Tuesday, August 2, 2011

One Happy Camper

One last post about camp from Mom this time. 

So last March I was asked to be education director for our animal rescue league. Having no idea what that entailed, I just knew I wanted to work directly with kids and dogs. At the beginning of June (2010) I went to our board president and said, “I had this idea for a summer camp. We’d have to plan it for next summer though cause there isn’t time to put it together this year.” She said, “Nope, put it together and do it this year.”  In five weeks, I pulled it off. It was not nearly as grand as this year, but was still great given the short notice.

We live in the “Bible belt” and our BARL president is a Christian, so I was given permission to put a Christian twist on the camp. Our theme this year was D.O.G.- depend on God and our camp song was GoD and DoG by Wendy Francisco.  I was able to look each child in the eyes and tell them that God made them special and that He and I love them and were always there for them. As simple as that sounds I hope and pray that I sowed seeds into the lives of these precious children that will reap a harvest in their lives in the years to come.

It is my desire that this thing will grow and be bigger and better each year. I also want to pursue other outlets to make the lessons we’re teaching in the camp available to more children. As I shared with media last week: “Education is key to preventing children from being dog attack victims. If they knew how to react in that situation, they’d be less likely to be injured badly. And if we can teach the kids responsible ownership, we are training the next generation to have reliable canine companions that will be an asset to our communities rather than a threat.”
And so my heart is being turned again - in addition to continuing therapy work with children and adults, education has now become a strong heart's desire.  With that I am hoping to turn some of the lessons we have started teaching into a children's book series featuring Boondocks and The Love Shack Pack.  I have no idea how to begin but am pursuing all avenues to see this through.  I'm excited to see where God is leading and to continue following the path He's set before us.
For your viewing entertainment, I leave you with a video montage from our camp week featuring three of our favorite dog songs.



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4 comments:

  1. OH, those smiles - the wonders that pups do!!! Mom says she wishes she could come to your camp too.

    We wish you all the best with your new endeavor, and we applaud you for the wonderful work you do.

    Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara

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  2. That is so cool. You should write books, there is so much to teach. And of course Boon would be a great addition to making the books a success.

    He can even go on book tours with you. And when you come to UTAH bert and my vickie will be first in line for our autographed copy.

    Bert

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  3. What a wonderful idea for a camp!! Your goldens are beautiful!!
    xoxo Chloe and LadyBug

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  4. What a great idea! Best of luck with your new project! Can't wait to hear more as you go forward.

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