A short post this week since I’m getting to this rather late after today’s Day Camps Kick- off Event.
The event went off better than we expected as nearly 20 people turned out in the end, after literally no one had RSVP’d until late in the week.Of course the ranks were swelled by a contingent of Day Camp Team Members who came to lend a hand and whose presence was much appreciated
I will not deny that this has been another hard week in the world of Day Camps as, with less than a month to go, we are still so short of Team recruits and also still lacking 4 host locations. It seems that every response I receive to all my emails, Facebook messages and phone calls, is a negative one and yet another name is deleted from my lists. All of this is terribly discouraging. The possibility of cancelling some Day Camps looms closer on the horizon and even the thought of having to do this makes me feel queasy but the current 9 or 10 young people who have been accepted this year cannot be divided into 6 Teams.
After the Kick off was over and everything tidied up I came home, had a quick lunch and then spent two and a half hours sweeping up maple “keys”. This annual chore always coincides with the difficult days preceding the start of Day Camps and each year I try to remain positive and lean into the task, using the hours of manual labour as a time of prayer. God has honoured our petitions over many summers and I am still absolutely convinced that this ministry has an even more important part to fill in the Post-Christendom era than it had almost forty years ago when it began. More than ever, children need to meet Jesus and receive the love and friendship that He freely offers and Day Camps may be the only opportunity they have to begin that relationship. So I try to forge ahead and avoid the snares of the enemy that can so easily entrap us during seasons of discouragement.
During the week there have been a few visitors, Sarah joined me for lunch on Monday and Wednesday afternoon Linda stopped by for coffee followed closely that by evening Jessica and Tyler. They came for dessert (strawberry pie with lemon balm infused cream) and to received their slightly overdue First Anniversary gift of a quilled bowl made a from magazine pages, thus fulfilling the first anniversary tradition of giving something made of paper. It was quite a challenging project but it turned out well in the end and I think they were pleased with it.
Yesterday Jillian was here for our weekly lunch together after which she put in some more work on the Team Music Binders, then we went over to Isaiah 40 and set up the Hall in readiness for today’s Kick off event. It makes such a difference to arrive at 815 am and see the space well prepared 😊. And last evening Jenna stopped by to pick up a dress I had altered for her and which she planned to wear to a wedding she was attending today.
During the week I’ve done a bit of sewing as a distraction from the Day Camps woes, baked a few things on Wednesday afternoon, and last evening completed the fringing of a shawl, which I have been knitting for what seems like ages.Well it is now time to start preparing dinner so I had better close off but not before sharing a recipe.One evening this week I made some yummy mushroom toasts so I think I’ll share that with all mushroom lovers 😊
Miso Mushroom Toasts
- 4 oz. shitake or cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 1 large avocado, sliced.
- 2 oz. sprouts (I used sunflower)
- 2 Tbsps. Dark Miso
- 2 tbsps. water
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 2 slices multigrain bread
- Pepper and salt
Heat the oil, miso and water in a frying pan and sauté the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, turning once. Meanwhile toast the bread. When the mushrooms are cooked, divide the avocado slices between the toast pieces and spread with a spatula. Top with the mushrooms and sprouts, adding pepper and salt to taste. Serves 1 but can easily be multiplied. Yum 😊