Campamento 2023 Trip Report

Teresa Toda Home and Church of Saint Edward, 21st Camp, Our 26th Year Together

Dates July 8-16, 2023

Women of Faith

The camp theme is always “Women of Faith”. The Sisters, the staff, and the travelers are women of faith. The girls will grow up to be women of faith. We usually have 4 days of camp plans and study: an Old Testament woman, 2 New Testament women, and another faithful woman. This year our women of faith were Eve, Mary, and Saint Teresa of Avila. On the third day of camp, we imagined Eve meeting Mary. How would that go? What would Eve say to Mary, how would she feel? How would Mary treat Eve? How would Eve feel after meeting Mary? What does this mean for us?

Travelers 2023

Jeane, Ann (me), Nancy, Emelia, Jennifer, Sara, Mary, and Ella

This year, we 8 travelers, which is optimum for camp! As of a month before camp, we had 3 more, but each of them had to drop out due to health issues – either their own, a family member, or a very close friend. Unusual for camp, but I feel like it’s a COVID echo due to delayed routine medical care. We pray for everyone’s health and peace.

This year we were back to the normal camp routine – which felt great. Our planned activities include circle time, three stations, a special program for the older girls, and a craft.

Instead of bringing donated goods to the home, we asked for monetary donations. The Sisters, girls, and travelers are thankful for your generosity. Monetary donations:

• take up less suitcase space and
• help the local economy as the Sisters use it to purchase their needed school and health supplies from local businesses

So much happened this year – happy and sad, disappointments and successes. It was a very emotional and positive experience. It’s hard to summarize – here’s my take.

Arrival

The girls we excited to see us! They greeted all of us like family. Given our history of fabulous travelers, they welcomed all of us with songs and hugs. It was a little overwhelming for the first-time travelers. All but three girls experienced camp before so were ready to go. We only had a snack and a supermarket run at El Carmelo, so got to have dinner with the girls that night. We got settled in after dinner, then had a circle time with songs.

Sunday – Graduation and Camp Prep

Sunday featured a graduation for two of the girls! They both went to a “polytechnic” public high school which provides both a high school diploma and a certificate in an area were wheretheywhere they can get jobs in the area. Both girls earned certificates in agriculture, a major industry in this province. Other specialities were nutrition, electronics, electro-mechanics, and information systems. At the ceremony, graduates wore colors based on their certificates.

Meanwhile…

While Jeane and I went to the graduation ceremony, the rest of our group unpacked our supplies and tie-dyed t-shirts! They even made ours.

English

For English, we used bingo, flashcards, and bilingual books this year. It was fun. The girls really want to improve their English.

Math

Math is a challenge for many of the girls – they may have started school late, missed classes, or only started school when they joined the home. We foster their confidence through math games and worksheets. They like to write on their own whiteboards.

Bible Story Reflection

Our days start with a daily ritual when we sing songs and read the reading of the day. At the time, the leader reviews the basics of the story – who were the characters? What happened? etc. In the reflection station, Jeane guides age-appropriate reflection. They may talk about “What does this story mean to me?” or ” How does it relate to me today?” Over the years, we’ve learnedthate girls are more open to sharing their thoughts while they color.

7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

The older girls benefit from special content. First-time traveler Mary facilitated this group where they learned the “7 Habit of Highly Effective Teens” by Sean Covey. The girls already have excellent habits – a tribute to the Sisters – but the mid-summer reinforcement never hurts. The girls were engaged and thoughtful. Our assignment for them was to present their learnings each evening .

Dramas

The skits were very entertaining this year. Each evening both the younger girls and the older girls presented their daily lessons. The girls used their costumes and a lot of creativity.

Crafts

Crafts builds self esteem and is a channel for creativity. Crafts are fun!

Local Excursion

Dominican Republic towns each have a colorful welcome sign to welcome you to each town. It depicts highlights of the area. We couldn’t resist a group picture plus a few more!

Quinceñera

We celebrated Y and N’s quiciñera at Camp! They generously invited traveler Sara to join! The party included fancy dresses, prayers, blessings, singing and dancing, food, and even a Mexican caballero surprised us with a performance.

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!

You make it special!!

Thank you to all donors. The Sisters are very conscientious and spend it all on the girls’ education and well-being.

Thank you to all the crafters who came to “Cutting and Kitting Night” You are truly a blessing to camp. The girls love doing crafts!!

Thank you to Shelly Pomonis who organized a huge Zumba party and fundraiser for camp. I wish I could have brought the instructors to camp. Their energy was through the roof. Shelly, a retired teacher, developed our 7 Habits curriculum for camp. Hope you can make it next year.

Thank you to Michele and her daughter who developed the crafts this year. They were a hit!! Thank you also for the “Eve meets Mary ” idea and the insight into Saint Teresa of Avila. Hope you can join us next year.

Thank you to past travelers – the girls remember each of you and love the camp memories.

Thank you to Father Rick – your support from the pulpit moves people to support our unique mission. Best wishes on your retirement. We’re excited to share this mission with Father Tim.

Thank you to all St. Ed’s staff – especially, Mia, Mike, Mary Kay, Celeste, Linda, and Andrew – each of you contributed to make this happen.

We’ll start recruiting again in January 2024. Hope to see you there!

Peace,

Ann