Weekend at Whithaugh

This weekend Richard, Chad, Jon Godfrey, Jennie Mac, Sarah Anderson and I (Kirsty) are off to Whithaugh Park for the final part of my on-going pilot project. We will be aided by Nancy and Jackie McKillop in the kitchen. Please pray for the eight young people Steven, Tony, Dale, Nathan, Jade, Ruby, Louise and Shannon. Both Shannon and Steven returned home early from their camp, but both have agreed to come on the weekend and we are optimistic that the shorter period away from home will help prevent home-sickness. Steven and Dale's parents have a history together which is unpleasant for both of them and Steven in particularly anxious about it, please pray that God would heal this situation. We are all really looking forward to this weekend and have lots of great games and silly stuff planned for outwith instructed times. I will report on the weekend next week, so dont forget to check back to see what happened.

Tay expedition - a final word by Kirsty

This expedition was a success. While everyone I have spoken to who didn’t attend the camps seems to have got the impression that it was horrendous, it was far from that. While we did face challenges, of course on something as difficult and different as an expedition we faced challenges, the opportunities for the development of the young people and opportunities for God to do “His thing” are far greater than in a normal camp. Yes the problems seem greater, but yes the victories, the instances of healing are FAR FAR greater. God touched and controlled every aspect of the camp; from the wind (which like the celtic blessing was always at our back!) to the rain, to the way time worked out - allowing us the time to pray and to share, to the boats we ended up in (and day after day I ended up with Jasmine, and day after day she was difficult and day after day God challenged me to show her grace, Danika was able to overcome fears with Rogan and develop a real friendship, Graham could support Ryan on his last day of camp and Claire could support Raymond.)
There are things we can learn from or do better, of course, which I have listed above but there were so many positive things too:
Jasmine learnt to say please.
Rogan gave up smoking!
Wayne who was stand-offish at first and quite difficult decided to spend the last night hanging out and play fighting with Rogan
Raymond overcame shyness and particularly dreadful homesickness on the 3rd night and made friends and decided to stay for the remainder of the trip.
Some of the young people seemed to get a lot out of the time-out slots, particularly Chris, Danika and Jasmine.
And of course there was the views, the beautiful light, the jokes, the stories…

Monday:
Drive to Killin paddle to camp site: only 45minutes and perhaps too short. Talk about boundaries rules before setting off could have been beneficial

Tuesday:
Paddle down the loch, sort out canoes (change people around) lunch. In the evening we organised a game of hide and seek, tired the YP’s out a bit before time out, this worked well (safety issues of being close to a road)

Wednesday:
Allan runs off, 2nd day on the loch was too much for some of the young people and with dwindling tobacco there was a near mutiny on our hands but this was thankfully averted after a good dinner and another game of hide and seek. Alan and Ryan go home.

Thursday:
Paddle on the river. 2boys get a bit fed up but are encouraged back on board. Chilled out evening with the young people hanging out and doing their own thing.

Friday:
Everyone gets up surprisingly early. Rogan gives an impromptu time out that works really well. A short paddle to where the buses are. The young people are really proud of themselves for sticking with it.

Loch Tay Expedition Update 3

Good morning everyone. It was quite a day yesterday, so I apologise in advance for the lengthy message.

Yesterday the young people put tents away before breakfast and it was shaping up to be a great day (as I put in yesterday’s message) but it was about a half hour after I sent the update that things went a little pear-shaped.

Alan ran off up the hill (a BIG thanks to Ardeonaig for helping sort this out) and it was a little bit before he was found / turned up. We all though for sure Alan was going to be coming home and Richard was ready to set off to camp. However, to Kirsty’s credit and insurmountable determination, she spoke to Alan and it seemed that what he really needed was a day off, not a trip home.

Kirsty and Alan went up to Ardeonaig and the others continued on canoeing. This actually worked out well since she had hurt her wrist and needed the break. The other children were shaken up by the experience and got a slow start. The wind clamed down from the morning and the group lashed boats together and sailed down the loch.

Wednesday is always a hard day, as kids are tired and out of their comfort zones, so lunchtime was a real problem with food as it is a bit of an unknown as to what kind of food will be available from Ardeonaig. Some children wanted to go home.

Kirsty and Alan had a good day at Ardeonaig but on return to the loch Alan started to freak out (Kirsty’s wording). Rogan persuaded him into the boat but the other children now wanting to go home.

During the paddle to the island, everyone was abusive and shouting. Kirsty gave them a pep talk and told them how well they have done to come this far. They all thought about it and only Alan insisted he still wanted to go home. The steady depletion of cigarettes has become stressful and some kids started wanting to go home again. Raymond was homesick and it looked like he would need to go home but the leaders asked him to hold on for 24 hrs because a trip to Borders (for Alan) and Inverness (for Raymond) in same night not possible – even for Richard’s light-speed driving!

The leaders cooked a hearty meal and they seemed to relax after this. Ryan Thompson, who has always been an outsider in this group, started to want to go home. The decision was made he could go in the car with Alan.

Richard arrived to take Alan and Ryan home and off he went – to return home about 12:30 am. Raymond was still crying and called home to get his Mum to collect him today. The group had a good Time Out, after which they played some games. These children normally don’t have fun that is appropriate to their age but it was really great. When Ryan left, Raymond came out of his shell since Ryan was no longer clinging onto him, so Raymond started to mix with group and enjoy himself. He decided not to go home but stay to end of trip and phoned his Mum and said don’t come.


The kids went off and hung out and were able to meet as leaders and share and pray – amazing opportunity to spend time and everyone got really good sleep. The leaders used this time to seek and God came through (as He always does!) and healed so many of the day’s issues. God works in all things for those who love Him in Christ Jesus – God has worked in all these situations for all their benefit.

Up at 8.30 today - Psalm 139 (God’s presence all around us!). Kids up, then breakfast. It’s a beautiful day, with the wind in right direction, everyone so optimistic and smiling. Leaders are feeling well rested. An amazing turn-around from early yesterday - from complete crisis to everyone feeling better.

Thanks to all for your prayers during our difficulties yesterday.
Have a great day and we shall be in touch again tomorrow! God Bless.

Loch Tay Expedition Second Report (Part 2)

Hi everyone.
We have a little bit more news from camp today. Hopefully you received Richard's email regarding his conversation with Kirsty last night. This morning's report comes from Rogan.
Things seem to be gong well. The issue of cannabis on camp has eased off. The leaders had a chat with those involved and things more or less seem to be sorted. The two girls on camp, Jasmine and Danika were spoken to last night and, despite dropping hints that they were not happy with the camp, they (along with Chris) are the ones responding most positively to the Time Out sessions. This is truly God at work since it was Jasmine who had a poor attitude from Day One. According to Rogan there is something more profound happening with those three than with the others.
Last night all were in bed by 12, except for Alan and Ryan, who sat up and chatted quietly. It's a good sign that some friendships are being made. The conditions to day are good so far. It is windy, and if the wind eases off, they plan to lash the canoes together and do some sailing. However, right now the sail would blow away if they tried to erect it. It will be a heavy day of paddling today, about 6 - 7 hours, so please bear that in mind. The amount of paddling is not the best for Kirsty's wrist, which was hurt last night, as mentioned in the previous email.
The kids are quickly running out of cigarettes, and should be completely depleted by this evening. The instructors along with the Reality volunteers are dong well and thoroughly involved with everything. Claire and Graham, the other two Reality leaders are also doing very well.
That's it for today. So please pray for:
1) Kirsty's wrist and that it would be healed to allow her to continue with her one-to-one repoir with Jasmine, who really needs that connection and really needs Kirsty's s help paddling (they share a canoe).
2) Good weather today, and for the rest of the week.
3) The kids would not be affected by the lack of nicotine, Irn-Bru, etc which are rapidly diminishing.
4) God's continued work in Jasmine, Danika and Chris and that the rest of the kids would be receptive to the work God can do in their lives.
Many thanks everyone. Tomorrow's update coming soon!
Have a wonderful day!

Loch Tay Expedition Second Report (Part 1)

Hello
Kirsty phoned in last night about 9.30pm from a beach quite near to Ardeonaig , the Abernethy Centre on the south shore of Loch Tay. She was feeling very tired and having quite a bit of pain from her wrist which she fell on during the hide & seek game in the nearby woods!!
But she was very upbeat about the progress during the day. The weather had been mixed but towards the evening was drying out and sunny and folk were quite 'chilled out'. The day had some interesting times - 2 boys capsized and their clothes were now in the drying room at Ardeonaig Centre; the seating arrangements in the boats had been changed with young people and leaders sharing and so the overall mood was much better; the young people had come to terms with the eating and cooking and clearing up arrangements (D-I-Y or you don't eat!!); that evening's Time Out was excellent with hot chocolate and cake and the young people, epecially Chris and Jass opening up but everyone was paying attention to Rogan's story. Everybody has been getting used to everbody; the young people are running out of cigarettes and playing frisbee (and also understanding / realising boundaries), the instructors are doing well, the Reality team are marvellous (Claire still overcoming her post-Peru jet-lag) and GOD has definitely been answering prayers. Thank you.

Today, Wednesday the plans are to paddle / sail (depending on the winds) to the other end of the loch, to camp on the island with the castle near Kenmure, Tom from Abernethy will be replaced by Jon, new food supplies are being sent in and tonight, Rogan will receive a visit from Kenny, his tutor from ICC.
Please pray for Kirsty and her wrist - she wants to / need to paddle today with Jass. (Rogan prayed with her last night and she felt the pain was easing). Please pray for the young people that GOD will help them to make the most of each moment of the day and their experiences together. Please pray for the team that they will continue to have strength to constructively respond to the demands of the young people and also be able to help them on in their journey with GOD.

With many thanks - watch this space for further news, as it arrives!!

Loch Tay Expedition First Report

Good morning everyone.
Here we go with the first update of the last (week long) camp of 2006. I'm afraid it's a long update given the conditions at camp.
It was a hectic day yesterday getting everyone together for the camp. Jasmine, who was a late addition to the kids group, rang on Saturday and said she wasn't coming. However, she was at the pick-up point on Monday ready to go. Another boy, Allan, left everyone waiting at the pick-up point, so when Richard rang him he said he wasn't coming, Richard said he wasn't having it and explained the time, money, etc. put into Allan's holiday. Allan was told to be ready in 10 minutes for a door-front pick up. He was ready on time and came along quietly!
We have 8 kids, all 15 and 16, on the camp plus four leaders from Reality. There are also 2 (?) instructors along as well. Kirsty just came back from a trip to Germany and Claire, another leader just returned on Sunday from a month in Peru! When the group arrived at Killen to set off on Loch Tay, tempers were running high and everyone got a bit short with each other. The football was kicked into the water, never to be seen again. The kids brought far too much gear for the canoes, so much had to be left behind, and unfortunately included some of the kids waterproofs (not intentionally).
The group paddled for 45 minutes yesterday and set up camp. Now everyone is more or less on their own for cooking and cleaning, but the aim is to eat together. Today, Kirsty called in with the report, sounding extremely tired. She saw the sunrise at 5:30 this morning. Raymond, one of the boys, was left a bit by himself, but Allan is speaking to him and the two are becoming friends. Rogan, a very experienced leader, is getting a feel for the Time Out, since this is his first camp with Reality. He is very good with the kids on a one-to-one basis.
The boys were up late drinking Irn-Bru and smoking and Jasmine has had a bit of a bad attitude since her pick-up. Another point of concern is that one of the boys may have brought some cannabis along with him. Not good!! Kirsty is going to speak to the group about being responsible about smoking in tents, etc. (The boys have already broken a zipper on their tent).

Please pray for the following things for this camp:
1) The instructors from Ardeonaig would find a good balance with the kids regarding discipline.
2) Raymond is having trouble adjusting to the eating schedule and as a result is not eating much.
3) The kids have a habit of dropping litter everywhere, so please pray that they would learn to really appreciate the opportunity they've been given and make the most of their experience. As a note, funding for this particular age group is getting harder to come by, so these opportunities may not come around again for them.

Sorry for the long email, but this camp more than any other has the potential to go either very well or very badly. Stay tuned for tomorrow's update.
God Bless!

Ardgour 306 - Final Day

Hi everyone,
Today is the last day of camp and soon everyone will be on their way home. It was a wet day today (Chad brought good weather with him to camp and took it when he left!), so the group is doing some activities close to the centre, including archery. The midges are out in full force to day, so it sounds like no one is sad to leave them behind.
Last night there was a small blow-up between a couple boys, resulting in one sleeping in the lounge, but they seem to be fine today.
Last night 6 of the kids were swimming in the loch and had great fun (the leaders were too chicken to go in - "It's too cold!" they said.)
So today can you please pray for a safe and uneventful trip for everyone and that the camp may have a really lasting effect on the kids who went.
Thanks again!

Ardgour 306 - Update 3

Thank you so much for your prayers to date.
Graeme was very up this morning when he phoned in. The weather has started off sunny - although it is now a little cloudy, it is still warm and there appears to be a breeze which is encouraging for those on the canoeing expedition which involves rafting and sailing !! The other group is off mountain biking at Rannoch Moor and both will be the subjects of Chad's time there today as he is making a video and taking publicity photos. He just caught the last ferry across last night !!
Yesterday went well and the camp has by and large settled down. it was necessary for me to take off to the Green Welly at Tyndrum yesterday afternoon to pick up a boy and girl from Kirky who were so 'homesick' that they were not prepared to join in anything any longer. This is a great shame especially as the girl is part of Kirsty's Adventure Project which she has sorted out with her Social Worker for the lass to attend a final weekend at Whithaugh at the end of this month. We are not sure how this will work out. The lad actually stays in a residential school in Fife during term time so this was also a bit of a blow. The result was that 2 other girls this morning announced that they were also not going to take part in any activities today, but by the time Graeme called they were in the canoes!!
Please pray for safety and enjoyment in today's programme for all concerned.
This of course not only unsettles the other young people but can have a bit more of a tiring effect on the team. Graeme, recognizing the strain on some, has been able to sort out some time off periods amongst them all on some sort of rotational basis.
Please pray for the team and especially for those who are anxious and feel unable to participate fully in the programme - and the resultant possible stress on the other members. Please pray that GOD will over rule and over ride with his grace and strength.
Yesterday's Time Out session was good (thank you Kath) and the Centre staff think Reality is wonderful and we think they are too!!

Actually, it is this prayer business we are sure that is upholding us all - thank you for your love and concern.

Ardgour 306 - Update 2

Good Afternoon everyone.
Here is the latest news from Graeme's camp at Ardgour. After a horrendous first night, prayers have been answered and last night was much better for sleeping. Also the day's activities probably helped towards this inasmuch as they were tiring (canoeing, gorge walking and mountain biking over Ben Nevis way), that the 'proper' programme of daytime activities had kicked in and that the evening programme including Time Out had been satisfactory.
Today, the weather is still a bit miserable and the groups are back at gorge walking and canoeing although 2 girls are playing the refusniksgame. Shannon and Louise are part of Kirsty's Adventure programe project which she has set up in assocaition with the social worker - and this is Shannon's second event when she has not wanted to take part. Graeme feels that Lousie is easily led so they are both sitting out the morning activities and hopefully will want to get back for the rest of the programme - even if out of sheer boredom / loneliness away from the other girls!
The other hiccup is that they haven't found a bike small enough for one of the lads!!
Also one of the team, Linzi from Lenzie is feeling anxious and we would value your prayers for her to realise how valued she is as a person and how she can take part in some of the activities alongside the young people. Her friend Kenny who is on the team is doing well.
This evening Chad is going up to stay for 12 hours to take photos and make a video for our future use. The groups are planning to spend Thursday as an 'own choice' expeduition day with kayaking in the local area or mountain biking at Rannoch Moor. Please pray for Chad's safe travel and a successful trip. He returns for a Thursday evening meeting with me and Doug , our IT support.

Please cointinue to pray for Graeme and Chris leading the team, that GOD will strengthen them in these next demanding days and they will press on with patience and determination, not with gritted teeth but with JOY! Pray for the young people that as they develop good relationships with the team and with each other , that the grace of our LORD Jesus will permeate their lives, understanding and vision and they will be able to respond positively to every message - word and action - to make this an excellent week for all.

Ardgour 306 - Update 1

Good Afternoon everyone.
Here is the latest news from Graeme's camp at Ardgour. The first night was horrendous. Everyone spent the nights in their room with the exception of 4 leaders who slept in the hall to make sure there were no further problems. Things seem to be established now, but it hasn't been easy. There are 8 leaders and 10 kids on this camp, so considering it is almost a one-to-one ratio, some of the kid's behaviour must have been quite challenging given the numbers of leaders available to handle things.
A couple of the boys were almost sent home last night, but the decision was made to let them ride out the first night and see how things progress. Unfortunately, the girls are just as bad. Graeme is taking things in stride, though and just says "It's to be expected."
The weather is quite wet, but no one is paying much attention to it right now. The activities for today are climbing, canoeing and mountain biking.