Royal Family Kid's Camp

This week Bobby and 42 other members from our church went up to the mountains and hosted a camp for 30 foster kids. These kids are all under the care of Social Services and they're either living with a foster family or in a group home. They're between the ages of 7 and 11, and in desperate need of a fun, safe week away. Just because they're in a foster home, doesn't mean they're well taken care of. Two of the boys for example, both age 7, are currently with their fifth foster family. Each child has his own story, and as the stories unraveled over the week, the importance of this camp experience became more evident. Bobby and I have talked at length about these kids, and we've decided that both the kids and the counselors have been equally blessed by each other. Enjoy these photos... as you can see, we are not allowed to show the children's faces.

Here is "the bus moment," when all the kids arrive at camp greeted by a cheering, jumping, accepting staff ready to treat them the way they deserve to be treated. This is one of Bobby's two campers, Tyler. Think he was excited to meet Bobby?

Our pastor describes "the bus moment" in an email to the congregation:

It is called the “bus” moment and I was determined not to miss it! The bus rolls into a campground of screaming, cheering, jumping adults, all holding signs of welcome, at least one sign with each child’s name on it! These kids have spent their lives in rejection; this moment was one of full acceptance! One by one, each kid is announced NBA style: “Here’s Oscar…here’s Imelda…” They disembark to a chorus of cheers as their counselor meets them (each counselor has only two campers) out in front of the group. (It is a vision of heaven, an angelic welcoming to sinners saved by grace.) One boy ran off the bus like a dart and hugged Bobby Sykes with a full-body tackle (photo attached). The staff is trained to refrain from “hugging” campers, but what was Bobby to do? It was one of the most touching things I’ve ever seen!

See the older couple on the right? There's even a camp Grandma and Grandpa!

Ready to experience a great week! Here is Bobby with his other camper, Brandon. Each counselor only has two kids for the entire week so they can really get a lot of attention.

Every staff member has signed a Bible for every child.

And every child gets a necklace with Psalm 23:1 on it. All week long the kids will recite their verse to staff and guests who will sign it once it's been recited! They'll need this verse many times throughout their lives.

Also on the first day, every child gets to choose their very own blanket that they can keep forever. They have very few possessions. Bobby's campers slept with their blankets every night.

Tyler loved the activity center!

Bobby helped Brandon to make a storage box that doubled as a step stool.

Bobby gave Brandon this hat from Kevin. He wore it all week. Bobby signed it and gave it to him on the last day.

On Wednesday I came up to the camp just for the day, as part of a team who would give a birthday party to all the kids. Many of them have never had a birthday party, and one girl didn't even know when her birthday was. Church members donated hundreds of new toys, jewelry, legos, Hot Wheels, hair bows, Barbies, etc... and I got the privilege of making the bags, organizing the gifts, and then praying over each filled birthday bag. It was amazing to see each child receive their favorite gifts. One boy yelled, "Hey, how'd God know baseball is my favorite sport?"

We put on a carnival for the kids and my job was face painting... which ended up being arm painting so they could see their design. That's Bobby's camper Tyler looking on.

This little cutie wanted a rainbow all the way down her arm... with glitter stars, please.

We had a few minutes to hang out together after the party. I had dinner with the campers, stayed for the worship service then went back down the mountain. See that "structure" I'm holding? Bobby's camper Tyler surprised me with a jewelry holder he made me. He was so excited to meet Counselor Bob's wife!

On Thursday night they passed out rocks to all the campers. Each camper wrote his burdens on the rock. These kids have burdens that most adults have never known. After they wrote their burdens....

...they laid their rocks at the foot of the cross and prayed that their burdens would be lifted.

Bobby said it was a pretty emotional time for both the campers and the counselors.

The final day they took a group photo. The kids turned around since their faces aren't allowed to be photographed. It was such a great week, life changing in many ways. I'll never forget the kids I met that day, and Bobby will certainly never forget the kids he spent a week with. His camper Brandon even got his foster mom to bring him to our church to see Bobby the week after camp! Bobby was glued to that kid. So great!