For lunch today we went to Papa John's Pizza to celebrate summer camps being over for the season. The last camp, an equestrian camp, finished yesterday and we came home in the pouring rain. Thankfully, all the parents were able to pick up the kids in spite of a few roads being closed because rain destroys desert city roads unprepared for large amounts of water.
In the past, parents have asked me (Mary Beth writing) what 'equestrian' means and I tell them it is horse-riding camp. This year, two boys showed up expecting 50 other kids and a week filled with large-group-games and Bible teaching. "Where's the big bus? Where are all the people?" the mom asked me as the 10-seater van drove up and the small group excitedly gathered around to say good-bye to the seven campers. Uh oh, I thought... I hope these boys like horses.
I had a counselor cancel last minute for this camp, so with much prayer, going off a tip from someone, I sent a message to fellow SIM missionary, Siegfried Reuter, to ask if he'd be willing to step in. He and his wife helped start the camps in 1993. Since he was on vacation and planning to return to Arequipa 1 day before the camp, and because he's a stereotypical German in that he likes to be well prepared, I was dubious he'd come. But to my great surprise, he was overjoyed at the opportunity. He told me later that the Lord had been speaking to his heart for months that he should be willing if the opportunity came up. He was so excited about the horses and great at making the two young men feel loved and motivated even though they were extremely out of their comfort zone and riding horses was not what they expected.
