Day 6: A picture is worth . . .
. . . a thousand words.
Today was such an emotional day.
As we passed Wednesday, — which usually is the peak day as far as attendance — things goes downslope from that moment on. At least, that’s what we’ve been told.
Not in Shiprock 2016.
In fact, the estimate number I got on Friday (the last day) — I added this part of my journal entry the sunday after we get back home, or day 8 — was just north of 400 kids, a few kids who present on Thursday weren’t even on attendance on Friday.
Highlight of the day would be the session just after lunch. This may even be more than a highlight of the day. It's probably the highlight of the whole trip.
- - -
Before we get to that, let's backtrack a little and review a little on our daily schedule. I think I mentioned our schedule a little bit here and there but I've just realized that I never give you full details of our daily schedule. So, here we go:
Every day, our schedule starts with a breakfast at the hotel where we stay, and then we start with a morning devotion. After devotion, we get into our assigned cars and head off to Shiprock, about 40 minutes drive. We have to arrive at camp by 8.30, so at the latest, we had to head out by 7.45 in the morning. We usually gets up around 6.00–6:30, get ready and get down to lunch room by around 7.00, and start our devotion around 7.20.
The camp itself starts at 8.30 with a Zumba session for about half an hour. A great way to start the day for the kids and adult volunteers alike.
Then the kids will gather together around 9:00 before they break into groups for the first session which last for about 45-50 minutes.
They can choose one from various kind of activities offered:
• Arts & Crafts
• Sports: Basketball, Flag Football, Volleyball, Softball, and Soccer
• Field trips: Hiking, Swimming, Bowling, Skateboarding, etc.
*For the Field Trips, the kids were bused off to a location with adult chaperones, they had to pay a small amount for these extra activities — the camp itself is free, food provided by the local school district in a middle school next door, food for those on field trip is provided by one of the camp supporting partner, a local burger chains.
After the first session, they’ll all get snack and gather in the main gym for some "assembly" session: safety instruction conducted by local fire department, or motivational and inspirational speech by community leaders and elders.
Then after that, the kids would break up again for session 2 (which they can choose different kind of activity, or return to the one they took in session 1, followed by lunch time.
At the end of session 2, all of us adult volunteer took role of a "safety and security" personnel. As the kids will have to walk over next door to the middle school from the high school where we set up camp. They didn't need to cross a traffic or busy street, but we just keep watchful eyes to be on the err side of caution.
After Lunch time, the kids will get back to the main gym for another sit-down assembly. Filled with another motivational speech, entertainment (music and such) or some kind show-and-tell. Because doing sports right after lunch is really not recommended.
The camp will then continued with 3rd session of the day, and wrapped up with a final sit-down for dismissal. After all the kids got picked up by their parents/guardians our team gather with the rest of the local volunteers for a debrief. All in all, we usually conclude our camp at 3.30 PM.
The Smurf a.k.a. Team California then will head off for (varies day-by-day and not in particular order) a team meeting/briefing, excursion to local trading posts or Navajo rugs and jewelery shops, or drive around the rural and residential area to get to know local living condition better and then get dinner before we head back to the hotel. Once we get back to the hotel, it's mostly free time to rest (like what me and my roomate did on Monday, first day of camp), or sometimes we did some prep for the next day, or have a team meeting/briefing (like when we celebrated our Team Leaders' birthday; and on Thursday prepping us for last day of camp and traveling back home).
Most days we're all get to bed by around 10, which is a good thing since our days start pretty early.
- - -
Back to Thursday. Day 6 of our trip, day 4 of camp.
So, on this very day prior to the assembly session after lunch time we (team California) were told by the local volunteers that they needed our help, so they asked —with urgency — all of us to come down to the gym (where the kids are seated). *most of the other days, we used this time to get lunch, a little break and prepare things for session 3.
Little did we know, they’ve prepared a surprise for us.
A local artist (painter), been working on a big mural-style painting. Throughout the camp, he invited kids to paint things on that big painting. And he tied everything up into a mural showing the community, and the activities of this camp. Such a beautiful and meaningful painting.
What we didn't know was that our Shiprock friends been planning that painting as a gift for us.
This day after lunch, the iMPACT Shiprock organizers and leaders presented the painting to our team.
Not just that, they asked the kids to line up and give a hug, high-fives and thank us for our help.
WHOA!!
Can you imagine getting hugs, and high-fives from 300+ kids and teenagers, and many of the adult local volunteers as well.
Definitely a bittersweet moment.
At this point, it really feels like we can't deny it any longer. Team California won't be back next year (although nothing was official at that moment), but it just... feels that way.
As much as we want to be back, as much as they want us to be back. It's about time.
That painting, definitely worth more than a thousand words. Many unspoken words that manifest our mixed feelings.
Our team's journey — not just 2016 team, but all teams that went to Shiprock in the years prior — started with a blank canvas. Then we start adding some strokes, we started with a church partner and a few volunteers. Throughout the years, more and more people got involved, adding more colors, lines, shape and patterns . . .
And finally, the painting is finished.
It wasn't completed yet, as it will never be.
The "painting" is never meant to be completed.
In the coming years, I know more and more people will add more colors, lines, strokes, and add to the dynamics of this "painting."
For now, as of that day in 2016; the painting is finished.
And our Shiprock friends graciously send us home with that painting.
I'm sure in the coming years, they'll build upon it, and paint an even better picture.
For now, we gotta figure out how to bring that huge painting home.
*Yes, we figured it out and managed to get it home to California with us. Truth be told, we almost couldn't . . .
