Each year summer camps start many months before the actual camp begins. This year alone I made no less than 4 trips to the Monastery at Vorona to speak with the Abbot and arrange all that was required to allow the summer camps to take place at the Monastery where are strict rules and regulations. I made 3 visits to the Mayor of Stefanesti and many times visited the school director at Iliseni school as well as visits to the head of Borzesti school to cover every detail in fact several times over to be certain all was in place to have children at camp. The responsibility I take is huge and careful planning assures that there are no sick children and no accidents as I would in such an event be the one to go knock on a parents door to explain that their Daughter or Son had an accidents when in our trusted care and was now in intensive care at the hospital or even worse in heaven above, so here can be understood why I am so strict in planning and at camp also. Summer camp is to be a happy time for the children and I smile and play with them, encourage them as do teachers also but I keep a close eye of each child’s safety in each moment also. Children are not allowed out on their own, but in groups with myself or a teacher are and this is a safety measure to avoid accidents. Its all planned to a tee and goes well and results in children having holiday of a lifetime with many stories to tell their parents when they get home after the week away!
Last weeks summer camp for children from Iliseni and Borzesti was again held at Vorona Monastery were children are showered each minute with Christian love from the Abbot and Orthodox Sisters of mercy. For each of these children this was the only opportunity they had of a holiday because of extreme family hardship in their villages.
I can explain that the percentage of those who cannot afford a protein meal at least once every two days is increasing within rural families, and the situation is dramatic in the case of single-parent families in a Country with over 1.16 million children in Romania today are grow up in poverty and are social excluded
I was again overjoyed that teachers who I know well offered voluntary their time to look after the children with me and even the school bus driver who helped also as with so many children it was better to split children into 2 groups when out in activities.
The first day of camp was a getting to know exercise for children as we had children from 2 village schools both far away from one another and also to learn the camp rules. Parents had been beforehand informed that no child would be allowed to bring a mobile phone or other device like tablet to camp and that contact could be made each night with parents using my mobile. We explained that in the Monastery quiet and orderly regime is paramount as is the House of the Lord to each child and that every morning they would come with me and their teachers to Church service and afterwards would enjoy a full breakfast in the dinning room of the Monastery.
Activities included walks in the forest, sports activities, visiting another nearby Monastery on the school bus and trekking in the larger forest area, but this was cut short because of workmen tree felling however the children did get plenty of walking exercise throughout the week. Pick the apple from a bowl of water, sack races and three legged races also brought the children the joy of friendly competing with one another. Making natural sun hats with large leaves in the forest and making artworks on stone slabs with water paints all taxed the children’s brains as did the workshops held each evening alsong with another event of pitching and then dismantling a tent correct as one day in their lives maybe children when older will go camping and in any case was a good exercise to make children think outside the box and work together to get a good result and they all did well at this task! Football, badminton and tennis also were sports the children enjoyed throughout the week. Considering the youngest child was just 4 years old and the oldest 14 years of age they all mixed really well and cared for one another which was nice to observe.
The 3 meals a day in the Monastery were out of this World with the Sisters preparing natural food each mealtime and in fact more than the children could eat. Sister would enter with another tray of food and I asked her to withhold as the children hadn’t eaten all she brought and she smiled and replied that it was her pleasure and to give the children extra servings with blessings. Such kindness is hard to see these days.
The heat was a problem but we managed as in the forest area was a little cooler but still around 36c in the shade and we had no child suffer from the heat. All had bottles of fresh water I supplied and were topped up at the Monastery each day in fact several times a day.
My thanks go to Anca, Camelia, the school bus driver Catalin and the teacher from Borzesti school Silvia who all were wonderful and worked in harmony.
God blessings
Brian..