We just got back from our second session of camp and feel so blessed to have been a part of something so amazing. This week we worked with a 9 year old boy with autism and he stole our hearts. We were convinced by the fifth day that we were taking him back to America with us.
This week was more difficult than the last because of the weather and our boy. What a sweet boy he was, but when he would get scared or upset he would have tantrums that were very hard to control. Helping him to calm down were some of the hardest moments of camp but when those times were done he would be our smiley, beautiful boy once again. God gave us a lot of patience this camp and a compassionate heart because we knew when he was scared, being autistic, he cannot control himself. This was difficult but he became our boy and the director of the camp said that we even, “found each other”. He is one of God’s greatest gifts to us and we will never forget him.
Saying goodbye was also very difficult for us because we had spent a month with all the wonderful workers at camp. They are all such loving people that work very hard to push the kids to do activities on their own, and when the kids accomplish those activities they were so proud of themselves. The workers patience and love for each other, us, and the kids was such an inspiration. It was very hard to say goodbye, but we find hope in the fact that God has a plan for each one of the kids we worked with. He gave them a spirit of joy to share with others; they may not be able to do much on their own or may be looked down upon in society, but we discovered that God gave them a spirit of joy to get them through such things. We feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to serve the last month, and every single person we came in contact with made a lifelong impact on us. Thank you so much for your support and prayers! Please keep praying for our short time at the Transit Center and then our travels to Novgorod, miss you all!
Savannah and Shannon
