The Final Day


The Final Day

Saturday came with a sleepless energy for most of the camp. Many students had stayed up all night and so when I woke up around 5:30 for my morning cup of coffee and devotions, it was hard to find a quite place, very unusual for that time of day. I sat sipping at my coffee and praying out on the balcony of the meeting room. The room hummed with the slap happy sounds of teens finding new forms of humor in the simplest of things. Around 6:30 there was a lull as some of the students finally did take a little nap before breakfast. Some may have even extended that nap right through breakfast.

At 9 o’clock there was a simple farewell ceremony. We gave the students certificates of completion and had rather drowsy class pictures. Around 9:30 to 10:00, parents started to come to collect their kids. The Czech team has come up with a great way to spend this otherwise awkward period of time when some students are waiting and others are rushing off. Slightly before any parents arrive, everyone at camp takes a plane white piece of paper and attaches it to their back, and then we go around writing final notes to everyone. You can walk up to anyone and start writing on their back and suddenly someone else puts their hand on your shoulder and tells you not to move. Before long, there lines form as students and leaders seek out the next person they want to leave a note for. Sooner or later, most people have to flip their paper over so more people have room to write. At the end of it, you are left with a page, front and back, filled with notes from people you have grown to know and love.

By 11:00, all the students had been picked up and it was time for the teams to clean up the rooms and put them back in order. We quickly worked to get the classroom’s put back to their original use. The rooms were cleared out and all the luggage was gathered ready for the cars and vans that would transport them back to the church or homes they came from. The American and Czech team shared lunch one last time at camp (not the last shared meal, just the final meal of potatoes at Lesanka).

After lunch, we packed the vehicles and dispersed. Most of the Americans went to stay with host families. My fellow team leader and I went to stay at a Bed and Breakfast near Česká Třebová in a town called Semanín. Our host was an amazing man named David. One of his jobs is caretaker for a ancient church that is next to his house. He has done this job very well and the church and grounds have been beautifully kept. We had a dinner of grilled trout (that we caught for ourselves out of David’s small stocked pond) and kielbasa with bread and vegetables. Very Czech and very delicious. We finished the day with a hike around some of the mountains and woods near the house, a great end to a wonderful week. 



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