The team from the Saskatoon Christian school left this week. The grade 11 class comes down for a week over the Easter break each year. It’s a highlight of my year for sure…and not just because they bring me good stuff from home (not that I’m complaining about that either…). They’re just a great group of kids (and leaders) and it’s fun having people here from home. People who actually know what a “bunnyhug” is. No lie, I heard one of the guys ask for his bunnyhug and I nearly cried. It was a happy moment…

This years group had a couple of…challenges shall we say, to overcome. The camp where the teams normally stay was booked, so they stayed at another camp up the road. It was pretty…but maybe a bit small for a dozen people. Okay…a lot small. But the group didn’t complain even once about being jammed into a space that would have slept six people comfortably. Well…they didn’t complain to me anyhow… =) I did hear a few “comments” when the girl’s shower turned into something out of a 1970’s horror movie about ants taking over the world. But contrary to the wisdom of the 1970’s, a good can of bug spray does the trick. Oh…and I guess there was some kind of mutant spider the size of a hand in the shower too. But we didn’t lose anyone, so it’s all good.

It’s interesting…each year the groups are a little different and they end up interacting with the guys a little differently. But every year, the guys love this team. It’s fun for me to watch the group the first day, when they’re nervous and unsure of themselves…and then on the last day when they’re laughing and joking and having such a great time with the guys.

This year’s work projects were digging a new garbage pit and working with some of the guys on the new pig barn. The guys who worked with the team had good things to say about them. One of the guys, Jose, who worked with two of the Saskatoon boys in the pig barn, told me that it was the first time he ever felt like he had close friends. One of the other guys, who was digging in the pit with the team, told me that he felt like he was a part of a family. That gets me every time I think about it. I love that these guys had that kind of experience with the group. They don’t get that a lot, that feeling of being a part of something bigger than themselves, so it’s encouraging to me when they get the opportunity.

My favorite moment came when the team had Easter Sunday lunch at the new place in the city with my guys. The guys made lunch for them, and then later we had a worship/prayer time together. That was all great, but the best part was the Easter Egg Hunt. =) My family has a tradition of doing the egg hunt thing every year (at least when I’m around, anyhow). One year we counted how many eggs we hid and it was running close to 300. Mom usually finds the last of them when she’s putting up Christmas decorations the next December. A couple of the leaders of the Christian School team had the same tradition, so at the last minute we decided to have an egg hunt with the kids from the home and the team. We had a ton of candy and chocolate eggs that came down with the team, so we made everyone go and stand out on the street, while the leaders hid everything.

My guys were all trying to be cool and act like it wasn’t a big deal…at least until we opened the gate. Then they went crazy. It was probably the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time. My friend Corina explained to the team how street people have missed out on having a childhood, and how sometimes they do funny, childlike things because they never had the opportunity before. My guys have had lots of good experiences in their lives, but there are still things they missed. They definitely had to grow up too fast in some areas. Well…they made up for some of that on Sunday. =) We have some video, so at some point I’ll post that so you can see for yourself. It was entertaining. It was also a great chance for the two groups to mix and have fun together. And as a side note, I found three more eggs over the past couple of days that they all missed. I feel that my hiding skills have been vindicated.

The team also brought us six refurbished laptops which was an amazing gift as well. The dad of one of the girl’s was able to get them through his work. That’s been a great blessing. The guys are studying computers right now, so the laptops have been a real help. They’ll be even more so as the guys continue in their studies. The only complication has been explaining to the guys understand that they don’t all get one for their own. =)

And then, all too quickly, it was time for the team to head back Canada. We really did have too many good experiences to write down here. The trips back and forth to the camp each day in my truck…visiting ex-street families and making empanadas with them…working and hanging out with the guys…shopping for fruit and vegetables in the market…the best ever game of (whatever the name was…I have no idea. But it involved a lot of running and chasing and tagging and the Canadians kicked butt)…both the Bolivians and Canadians sharing their testimonies around the campfire…the last night sitting by the pool and talking and sharing about the week…

For those of you reading this, I miss you guys and I’m looking forward to hanging out this summer when I’m home. The guys ask me all the time about how you’re doing and I make things up and tell them that it’s all good when I really have no idea. But I’m assuming it’s all good. It wouldn’t kill you to write me you know. And they all want to know when you’re coming back to visit. I’m pretty sure they like you better than they like me. =)

Thanks guys! For a great week and for all the fun and good times. Have a great last few months of school and (it needs to be said)…enjoy the snow. It’s 34 C today… (That’s +34 in case you wondered. Here in the land of sunshine we don’t really need to add the + sign. There’s no confusing what direction you’re talking about…).

Blessings!

Ken

PS Oh yea…I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my favourite ex-youth pastor moment. The last night we stayed in a nice little hotel downtown. My room was on the third floor overlooking the pool area. I had a balcony. Lindsay (one of my youth from Avalon days) and Josh (another of my youth from back in the day) were suntanning directly below my room. Come on…does it get any better? It hardly needs to be said, but as a youth pastor I had a responsibility to fulfill. A nice glass of cold water did the trick and it felt like old times…