English Club on Baikal

Our dear friend, Elaine, did an amazing job with beginner English speakers!!

     Even though the team we had hoped would come to help us from America dwindled down to one person, and even though it rained more than we've ever seen rain in Buryatia, and even though not everyone was able to stay at the camp until the end..... we still call "English Camp on Baikal" a smashing success!  Our theme this year was the Olympics (inspired by the games in Rio).  We divided the campers into discussion groups appropriate for their language levels.  I loved being able to sit in on Elaine's group.  I learned a lot from her, as she's a very fun and gifted teacher. 

 
      Here was our group, trying to get out of a human knot!  This was a good activity for learning basic words like "over, under, down, through", etc.


     We also can competitions between 4 teams (pretend countries) with relays and various water games.  Everyone really got into it and had a great time!  Leif and Dave thought up some very creative relays, that's for sure!

 
          The second day of camp was the most beautiful day we've ever seen on Lake Baikal- sunny and warm enough to want to swim... and the water didn't even feel that cold!  That day we really enjoyed playing sports on the beach and having games in and near the water.

Water Volleyball on That Perfect Day

 
     Each evening we had a program with songs and skits.  Some of the skits were silly (like this one!) and others shared powerful spiritual truths.


     We also had a different person each evening share their story of what God has done in their lives.  These were all translated into either English from Russian or Russian from English so that people could fully understand and sharpen their language skills.

      One evening we played the movie Chariots of Fire for those who were interested.  We used Russian subtitles along with the English, as it's a bit of a difficult movie to understand otherwise!  This movie created some interesting conversations later.


     In the mornings when our leadership team got together to pray, the kids enjoyed warming themselves by the fire.



     After the most blissful day on Baikal ever, the rain began.  It poured and poured and poured with no reprieve.  We met in tents and under tarps for our groups.  The most amazing thing about the rain to me is how everyone had great attitudes!  And it many ways, it brought us all closer together and created more room for conversations and being together.  Before the week began, I began praying for good weather, and I really felt like God was telling me instead to pray for contentment.  Of course, I didn't particularly like this answer, but I still prayed it.  And I truly felt that we were all content!  What a gift.

Playing the game UDog in a tent during free time

     Another game of UDog under the tarps. 

 
      We had tables under these tarps for our meals.  I can't say we stayed totally dry, as the rain was so hard that it dripped through the tarps.  But we didn't get totally soaked either!  The team in the kitchen made meals that had a North American flare, which was delicious for us and interesting for people to try new things.

 

 The van worked as another dry place for people to congregate.

Chess is a huge game here!  

 

Apparently Ella learned how to play chess in kindergarten!

     Everyone in the camp worked throughout the week on memorizing a Bible verse.  I was amazed that by the last day each person could recite it!  Here, people were practicing in their discussion group.

     Most people enjoy the time of singing songs.  We sang both Christian praise songs as well as some other fun ones like "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "Lean on Me".

     For some, it was their first time to roast marshmallows and eat s'mores! 

     The last night it was really special to hear people share the things that they are taking with them from the camp.

     Our little Ella, never wanted her shoes or her coat and worried all of the Russians. 

     Of course, we only remembered to take a group picture on the last day when some people had already left and we were all at our grungiest.  But it's still special to look at these faces and celebrate a fantastic week... and to think of what a gift to continue these friendships!