ICM Kids Camp was amazing. I echo Tess’ sentiments from her blog – it was one of the best vacations ever. The kids bonded with the impoverished children and vice versa. By the end of the week we were all friends, sad to say good-bye. During the week I had a chance to talk to Sebastian, Jasper, Sela and Carys about the material things they have in Hong Kong compared to a child attending an ICM Pre-School Plus Program. Being sponsors of a pre-school and after visiting at least four schools during three ICM trips, our kids are well aware of the program: a child attends school for a school year while their mother accompanies them. Each receives a morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack. While the children attend classes the mothers learn modules of other ICM programs such as hygiene or skills that could support their livelihood. Our kids are aware that many if not all of these kids often don't know if they will get dinner each night when they leave school. (Left: the kids pose with ICM pre-schoolers; Sela and other kids pass out new drawing books to the pre-schoolers.)
One afternoon the kids and I talked about how many Nintendo DS’s , or Baby Alive’s, would put a child through school. I explained to them, “The cost of four Baby Alive’s plus a bunch of their nappies, juices and food packets pays for one child and his or her mother to attend an ICM pre-school for one year. The cost of one Nintendo DS pays for one child and his or her mother to attend an ICM pre-school for one year.” (Left: JJ and Seb participate in enacting a skit about Jesus calming a storm; Sela next to her and Carys' new friend Dhelia during an Arts & Crafts session.)
All of their eyes widened to the size of saucers. I continued, “So what do you think one of those children would choose… a guaranteed two snacks plus lunch each day for them and their mother while going to school, or playing with a Baby Alive or DS for a few hours a day until the battery needed re-charging?” They all unanimously agreed a child would choose food and school. By the end of the week, had I asked, I am sure they would have willingly surrendered these toys in support of ICM programs. (Left: The Black Bananas Team monkey around with some beautiful Filipino flowers; saying good-bye at the end of one of the days.)
The kids (and me too for that matter!) learned lots of new songs including “Awesome God” of which there are many renditions floating around on You Tube. (Jasper calls the song “Our God is an Awesome Guy!) The sound of 125 children singing that song by themselves is truly a tearjerker. Stay tuned for that video! I loaded a Hillsong version “Awesome God” onto my Ipod and Blackberry to play in the car. Today on the way to the ABC the triplets sang at the top of their lungs. Tess and Sebastian joined us later after a short hike. (Left: Sebastian's friend, JR, and JR's cousin Maricel, who came up from Bacolod for Kid's Camp; Sebastian and Jasper riding in a tuk tuk with JR and Maricel.)
The Kid’s Camp theme came from Galatians 5:22-23… “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Each fruit of the spirit came with a gesture… two fingers patting the top of a hand meant “patience,” for example, while wrists crossed meant “self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23 and accompanying gestures have been used plenty of times in our household since Kids Camp and while at times it seems like an uphill battle – they’ve had a huge positive effect on the kids.
Today, for example, we spent the afternoon at the ABC. The girls had two swims in the pool while the boys only had one. Therefore, after dinner when Seb and JJ asked if they could swim with some friends I agreed they could have a quick swim. It was dark but the pool is lit at night with a safety guard still on duty. The boys splashed into the water and a short while later were given a five minute then two minute warning. Then, Tess and I asked the boys to get out of the water. At the time they were in one of the small kids pools creating a whirlpool effect as the gang of 6 – 8 kids rushed around the same direction. There was plenty of fun to suck them into disobeying. Without hesitation Sebastian went to the side of the pool and hopped out. Tess and I both remarked, “Wow, Sebastian that is amazing self control!” Jasper was a few seconds behind Seb. Being lighter of course the whirlpool carried him a little further but sure enough he crawled out of the pool on first call. Jasper was also met with praise as we went into the Men’s Changing Room. They both thanked me for letting them swim.
Dry and changed, I rounded up our gear. The boys by this point were watching “The Whirlpool Show” but when I called to them they came with me to the car. The two of them hopped into the back and put on their seatbelts without prompting. “Wow,” I thought, “these boys are under a trance of self-control.” The two of them joked and laughed in the back of the car but remained buckled in. I waited outside the car. Chad called from across the parking lot, “Who will win, Charles, will your wife and daughters emerge first or will my wife and girls win?” I laughed. Andrea appeared and I smiled. “I win,” Chad confirmed. “Well done, Chad,” I think I replied.
Just then Jasper called out from inside the car “Daddy, can you please play Awesome God?”
“Sure, Jasper,” I said, hopping into the driver’s seat. I plugged my Blackberry into the stereo, inserted the key into the ignition to turn on the radio and habitually pressed down on the brake with my right foot. At that exact moment another car plowed into the back of ours.
I immediately expected crying from the back of the car but there was silence. “Are you both okay?” I asked.
“Yes,” they both replied.
“Were you both still buckled in?”
“Yes,” they both replied.
That moment, and recalling that moment in the last few hours, has been rather overwhelming. The situation could have turned out completely different. Based on past experience the kids would have unbuckled themselves and been playing inside the car while we waited for others to join us. The side door was still open and they could have fallen out, or done a face plant against a window as the car lurched from the mild impact. They could have been playing around the outside of the car. But they didn't… they exercised self-control and remained in their seats. “Thank God for Kids Camp,” I thought.
What happened? A family getting into their car on the other side of the parking lot managed to inadvertently release their parking brake. The car rolled forward, gathered some momentum then hit ours. The damage will require the rear fender, rear side panel and rear door to be repaired – unfortunate for the other chap, who admitted full responsibility, because the rear door will be very expensive.
After exchanging contact details and taking a few pictures, we were on our way. There have been lots of times in the past when loud noises occur while driving and Sebastian always asks if we crashed. As we pulled out of the ABC car park Sebastian finally asked, “So Daddy, that was a crash?”
“Yes, that was a crash. Did you feel the seat belt hold you in your seat?”
“Yes,” Jasper and Sebastian both replied.
“And that’s why we wear them,” I announced.
While driving home Tess prayed, thanking God that the constellation of circumstances protected us – the boys being buckled in, the girls being in the bathroom, me with my foot on the brake, and ICM Kids Camp shining self-control upon the boys. We played “Our God is an Awesome Guy.” Everyone sang.
And that’s a good example, from ICM Kids Camp to crashes, of what my life is like living with Jesus.
