Sunday, July 9, Campamento Day 0

We had a jammed packed Day 0. 

Traveler’s this week are Jane, Abby, Barbara, Ella, Hannah, Shelly, and Ann  (me). We make a good team!

We started with Mass at Buen Pastor “Good Shepard”. Upbeat music and a message of humility and simplicity. So appropriate! 

Then,  off to the beach. The only shade is in restaurants on the beach,  and we don’t bring money there, but one restaurant owner remembered us and invited us to use his shaded table and chairs. Gracias Luis for your generosity! As always, fun at the beach. Nayali, Nayalin, and a new girl can really swim! And floating is still popular. The experienced girls helped teach the new girls to “be a starfish” to float. It was a relatively short trip – about an hour – so everyone was refreshed but not wiped out. We hit a literal roadblock in our way home. To get to Playa Monte Rio  (Mountain River Beach), we have to cross a bridge over the Monte Rio. A large tour bus tried to cross, but got stuck,  so no one else could get by. They evacuated the passengers and men somehow unstuck it. I’ll post a picture later. 

Back home,  lunch,  then Camp Day 0 activities.  Everyone got a nametag,  a camp journal, and a bag with goodies like chapstick and scented notebooks. Then, they decorated the bags while we set up for tie dying. Hoo! We started very organized, nice assembly line,  names on the right size shirts,  then the normal chaos of all the excited girls. The travelers, all first-timers stepped up to the challenge.  The girls twisted, banded, and dyed their own shirts.

They are now soaking in the dye overnight.  The girls made a huge mess,  but also cleaned up. Amazingly the kiosko floor was not stained. Our hands are,  though. Cleanup and snack,  then downtime. 
Sometimes people ask what we eat. Breakfast was bread,  papaya,  juice and coffee. Lunch,  the largest meal of the day, was fried fish,  gineo (sp?), salad (prepared with potable water) rice and corn, and pineapple. Dinner was hotdogs,  bread,  homemade mango and pineapple mango juice. yum!

Two travelers got braids. 

We’re thrilled to get some local help from Estafania (sister in formation)  and Yamilca (Sister Fifi’s niece) this week. 

For past travelers,  Keisy, Grasie, and Margerita are no longer at the home.

At night we thanked God for our productive day and for everyone won did not travel,  but generously support campamento. We ended up with the 10 hymnals and leader guide we wanted, 41 pairs of shoes, 40 back packs, medicine,  vitamins,  socks,  underwear,  so many donations and we packed them all. Thank you so much for your prayers and support!