Homemade rocket launchers and two-liter soda bottles make for a ton of fun.

Before we left home, Gene made a gizmo designed to send water-filled soda bottles soaring for about 300 feet. He packed the launcher in a suitcase and brought it along (Canadian airport security searched that suitcase after we checked it at the Vancouver airport. Thankfully Gene had placed a note of explanation inside saying it was a child’s science experiment from NASA’s website). When we arrived at the camp venue, he collected bottles by searching the ditches for throwaways and having the kids drink a few bottles dry.

On Thursday morning, the kids cut triangular-shaped fins from lightweight cardboard and then used duct tape to hold them in place on the soda bottles. After lunch we walked to a nearby soccer field to launch them. What fun! The kids loved it. The delight on their faces made an unforgettable memory.

Launching bottle rockets

These young adults face such huge challenges in life. Their health is marginalized and some suffer from depression. Many are from families where alcoholism is a problem. Some are from broken families. One young man’s dad was murdered; others’ parents have died in car accidents or are working in countries such as Italy to earn income and they rarely visit home. Their stories break our hearts, and yet they laugh. Something as simple as shooting off bottle rockets brings sunshine to their lives. Loving these kids is so easy.

I’ve been especially delighted to see my cousin’s two teenage daughters mix and mingle with the campers. The 14-year-old taught a craft lesson about making wallets from bright-colored duct tape. The 17-year-old has been teaching kids how to play drums and guitar. Together they taught the girls how make friendship bracelets from embroidery floss. And then there was the soccer game between the guys while the girls enjoyed a spa afternoon.

Spa day at camp

Again, lots of laughter and good times building relationships.

Who wants to join us next year?

Tags: laughter, memory, Romania

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 13th, 2010 at 7:25 am and is filed under Devotionals, Travels. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.