Leaving for camp.

Yesterday three of our IMPACT members left for a week at VIAŢA camp.  A wealthy Romanian businessman had donated money to send a few kids from the Jiu Valley to camp for free, and we offered three spots to anyone from our club who wanted to apply.  Three of our most involved girls jumped at the chance, filling out forms explaining why they wanted to go to VIAŢA and what they would do with the lessons learned there – and so it happened!  None of their families can afford to send them otherwise; the cost of a single week at VIAŢA is almost equivalent to a month’s salary here in the valley.  So when I told them their applications were accepted, they squealed and jumped around, hugging each other and giggling, as 13-year-old girls are wont to do anywhere.

Throughout the past week, they’ve been stopping by the office to drop off permission forms and ask about their luggage.  One of the girls’ moms called me a few times to make sure tennis shoes were okay – the packing list says to bring boots, so she was thinking to send her daughter with snow boots, but I talked her out of that.  Their enthusiasm has been adorable... and contagious.

So yesterday, on a gorgeous, sunny Sunday afternoon, we met near our apartment to send them off.  The three girls were grinning ear-to-ear.  Like my own parents did when I was young, their parents gave them hugs and sent them off with parting instructions as they piled into the van (“Listen to your counselors!”  “Don’t go wandering in the woods alone!”  “Be good!”).  The van pulled away, grinning teenagers hanging out the windows waving, and the moms sniffed while the dads patted their shoulders.  The little brother burst into tears, burying his face in his mom’s stomach and wailing, “I’m going to miiiiiiss her!”  And I just couldn’t help but laugh with delight, at the wonderful familiarity of families loving each other, watching their kids grow up, and sending them off to the great unknown.

I think it’s going to be a great week.