for a good reason joy is in our hearts

Have you ever seen so many black people in a pool?

I didn't think so.

We just finished Camp All-Stars where over 100 of the Children of Grace sponsored kids (ages 13-15) spent the week! 

It was so joyous!

I mean, look at those faces.

and look at this view of Lake Victoria. Glory, glory!! 

It was so fun to see kids loving all the same things we love about camp. Tie-Dye.

Swimming. 

When we got to the pool this girl, Juliet, was so terrified of the water she wouldn't even come in the gate, and kept saying, "but I fear I will sink" (even in the shallow end... 3 feet deep) in her sweet, Ugandan voice. After some coaxing and almost getting pulled into the water fully clothed and camera'd, this is what happened. Pure joy.

Singing.

Football. aka soccer.

Wearing wayfarers... just kidding. Kids at camp don't wear wayfarers, I just wanted to post this picture because it's awesome.

FOOD! So much rice. So many beans. Such sketchy meat. But such good pineapple. 

Not pictured: a giant bonfire with lots of African dancing and raw meat cooked on the open flame (more on that later from Meg. It was crazy. I was named the Queen Dancer sooooooo...), a very janky zip line that broke with a kid on it and a lot of African body odor. Surprisingly, you get used to it though.

Camp really is camp anywhere, and kids really are kids anywhere. Orphans, starving, oppressed, HIV positive—or not.

And Jesus is real Treasure everywhere. Even here. Even to orphans, even to the dying. Even to me. And that is comforting—a million miles from home.