Buena Vista Part 2

On Saturday, June 5, I made my second trip to the Buena Vista Camp for a day of fun with the kids. I thought I was the only one looking forward to it this much, until I saw about 10 kids already waiting for our cars to arrive when we reached the camp. I know the first time the kids met me, it was a culture shock for them, and I was sure it would work against me when a few kids were hesitant to approach me. However, this week was completely different. The boys ran over to me and shouted, "HEY, I remember her!" and dragged us to the field to quickly start our soccer game. To anyone one else, it might seem like we were just there to spend some time babysitting young kids, but I knew I was making a difference. These kids barely spend time outside the camp since their parents are always working, and even when they do get out, they barely meet people unlike them, therefore impairing their ability to be sociologically mindful. I think these trips are an opportunity for both of us to learn about each other, our lifestyles, and our backgrounds. One of the most memorable moments from that day was watching the kids play basketball, and spotting a little boy watching us from around the corner of a building. We brought him out to play, but he wanted to show me his marble collections instead, and I tried playing catch with him after. His name was Angel, he was shy, but he started to open up to me. Right before we left, I was talking to the older high school boys about the other programs TOUCCh has, and I felt a tug on my sweatshirt. Angel pulled me far away from the boys and whispered, "I want to play basketball now! Come with me." I felt horrible when I said I couldn't because my mommy was waiting for me at home, and his eyes filled with tears and he ran home. Made me sad the whole way home :(

These camps are seriously some of the best community service I've done, and I can't wait to go again