Sonado por un Mundo Unido(Dreaming a World United)
Sonado por un Mundo Unido(Dreaming a World United)
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For four mornings last week, the St. Joan of Arc campus was overflowing with jaguars, spider monkeys, deer, bulls, and snakes. Through a stroke of incredibly good luck (together with some excellent strategic planning) the hot, humid summer took a brief respite and none of the numerous animals became ornery or inhospitable towards one another. Of course that would have been unexpected behavior, as many of these animals were good friends and acquaintances. You see, these jaguars, spider monkeys, deer, bulls, and snakes were members of the St. Joan community- some of our smallest members. The animals were invited to Campo de Santa Juana (Camp St. Joan) because of their relevance to Guatemalan culture. The children, who assumed the animal identities, were summer camp participants.
From Monday through Thursday over 160 of our most precious members, ages four to eleven participated in what has become an annual summer rite on the campus of St. Joan’s. In its fourth season and going strong, Camp St. Joan’s is an example of Collaborative Ministry at its finest. Part-time staff members Christine Patlin and Jennifer Bodine, together with 84 volunteers (that sounds incredible, but that’s what Christine told me the number was) led the campers through prayer, song, crafts, and games. Thursday, the day I was there, was the only rainy day of the week. However that didn’t seem to dampen the atmosphere, the energy level was about as high as anything Gwen Matthews or Robbie Robinson could produce, yet the social order would have impressed most school principals. Everyone was busy, involved, and having a good time.
This year’s theme was “sonando un mundo unido”, or “dreaming of a united world” and the host country was Guatemala. The campers learned about Guatemalan culture and customs through stories, basket weaving, and learning some language. A special treat was having several members of our youth delegation share stories, pictures and insights from their recently completed trip to our sister parish, Tierra Nuevo Dos.
Reflecting the Guatemalan theme, this year's camp was big on arts and crafts. The volunteers and staff must have spent innumerable hours creating basic supplies not to mention the ideas that were simple and creative. Making Guatemalan kites, worry dolls, headdresses, and especially the kid-sized Guatemalan alfombras(carpets of sawdust) that were trampled through in a processional on the final fiesta.
Musicians provided daily beginning and ending large group centering. The zoo mobile was there with Guatemalan animals. Storytelling, dramatic expression, and Guatemalan looming were several of the many activities for the children each day as they move from area to area with a snack break in between.
From a casual observer's viewpoint, certainly the most impressive part of camp was the volunteers. From teenagers to grandmothers, they gave of themselves to make the week special for our young parishioners. I don't know why one is continually surprised and impressed by the level of commitment of volunteers at SJA, but this was a very passionate example of collaborative ministry at it's finest.
Camp festivities wound up with the traditional dinner party, or Family Fiesta. This year’s event was scheduled for Thursday evening to allow the “9 to 5’ers” participation. Families were encouraged to make and bring a Latino dish to share; the campers did some dancing, and slides of the week’s events were shown. The result was truly a family event, and my only complaint was that the beer had run out by the time I got there (traditional Catholic humor J).
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