Final letter from Ardgour 206

Hello - this is Fran once again as Chad is taking a well-earned day off. Apologies for the lack of update yesterday due to having the carpet fitters in! Lenzie Union Parish Church, from whom we rent our two offices, kindly agreed to share the cost of carpeting the offices and they look wonderful - but the upheaval was total, including unplugging and disconnecting the network - however, it's all back together and works beautifully!.
So to catch up with camp:
Richard's enthusiasm when he rings is terrific! The little group have enjoyed a fantastic gorge walk on Wednesday, then a canoeing expedition yesterday - the intention was to canoe across the loch then make rafts with makeshift sails and sail back - unfortunately there was no wind. Each evening "Time Out" has been very well received, with last night's lasting about 1 hr and lots of singing. Evening activities included time on the beach, watching photos of the day's activities, dorm time with games and reading stories - last night the girls asked to be prayed for at bedtime.
This morning it's raining, which can affect the mood of a camp - pray for today's activities - aerial runway, archery, some sort of farewell service, prizegiving and certificates - for a happy ending with good memories.
... and please pray for safe travel home.

On a different note, the lass at Barcaple who had an accident diving into a pool at the end of a gorge walk has sadly died. Please pray for the family, and also for the staff at all the Abernethy Trust centres, who are having to come to terms with this. She was from Carlisle, aged 15, and a real enthusiast who had been on 5 outdoor pursuits camps at the centre.
Thank you again for your prayers - we do appreciate your support.
Fran

Ardgour 206

Tuesday
Good afternoon everyone, Sorry for the delay in getting the prayer letter out to you, but it is filled with nothing but good news, so I hope that's an encouragement. The camp this week is exceptionally small. There are only 4 girls on camp. We were to have 6, but we had a cancellation last week and a no-show the morning of camp. We tried to visit the girl's house before we left, but there was no answer, but at least we tried. So the final group for camp is 4 girls and 5 leaders. Richard called this morning and went on about how beautiful a day it was and how the loch is shining in the sun and even the rabbits, cows and sheep are enjoying the day. If I didn't know better I would say he was rubbing it in. After three busy camps, this one is a welcome change. Two leaders even found the energy to go for a jog by the loch this morning! There is a change of routine this camp given the small group. Monday night's activities were: dinner, followed by Time Out (half an hour, which was well accepted), a painting activity, a walk on the beach collecting shells etc and returning to the house for hot chocolate and toast. The girls were all in bed by just after 10.00, where they spent some time doing "dorm boxes" - colouring, playing cards, reading - quiet activities with background music. One of the girls has a real fear of going to sleep but she was settled by 12:30, which is good for her. Today's activities are kayaking, climbing and abseiling. Can you please pray for: 1) A continuation of the relaxed atmosphere at camp and a chance for everyone (especially leaders) to enjoy their time at camp and even get some (gasp!) rest! 2) That the leaders would be able to use the time to develop personal relationships with the girls and that opportunities would come up for the leaders to talk to the kids about Christ. 3) Safety in all the activities planned. Thanks again for your prayers everyone.
Chad


Wednesday
Good morning! I hope everyone is well today. Camp is going extremely well. All the activities were enjoyed by all and everyone had fun. The Time Out lasted about 45 minutes and everyone took part. The theme was 'God is Love', so is was a god night for everyone to really take part. It was a 'Girly Night In' as the girls really bonded last night. The boys were left to play pool and play around with some electronics. The girls had to be put back to sleep twice, but there are really no problems or hassles with the group at all. The night provided lots of opportunity to talk to the girls about the peace of God and what He can mean to them. There is hardly any shouting or disagreements at the camp at all. Jane from the Duke of Edinburgh Awards is coming to camp today to take part in the activities, but we don't know if she'll be staying the night yet. She is a Christian and is very interested in the work Reality is doing. The weather is beautiful. Last night there was a light shower to cool things off nicely and today the loch is perfectly flat. The plans for today are canoeing, gorge walking and a trip to the cinema to watch DVDs tonight. Today please pray for the following: 1) Strength and energy for the activities today. 2) A continuation of the discussions had over the past days. 3) A continued spirit of peace over the camp.

Also, as you may or may not have heard, there was an accident at Barcaple yesterday in which a girl fell from the waterfall. She is in hospital in critical condition, so it is really very, very serious. Please pray for her and that God would perform a miracle in her and heal her. We also have to pray for the centre and the implications this may have on Abernethy Trust. The BBC had a story that, for some reason, had to mention that the group was there on an adventure holiday organised by 'a religious group', so again, we have to pray for the implications this terrible accident may have for all.

Pilot at Netherurd

Today we went to the girl guides centre for a day out as part of my pilot project. We started off well in that Shannon who decided that she didnt want to come to the day out in Glasgow came. We had great weather (this seems to be becoming the norm in Scotland!) and the group got on well. Our instructor Kirsten was great. We enjoyed shooting dares during archery, Steven Barrett was a good shot and got me to do the highland fling, several people to moo like coos and best of all Chad to lay an egg - something none of us will ever forget! Richards God-slot went down well, a number of them had been on camp before and so knew the routine and some children seem genuinely interested. Richard was able to talk to Shannon and Louise about the ghosts that live in their houses afterwards too. It was a good trip because the standard of the leaders and also the size of the group meant that more things were possible. Everyone enjoyed themselves! Please continue to pray for this on-going development project.
Kirsty

Barcaple

Monday
This is just a quick note for the camp that went out this morning. The trip was good, despite having to go back for a child whose Mum thought the camp started tomorrow. So after the delay, things went smoothly.
The weather at camp is quite hot right now, but better hot than rain. The activities are already underway and Richard seems to have lost the children already. They arrived, unpacked and bolted for the woods (well, for the activities anyways.) However, he is confident the lure of food at 5:00 will entice them back.
The group that left Dean House seemed quite well behaved. The group of leaders are very experienced on this camp, but please pray for everyone's safety and that all the children would respond to the Time Out session tonight and that they would all have very restful nights (more importantly, all asleep before midnight!)

Tuesday
News from Barcaple: Richard says everyone slept well, which is a good start to a camp.
There are 15 children aged 9-11 on this camp: 4 girls, who are very nice and quite easy to deal with, and 11 lads who were persuaded to sleep last night by some very competent leaders!
Today's activities on this beautiful day are water-based - canoeing etc so it should be great. It's a compact site and seems to work well.
Patterns of behaviour are starting to be set - eg how to behave at meals. Last night's "Time Out" was a typical first night, with a real "why are we doing this?" feel to it - but one or two children who have been to Reality camps before helped by taking part.

Wednesday
The news for today at BAR 106 is that all is very well! Everyone had a good night's sleep last night and the evening, especially the Time Out, went well - everyone took part in it.
The team is mixing quite nicely and some good ideas are being thrown around. The camp and leaders are discussing some ideas, particularly about the dietary needs, and are really improving the relationship between Reality and Barcaple.
There is some tension between the kids. Some of them were being rude to others after the activities yesterday, so the free time will be more structured from now on.

Thursday
The news from camp is quite good again today. It was an early night last night for all. Probably because of the activities, but due in large part to the heat. The area around Barcaple was the hottest in Scotland yesterday. Needless to say the leaders especially are feeling the fatigue. Good news is that today the weather is not as hot and overcast, with just a bit of rain coming and going. Richard is adamant that rain or shine they will all be going to the ice creamery, then the beach to build castles, wade to their knees and fish for crabs.
Everyone had a great time last night. By the end of the Time Out all were singing and dancing along. One young man was quite ill this morning, so he is resting today.

Friday
Last night's Time Out went brilliantly. It lasted an hour, there was lots of singing and everyone was really into it. The bonfire was nice, but the kids weren't really into just sitting around together. But they did have some hot dogs and watch the last part of the video.
It was a late night since everyone had just settled down when the fire alarm went off due to a fault in the system. So it was finally quiet again about 12:00
Today is the trip home, so there are all the last bits of activities to do - the treasure hunt, prize presentations and then lunch. The convoy is set to head out from Barcaple about 1:30 / 2:00.

Good morning. A quick letter today since a road trip to and from camp is awaiting. Last night bonfire and beach experience went well, however, a nasty turn came when some of the kids decided to turn on one or two and partake in some bullying. The issue was dealt with quickly, but it was a rotten thing to have happen on the last night. The Time Out was chaotic but seemed to go well. The kids seem to go 'mental' when the name of Jesus is mentioned, but in a bad way. They are really down on the whole thing. Thank you for all your support and keep watch for next week's prayer letter.

Thursday at Ardgour

The news from camp is overall quite good. The weather has been good both yesterday and so far today and, perhaps more importantly, there are very few midges. Last night was a turning point in the camp as everyone was in bed before 12:30, so it was a fairly easy night for the staff and volunteers.
The kids awoke this morning with a very positive attitude and are looking forward to the adventure activities planned for today. There seems to be a real sense of teamwork kicking in with the kids. There are still a few factions among them, but the worst of their behavior seems to be over. In fact many of the kids are commenting on next year's camp already, so they have obviously enjoyed themselves so far.
The leaders are still quite tired and Phil Arbon visited the camp yesterday, which gave him a first-hand view of what goes on. Richard has noticed that some of the kids, while having a more positive attitude, show signs of having a real emptiness in them. They are old beyond their years. So they read through Psalms a bit last night and he told them about how God keeps His word. The key is to instill a sense of hope in the kids, and in particular a hope in Christ.
The issues to pray for today are:
1) Rest for the leaders and a real sense of being refreshed.
2) The kids would continue to be receptive to God's word and be curious.
3) The activities tonight would go very well (Three B's - BBQ, Bonfire and Beach!)
4) Pray for the trip home tomorrow and that all would be safe and relaxed.
Thanks again to you all for your prayers and support. You may receive and email tomorrow morning, but it may be quite short. Please keep the next camp, at Barcaple, in mind over the weekend.
Thank you and God Bless,
Richard

Climbing in Glasgow

Today Jennie Mackenzie, Sarah Anderson and I (Kirsty) took 3girls rock climbing as part of the on going development project. We had a great session at the Glasgow Climbing Centre and were surprised to see Dale, who was at Ardeonaig last week, there with a group from East Dunbartonshire Community Resources. Everyone had a good time, Ruby and Louise were fearless but I was most proud of Jade, who managed to overcome her fears, each time climbing up higher and higher until she reached the top on her last climb! Then we went to McDonalds, a treat for the girls and a punishment for us! Sarah said a quick prayer and Ruby said she wanted to pray so she did, then we ate lunch and had a discussion about Nehemiah. We went to Braehead for ice-cream and then it was time to go home. Louise was so pleased in the car because she had made two new friends. We are looking forward to next Saturday when we go to Netherurd.
Unfortunately Shannon O'Reilly decided not to come. She is booked to go to AG306 as well as the other parts of the pilot programme. I have talked to her social worker and we are concerned that she may not come. The girls on trip today commented "Shannon really missed out didn't she?" Prayer would be appreciated.
Kirsty

Wednesday at Ardgour

AG 106 is now well underway.
Everyone made it to camp after some delays and a few minor mishaps, but the kids were in good spirits when they arrived. However, that did deteriorate quickly since the weather wasn't very cooperative on Monday. It poured, to put it lightly. So everyone was stuck inside.
The Time Out went very well, which is positive. After settling in, the kids finally went to sleep after midnight. There needed to be a few changes to the sleeping arrangements, but that seems to be worked out.
Although there are still some kids who have lots of lip and the girls can be a bit sulky there is already tangible evidence that God is at work in these kids. Megan wanted to go home last night and cried her eyes out, is absolutely raring to get at the activities today and is up for everything. Leah, who was quiet as a doormouse, is now talkative and jumping around. Darren wants to help with everything - setting tables, cleaning, dishes, etc.
Tuesday night was a good night. Everyone went for a walk by the beach and went to sleep fairly early, so most people are well rested. There was quite a bit of rain this morning, however it is clearing now, so can you please pray for good weather for the activities today, which will be canoeing, kayaking, archery and some high rope activities.
Some of the kids are still being stroppy. They develop an attitude if they are told they can't do or have something. Also, there are still some remnants of the tiredness experienced the first day, so as a result Jordan and Ivan are having some difficulties getting along and their teams are a bit chaotic.
Phil Arbon is visiting the camp today and Sarah and Lynsey visited the camp yesterday (they are going on camp next week). Tonight will hopefully be a quiet night, with a movie planned.

Ardeonaig

Unfortunately despite all our best intentions we were not able to blog daily while at Ardeonaig. Here is a run down of what happened during the the rest of camp.

Wednesday: After a great day doing activities the children were tired. Many people were sun burnt but everyone seemed to have enjoyed their day out. After supper we divided into two teams and enjoyed the bouncy castle or a twister like game that was a quiz????
One girl had been continually disruptive, not sitting down at meal times, constantly disrupting sessions and encouraging others to join her. Despite warnings she was still causing problems so the difficult decision was made to send her home. This was obviously traumatic for the other children and volunteers and the young girl as well. Everyone was exhausted and went to bed quite quickly.

Thursday: Today we did either gorge walking or high ropes in the morning. Big respect to Tony Stevenson who was aparently a complete gentleman, helping all the girls in his group over rocks and trees whilst "gorgeous walking." Also to Michelle, our smallest, youngest camper who was the only person to challenge all of the high ropes course. Even some of the male leaders were too scared to make it to the top of some of the poles! Also hat off to Paula our Reality volunteer who did the first ever cartwheel on a high beam at an Abernethy Centre!
In the Afternoon we went down to the Loch in our teams to construct Rafts for the rafting world cup. I would like to contest the result and say that Team "Crazy C's" most definately did not cheat and were in fact 2nd. The race was quite fun but the real fun was the piracy involved in the sink the rafts challenge which quickly developed into sink all the instructors canoes challenge. Fish boy and mer-girl enjoyed some swimming!
In the evening Andy and Esther gave a really great time out presentation involving rotten eggs on the head and the theme of sacrifice. This was followed by Jamies gross game which involved lots of flour and sour soup on the face...yuck!

Friday: The groups were either involved in High ropes or low ropes and Archery (although our groups archery was abandoned for a game of hide and seek!) After lunch and clean up (there were 5pairs of unclaimed boxer shorts!) we set off back home.
Some of you may already know about the traumatic journey that followed. At aberfeldy one of the mini-buses filled with smoke and a bus full of traumatised children poured out onto the bank of the motorway. Thankfully no one was hurt and the damage was not serious although the bus was put out of action. Richard was no doubt exhausted from 2 midnight trips to take children home during the week, the normal strains of camp and dealing with the bus and the children so God, who is SO good, sent a driver from the hire company to drive around the borders taking children home. We didnt ask but God, who knows our needs, sorted it out.
The other mini bus set off soon after the other bus broke down that at least some of us would get home in time. Another car signalled for us to pull in just outside of perth to let us know that we had lost bags from the top of our mini-bus quite far back. The children started getting stressed out and it turned out we had lost 2bags, one belonging to volunteer Andy and one belonging to Nathan. After a few calls to the police Esther got a phone call from a man who was coming down from Inverness who had picked up the bags, found Andy's mobile and started dialing numbers. Thanks to this kind man the bags have been returned to us and we seem to only be missing one shoe. We finally got home, some of us on time, some of us later than we had hoped.
Isaiah 49: "At just the right time, I will respond to you. On the day of salvation I will help you.I will protect you and give you to the people as my covenant with them."

Although we had our problems it was a good camp. I think of Kirsty from Kinrkintilloch, crying on the first day and very shy, who positively blossomed, or David a volunteer from the borders who built a real friendship with both Emma and Chris, listening to them, working with them closely, or Tony whose first concern when the mini bus broke down was to return to the bus to get one of the girls inhaler...there are many more stories but I think the smiles on the childrens faces in these photos tell them all. Thank you for your prayers.

Today everyone got to choose from climbing, canoeing or hill-walking. With very un-scottish weather smiling, tired, sun-tanned faces have come back. Happy Birthday to Esther who is 20 today!

We started off with a leaders meeting; a chance to pray and prepare for the day together. Richard led a devotion from Psalms "God heals the broken hearted"
We had a great morning with 2groups gorge-walking, everyone getting very very wet, especially after the big cliff-jump at the end! The children seemed to be glad of a challenge and really seemed to enjoy themselves. The other 2groups were canoeing and unfortunately 2young people were unable to follow the safety instructions of the instructors and were making it difficutl for others to enjoy the activity and so were brought back to the centre early.
After lunch 2groups went to enjoy canoeing and the other two did low ropes and archery.
Having great weather meant that after the activities there was lots of fun to be had playing outside or playing football.
Unfortunately, perhaps tired from the night before, some of the young people seemed to be struggling with the routine and several problems arose. Having spoken to the young people everyone said they are having a brilliant time and have no desire to return home. Despite several warnings one boy seemed unable to cope with camp and so we made the difficult decision that for the harmony and benefit of the other young people it was time to send him home. Richard and Kirsty drove to Hawick returning to Ardeonaig at 4am. Sometimes as youth workers we feel that we just have to get on with it and that we arent allowed to be upset, but I think all of us were deeply distressed about the situation, concerned for the young person who didnt want to go but was unable to stay. "God heals the broken hearted"; this morning I felt that that God was speaking to us about the children but now know that it refers to us all. Please pray for the young boy who is finding life quite difficult and had to go home, and pray for the young people who have remained, that they will be able to settle into a camp which we hope will become a great memory for each of them.

Well after a very long journey, for some longer than others, we arrived at Ardeonaig at about 2pm. We got in to our groups for the Reality Highland games which involved the tyre toss, beat the goalie, and chuck the welly amongst other things. Followed by a good school-sports day egg and spoon and three legged race. Everyone seemed to enjoy being outside in one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland and generally chilling out. In the evening we had some wide games and a magnificent game of the ministers cap which everyone seemed to love. Teams A,B,C and D were renamed Team Xtreme, Boggies, The crazy Cs and The Staved Taes respectively, needless to say quite imaginative actions and sound-effects go with them!
After a long bus ride going to bed was hard, especially as many of these young people dont normally go to bed or get up at times even remotely similar to the times at camp, and so quite a long night of coaxing and cautioning was had with everyone finally getting to sleep at about 3!