A blog post by Caitlin Walsh – one of over 40 students serving through Student.Go this summer in locations around the world. Caitlin is a part of the Camp TAG team – three students serving with Ralph and Tammy Stocks in Hungary and Shane and Dianne McNary in Slovakia providing leadership for day camps for Roma (Gypsy) children and youth.
Growing up you learn so many different words nonchalantly. I now understand that you learn these words at an early age because the experiences in your life later on will define them. These past few weeks have given “flexibility,” “challenge,” “patience,” and “contentment” new definitions.
Flexibility.
During the second week we were running an ESL camp in Vocegras. To our knowledge, we were going to be teaching English to a large group of high school students that already knew a decent amount of English. So Sunday night we made our plans and prepared lessons for the week. Monday morning we arrive in Vocegras to find that for the first hour no one showed. Next, we find that it is a group of 8-13 year olds who know hardly any English.
Plans out the window! We had 5 hours to fill with three lessons that were no longer useful, games planned for older ages, and music. Are you stressed out just by reading this? Ha! Flexibility! It was time to brainstorm, and brainstorm quickly! We split into two groups: a group of beginners and a group knowing some English. We had to improvise a bit and do introduction lessons on the first day. It took us until Wednesday afternoon to finally get a hang of things! Nina and I were leading the group that knew some English and we found out quickly that drawing pictures and writing the words in English helped the kids to understand it a little bit more! We played games where they would pick a card and read the question in English, then answer it. This one was fun because naturally, we threw some random cards in there (dance like a chicken, roar like a tiger!). It’s a lot easier to teach when the children are enjoying their time with you! On the last day we had a Fourth of July celebration where we roasted hot dogs over a fire (my first time!), ate cupcakes, and played some games! This was my favorite day! Nina and I used our last lesson to allow the kids to ask us questions about our culture. The first questions they asked had to do with discrimination in America. It put things into perspective… These children relate to the stories they hear of discrimination in America because it is what they deal with each day here. Unexpected questions, yet very eye-opening. By the end of the week, we built relationships with the children again and had to drive away…
again. It’s a feeling I will never get used to. However, flexibility is one that I hope stays with me forever. We were forced to go with the flow, think out of the box, understand that things won’t always be perfect but that doesn’t mean they have to be horrible, and trust that it will always turn out alright.
Challenge. Patience.
Week 3 was spent at Pocsaj and Derecske. 3 of the 5 days had 2 camps a day (morning and evening). The first day we prepared all of the crafts ahead of time and we had already learned the routine of this camp schedule, so as you can imagine we were all pretty confident. That should always be a warning sign, haha. We arrived at camp in Pocsaj to find not 30 kids as expected, but 50! Don’t get me wrong, this was fantastic and very energizing! But we hadn’t planned the craft for that many. Well, it’s a good thing we had by accidentally left the prepared craft at the motel then (misplacing the craft happened more than once this week). That was our first challenge: a new craft idea that can work with 50 children.
Luckily, our translator works with children often and was able to come up with a great idea in a short amount of time! As the days went on, not as many children came each day and we were able to run everything smoothly.
The second camp each day was at Derecske in a Hungarian Church. Our team gets there, ready to sing loudly and do silly dances… or so we thought.
Hungarian Churches are much different than Gypsy Churches. More reserved, quiet, shy, held back. I think back and I laugh at the memory of Kolby, Nina, and I “going bananas” in one of our songs and the children just kind of looking at us. Haha. It was a tough crowd, but still very loving. Our last day we finally got them to “go bananas” as well! It was so fun to see! 🙂 Challenges? Absolutely. We seem to face them every day. Misplaced craft. Unpreparedness. Rainy day stuck inside. Different expectations.
More need for flexibility. Patience? Needed and used every second. A large group of children speaking a different language, and each of them trying to tell you something at the same time… Patience.
Contentment.
This is a personal definition for me. Some days are going to be harder than others, that’s natural. And I’ve had some hard days this past week.
Luckily, before I left I was able to read an email from someone very important to me. It contained a message about Philippians 4:10-20… a message I would repeat in my mind each morning, each afternoon, and each night. It was with me as I played with the children, as we prepared crafts, as we sang twice a day, as I took time to breathe when there was no time to retreat. “I know what is is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Phil
12-13) I have heard this verse many times before, but somehow it has more meaning after this past week. Maybe you have a bad day and you need time alone, but can’t take it. Maybe you need energy and smiles for a group of children that deserves it. Maybe you are just feeling discouraged and are searching in the wrong places for that encouragement. Maybe you have a bad case of the chicken pox (again) and you are expected to perform at your best. “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” Having a bad day? Pray for strength. Needing encouragement?
Find it in your surroundings.. maybe a field of sunflowers, two little sisters holding hands during game time, the laughter of happy children.
Through each challenge, each need for flexibility, each moment of patience… there is a chance for contentment. And “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.”
Here I am defining words I learned as a child. But these are just words.
What about our life? These children’s lives are already defined for them.
It’s not something they get to slowly define themselves. The children in Pocsaj sang a song for us while we were stuck inside on a rainy day. It’s a moment I have relived numerous times since. Sitting among the Gypsy children, in a room filled with all ages, they sang “I am a Gypsy and I am not ashamed.” A song I recognized from worship two weeks ago. “I am a Gypsy and I am not ashamed.” Their life contains so much flexibility, challenge, patience… learning contentment in every situation. I was proud to be sitting among them, hearing these words. They sang it with love, power, strength. Through one song, they defined a word for me to add to my life dictionary: hope. “I am a Gypsy and I am not ashamed.” Amen.