Here we are on the evening before Team Training Day! The first Training Team Leader arrived yesterday and is staying with me and another Team Member is on a flight from Edmonton and will soon be touching down in Montreal, met by a Day Camp Committee Member and also delivered to the house to stay overnight. Then early in the morning we will all be off to Isaiah 40 for what amounts to a crash course in Day Camps.
All but 2 of this year’s crop of Team Members will be present, which will be excellent, and most of the Day Camp Committee people are able to be there to help out, which is AWESOME as we were very shorthanded at the Kick Off Event.The plan is to actually try and remember to take photos tomorrow but I cannot really promise to do so as things can get pretty darn busy at Training Day.
This week has been a whirlwind of activity, just as predicted. The most amazing piece of news being that a church in NEW BRUNSWICK!!!! has signed up for one of the long vacant spots, which is absolutely fabulous. God’s timing not being our timing I have once again been caught wanting in not believing things would work out and then being blown away by His perfect plan. There was also a vague possibility of a second church but even if that falls through we still have the offer of a week at the residential camp and will be most grateful to accept that generous invitation.
So we now have 18 Team Members and 27 host locations and with less than 24 hours to start up my stomach is all of a twizzle with excitement and anticipation tinged with the usual measure of worries and fears!! But really considering all that the morning will bring, I’m pretty pumped and feel we are as ready as we will ever be to get started!
Before ending off this half of the post, I think I’ll tuck a salad recipe here in the middle so that we can segue smoothly into the Training Day….
Continuing with our series of main course summer salads this is a quick and simple recipe, easily multiplied or divided.
Mango Shrimp Salad
- 1 large ripe mango, peeled and sliced
- 1 lb. large raw shrimp
- 8oz. mixed spring greens
- ½ a small sweet onion, slivered
- 1 tsp. grated fresh gingerroot
- 3 Tbsps. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
- Grated rind of 1 orange
- ¼ cup orange juice
Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add the shrimp and cook just until they turn pink, approx. 2 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Drain well. Divide the greens among 4 dinner plates or shallow bowls. Scatter the onion slivers over the greens and top with the shrimp and mango. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over each plate just before serving. Serves 4
WHEW! The Training Leaders have all called in, the Teams are now all settled in their billets’ homes, and Team Training Day 2016 is only a memory.
Up at 6am this morning Wil and I dashed over to a friend’s house to feed her cats then back home to begin morning chores as my 2 overnight guests got up and ready for the day ahead. We all enjoyed breakfast together on the deck and then, with the girls wheeling their luggage; we processed to Isaiah 40, with of course Wil in the lead! Once there, signs were hung up, coffee plugged in to brew; a basket of yummy apple donuts arranged and soon the excited Team Members began streaming in the door.
Team Training Day includes a quick overview of the Program plus discussions about billeting and lots of other helpful tips although I fear it spells information overload for many of the recruits but as they are now about to be thrown in the deep end, we do our best to share advice and instructions before they “jump”!
And so to close of this post, here are a few photos, which I actually remembered to take during the general chaos, maybe they will give you a tiny flavour of the day…
