Sunday, June 14, 2009

Camp Life

I've now been at camp for a full 8 days, and have, in general, been far too busy to either think about anything or do anything exciting.  Even if I had done anything other than cook, I would have had time to write about it, so I suppose its just as well.  

We had a week of staff training: cooking 3 meals a day, trying to remember how the kitchen works and then teach my new cooks about it.  Trying to plan meals and remember recipes.  Add to all that various inconvieniently timed manditory staff training meetings and an oddly timed Sysco delivery and you get a picture of my week.  

Not that's it's been bad.  It's really gone pretty well.  The cooks are learning well and doing good work.  The rest of the staff has been encouraging and helpful.  There have been occasional moments of missing Israel and a couple times when I've thought, "Why in the world did I agree to work here this summer again?!"  Mostly, though, I've been too busy for either, which is probably good.

I have been able to bring small pieces of Israeli food here - Challah for our Shabbat evening meal, Tabouleh, Bedouin tea for myself.  It helps.  

It's a bit odd...before coming here, some returning staff people had expressed an interest in hearing about Isreal.  However, no one has really bothered to ask anything about it beyond, "So, how was Israel?"  Perhaps it's as hard to think of questions as it is to think of answers: "Uh, it was great.  I learned a lot."  It is understandable.  After all, people are quite busy.  Still, it's a little sad.  I feel like I've learned so much and changed in so many little ways...but I have no one to tell about it.  I'm going to need to work on finding an outlet.  I don't want to be the know-it-all who always talks about Israel, but I also don't want to have to bottle it all up.  We'll see how it works out.  

Anyway, here at camp we have survived staff training and our first meal with campers.  As we continue I'd appreciate your prayers for unity in the staff and for God's work in our lives and the lives of our campers.  

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