English Camp - Day 2 The Waterpark

Today we got up early again and walked to the english camp location by 7am. The Vietnamese kids were already there as usual. That is one o the highlights of the trip because we play with the kids, sit and talk with them, and just hang out. It isn't extremeley hot yet at that time of the day (I said "extremely", it is still very hot) so the kids are interested in playing games. This morning I saw the boys throwing around a football. It looked familiar. It was the ball we brought last year and Tommy gave to Sarorn! He brought it so we could throw the football. That was fun to see.
This year the color group teachers are more serious about meeting to discuss the lesson plans. Quite a few of them are teachers. That works well because the class time is more meaningful. The focus is still on making everything fun. My group is the green team (Go Green!). During the large group times we sing, some teachers share their testimonies, a Bible lesson is given (today was Moses), and then we have a game. Last year, my team won the full week of games...not the case this year. We very bad...very bad. Still, it is a lot of fun and is good bonding time.
We broke up into our color groups and had group games and lessons. I taught about north and south by drawing a map on a white board one of the teachers brought with them (only a teacher would think of bringing a white board! haha). I drew a map of Cambodia and then added Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and China. Good thing I know my geography. All those times as a nerdy kid growing up staring at maps is paying off right now! Then I used a balloon and drew the same map on there along with the US and Canada because some of our teachers are from Canada. Then we broke up into smaller teaching groups. I lead my teaching group and taught them how to give directions. That worked out well.
By the way, did I mentioned Becky and I were given a surprise when we got here? No?
Well, we were told there are no interns this year to lead the color groups. So, because we have been here before, we were each assigned as leaders of a color group (What? Noooo!) It has worked out well despite us not being prepared for it. The teachers in our groups are great to work with and the camp leader, Scott Weaver, is doing a great job despite subbing in for the normal missionary who leads the camp. Scott is not a missionary and doesn't speak the language...and everything is going great!
We went to the waterpark and played on the slides. As always, it was a good time. The rides there I got everyone in the bus singing songs. Buntheoun and another Khmer student play the guitar and we had 2 guitars. So we sang almost the whole way to the water park. On the way back, the bus driver had Khmer music playing and we danced to the music. We had too many people in the bus so myself and several others were dancing up and down the aisle to the Khmer music. Everyone was laughing. Then they yelled, "Jake! Jake! Jake dance now!" So Jake got up and danced with them up and down the bus. What a blast!
We went to the Khmer mall last night after camp.
Well, it is 8:20am and camp starts in 10 minutes so I better go. Tonight is pizza with the Vietnamese students. Did I mention many of the kids asked why Tommy is not with us? And they talk about Tom and Abby as well. They really bond to everyone that comes here and remember us from year to year. It is so cool.
Blessings to everyone.
Tom