, we helped the counselors clean their wards.

In the evening, we got together for dessert with the counselors and volunteers that remained. At which time the counselors each shared 2 or 3 stories of the kids that we had been ministering to. They are heart wrenching to say the least. These stories are not easy to hear, but remind us of the importance of being here and the impact we have on these kids. There stories will be in the Hope Center news that comes out soon. If you don't already get this please let me know and I'll forward it on to you.

We then spend the rest of the evening with the remaining kids, many of whom we had just heard their stories. Until they left for the train station. We then got ready for a night swim. Here there are are little bugs in the water that when you touch them the glow bright green. Most are so small. When you swim and push the water around the water lights up like the night sky. If you catch them in a shirt it looks like glitter. Matt at one point swam towards us under water and we could see him from more than 20 feet away, because of the glow around him. The bigger ones look like little jelly fish, maybe that is what they are as they do zap you from time to time (nothing to really hurt anything, like running across shag carpet in the middle of winter and then touching something medal). I have been to the sea many times at night and seen this, but NEVER in the magnitude that I saw this night. In fact I think that if you add all the lights in the water from all my previous trips together, it might match this one night. It was absolutely beautiful!!! Once again God's creation is awe inspiring.