fly with mhe

Have things to do tonight to be submitted tomorrow in connection with our seminar this Saturday. But here I am in front of the monitor, chatting with some friends, browsing the net, reading articles, whiling away time, er, rather, wasting precious time while listening to some music over the radio, texting friends and devouring Milo chocolate powder with little sugar on a cup. What a life. As if I’m not busy and clamoring for some more time. I haven’t packed yet, haven’t prepared my things for my weekend travel to Cebu City. Still have to do some laundry and ironing. Haven’t even cleaned my bag and my messy bed. Haha.. So much for the complaints.

And I just put on my eyeglass. Haha.. My eyes hurts these days from too much reading and browsing, not too mention lesser sleeping hours.

Aside from the fact that it’ll be a week before Cebu Youth Camp begins, the preparations and all, though not more unto physical but more of emotional and spiritual. I still have to prepare my swimming paraphernalias and make  sure they are all usable. Haven’t done that yet and the clock is continuesly ticking. I haven’t even bought a boat ticket yet to Cebu City in the knowledge that my fellow camp staffs would be joining along. This may have added to my stress. Nah.. This is what I enjoy doing, so why would I be stressed with this?

This week would be a busy week for me, for us at our school. We’ll be hosting a reading seminar this Saturday and the American speaker arrived yesterday. So it’ll be more of a week of entertaining the guest and filling in her schedule with activities. Not to say, I still hold regular summer classes for my student. I might want to ask her and her nanang not to come on some days. Haha.. Anyway, still have to think where we’ll bring our guest on Friday for lunch. One that is uniquely in our city. Plus, I still haven’t prepared my part as an emcee for the said seminar. Grrr.. Not my forte, so understand that I haven’t had the jest to start on it. Maybe I’d do another impormpto or make a last minute preparation. Duh.. Ice cream please..

Just arrived from my Medina trip an hour ago. Was at Medina, Misamis Oriental for a little family gathering in celebration also of the town’s fiesta. Due to my work and schedule, I seldom had the privilege of visiting my mother’s town. In a year, it would be good if I can visit it 3 or 4 times. Normally, it would be once or twice a year. There was even a year wherein I hadn’t had the time and opportunity to drop by. Anyway.. My visit was cut short due to work tomorrow. And to think that this week will be a busy summer week for me due to the seminar our school co-sponsored.

Anyhow.. Met up with a friend last night at Medina and knowing the person’s asset, I gave the person a task just for fun.  It would be to count off the persons laying eyes on the person for 5 days while the person is on vacation at Medina. Hehe.. Just for pure fun, nothing else. I’m excited to know the number at the end of our set period.

Next week, I’d be traveling again to Cebu City then to the town of Alegria, 3 hours bus ride from the city I think. What would I be doing there? I’d be teaching swimming to youth campers of Cebu City, Dumaguete City and other places as well. The camp which will be sponsored by our church would be on May 27 to June 1. Its an opportunity again to serve the youths in those areas. Oh well.

When I get back from the camp, I want to treat myself for a hair spa. Hehe.. Vain? No. Consider this. I’d be teaching swimming and maybe help on snorkeling everyday for probably a total of 5 hours for 3 days, or maybe 4, I’m not really sure. And the heat would surely take a toll on my naturally wavy, unhealthy hair. But the good things is, I’d be snorkeling in one of the fish sanctuaries I have the privilege of exploring. It is indeed a blessing.

It has been days since the youth camp ended. I missed the campers, their laughter, the noise they made, their songs, their queries, etc. I missed the staff, our bonding, our understood glances, our encouraging smiles, the brotherhood we fostered and shared, etc. It has been a week of working together in unity for the same purpose and drive, that is to serve the youths in our annual summer camp. To give them a memorable summer and give them lessons as well.

As one camper puts it, it may only be a few days but those were the days wherein the campers feels alive. Why? Because it is in this camp that a camper make friends, foster it through sharing and activities that calls for unity and continues it through constant communication after the camp is commenced. Believe me. I had friends from my first camp more than a decade ago that remains as my close and trusted friends. It is also in this camp that they get to experience life simulations on situations common to their life outside the camp. They’d get to feel what it is like to be in a situation, what it really meant and what they could get out of it. It is like a training ground. We, the staffs may be rude to them with the activities we prepared for them but it is nothing compared to the challenges that awaited them outside of our set parameters in camp. We may discipline them but His discipline is much more painful, unbearable and confusing compared to what we did to them during the camp days. It may just be a 4 or 5 day event but it is significant and meaningful for a youths’ life.

At the end of the camp, we hope that the youths would bring the lesson, the experiences they got from camp into their respective places. They may struggle with their studies, their family, their friends, combat peer pressure, other personal issues in their lives, etc. Through all that, we hope and pray that in our little way, we had made a difference in their lives. It may not be big and obvious, planting a seed of lessons, of discipline, of friendship in their young hearts may be enough. Fostering friendship and bond that would last for years.

Kudos to the staffs who helped and made the camp possible. They sacrificed their time, money, strength for this young people. Some, like me, didn’t mind being absent from work just to be there at the camp. The campers deserve the thanks as well for being there, for giving us the opportunity to serve and be part of their life even just for a short 4-days. Looking forward to next years camp once again.