There is nothing like bruising a rib from a simple fall to make you cautious about walking. Walking is a daily activity. And when you have a dull ache reminding you that you are just one step away from falling at any time…it is a bit scary. It adds a bit of gravity and soberness to your life. Caution.

It also reminded me that I could not do it alone. “My weakness made perfect in His strength” ran through my head constantly. When the camp did active activities, I was excluded, but tried to support. We did an all camp bodypass and trust falls. All the camp but me. It made me step back and remember it wasn’t about me–it was about them, and making it their day. I’ve already been given so much love and support–pass it on, baby, pass it on.

Day 8 I caught a cold. Really God? More? Taking pain killers, vitamins, and cough drops out the wazoo. But I made it. We made it–with a successful, awesome camp. It was difficult, but it was great. Now we are going into the next camp, and I am about 80% better. I wonder what new challenges will come?  

The children at our first camp were amazing. We were expecting some reservations, as well as difficulties with language skills. On day 2 we talk about stepping out of our comfort zone and living in the “This is it” learning zone–they were already there: dancing, singing, and forming an impromptu to congo line.

The staff, a beautiful mixture from the US, Canada, and Hong Kong, enjoy each other and what they do. One of the campers really opened up to me and we were able to strategize some tools for him to be able to handle his frustration and anger after returning home.

I am always amazed at how Supercamp empowers and shows each individual involved that they are special, supported, and can/will make a difference. I need to stop being so surprised. That is what it did for me personally as well. The two other facilitators have years of experience, while this is only my second. They have become my big brothers, cheering me on and giving me the encouragement and feedback to do even better.

Tomorrow is our junior camp: over 80 kids ages 10-12, for seven days. Please pray for:

* Endurance and energy for the staff–there are a lot of kids and they are very young

* The campers, that they would come ready to learn

* Me, that I would be able to share the information well and be a light that makes people ask why

I zigzagged down the mountain to the beach, about a five minute walk from the boarding school where Supercamp is located. It is hot and sunny, and I am grateful because most of last week was rainy. One evening we had almost vertical rains pouring in. Typhoon season. Hong Kong is beautiful, clean, and efficient.

Their beauty mixes lush tropical green with straight architectural lines and buildings, making the city and forest coexist without enmity. As I descend the steps to the beach, a man is sweeping them clean. Always busy, always rearranging, always making fresh.

Their efficiency seems to include compactness. Even their dogs are smaller, compact pugs. At 5’3”, I don’t feel short. Their toilets are even smaller. Apparently, women are used to standing on the seat, because there are signs in every stall that say “Please do not stand on the seat” in English and Cantonese. Have you ever noticed how many different bathroom stall closures there are in the USA? Not here–one plastic flip that shows red or green when occupied/unoccupied. Very uniform.

I never know which way to look when crossing the road. They drive on the opposite side, remembering their past with England. There are so many one-ways and turns that–I just make sure there are no cars anywhere before crossing. Their roads are thin, with many modes of transport, with all public transport organized through an octopus card that scans through your purse for easy access.

I love sitting on top of double decker buses as they brush the tree branches that escaped the vigourous trimming. Hairpin turns around mountain corners. The minibuses remind me a bit of Brazilian Kombes, but I can’t see the Chinese squishing three people into a seat.Everyone I have met is friendly. And I have met quite a few strangers while asking for directions. They chatter around me in Cantonese, but all have a workable amount of English. Hong Kong officially has both languages.

The exchange rate is about 1 to 7 or 8, but I still haven’t gotten used to shelling out 30$HK dollars for something to drink. For all of its affluence, my eyes still gravitate to other realities–the people sleeping under bridges, or tucked in corners. Passing through a rougher part of town. Minimum wage in HK is about 3.50$USD. Over half of my time here is gone already, but I am excited about learning more. About everything.

Blank pages

Like empty moments

Make me believe

They were made for me

Coloring my smiles

Eating away the fullness

They call me somewhere unfamiliar

With promises of glory

Sometimes they fail me

Or have I let them down?

Sometimes they turn on me

Vengence and hatred that peirce my soul

But no. Not tonight.

Tonight they are my beauty

Sparkling out of the corners of my eyes

I own them

I make them sing

I make them dance

I play the puppet master

I learn something about myself

I never knew before

A. With great people. check.

B. With someone else’s money. check.

C. With challenges/scavenger hunts like taking pictures with strangers. check.

We went out and about Hong Kong for the first time yesterday. Amazing. I never really connected Hong Kong with tropical rain forest and mountains, but it is just that. And beautiful. I have a perfect view of the harbor as I walk into the staff room every morning.

On our scavenger hunt, we not only sang every single word–all 99 rounds–of “99 bottles of beer on the wall,” but we traveled by minibus, tram, ferry, “Ding Ding,” Subway (MTA), and foot. Through rain we stood in fountains and took pictures with strangers, one who promptly got out her camera and took our picture as well. We taught and filmed a kung fu session, and made one poor guy believe that we were wax figures at Madam Tussauds.

We tried these amazing smoothes that come in layers and have jello in them–one flavored with bird’s nest (actually, the spit that the bird uses to make the bird’s nest). That wasn’t anti-vegetarian, was it? Smelly tofu wasn’t bad, as long as you topped it with enough hot sauce. Anything isn’t too bad with enough hot sauce. I tried to learn the word for “Thank you,” which sounds like “hmmmm-goi.” Unfortunately, other things randomly came out…like “hmmm-gong.” But an “A” for effort, right?

Today we are finishing up staff training and tomorrow we meet the campers–around seventy, ages 13-17. I bruised my rib last night, and am taking things slowly, but it is killing me to fell like I am not pulling my own share. Please pray for me, to be able to relax when I need to, and to be able to step up when I need to as well. I want to be there for my team–I have gotten to know that they are amazing people that I am gonna love spending the rest of the month with.

They all have a slow way of closing that exasperates me when i need to lock the door quickly. “Slow down,” it chides me, “The world will still run.” I tried to slam the taxi door as i headed into the clinic. It wouldn’t slam. I slipped last night, falling on a wet patch as I exited the shower. it would have been a “fine, pick yourself up” fall except there was a step and my back/side landed on it. I got myself into bed and slept, scared to find out how bad it was.

Pretty bad. Especially at first. I got out of bed and almost fainted from the pain. I didn’t know in what position I would feel fine and when i would have a searing pain course through my side and down my leg. Worse still was the large question mark of if I was making it worse or if it would be permanent. I made my way down to breakfast and everyone’s kindness drew tears that I blinked away–I didn’t want to miss anything.

The doctor at the clinic said it was probably a bruised rib–perhaps fractured, but not badly. Nothing was broken, and nothing could be done about it unless the pain got worse and then they would take xrays. Now it is just getting used to the pain and hoping it heals quickly. Figuring out what I can and can’t do. “Can I dance?” I asked, for what is supercamp without dancing? “Yes, just no heavy lifting.” Check. Got it. I got my meds (one green one a day, and up to 8 white ones…ohhhhh) and left. The door wouldn’t slam.

The walls look really plain. I have my own room, which is nice yet awkwardly silent. I am just now realizing that I will be here for a month, and I want to go buy tape and decorate the walls. The door has windows and no way of covering them up–a boarding school thing, I guess. I will change hiding in the corner.

I was on the plane for 27 hours. New Rachel record. But not really. We lost 12 hours. Those hours feel like they are hanging in the air somewhere, asking me why I am eating dinner instead of breakfast, and why is the sun shining. Planes are planes. I like flying. They had millions of movies and I watched Jane Eyer. And cried. I watched “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and “Rebel without a Cause” because I realized I had missed watching them somewhere in growing up. Those 1950′s bras really are cones. And James Dean is not all that (Sorry, Anna).

We flew direct from Detroit to Hong Kong–up (through Canada), around (the Arctic circle), and down (through Russia and China). I wore my blue blow up neck pillow the whole time. I didn’t have a window, but my friend saw glaciers. I had an aisle seat, and saw the bathroom.

Remembering their British past, they drive on the other side of the road in Hong Kong (I can’t say the wrong side of the road, because that is ethnocentric. I also cannot call it “Chinese food.” It is just “food.”) It was late, so Hong Kong was lit up like Times Square as we drove from the airport (on the Lantau island) to where we are staying in Stanley district on Hong Kong Island. The driver told us things like an average Hong Kong family of 4 lives in 50 square meters.

We are at a fancy old boarding school that overlooks–wait for it–the ocean. The mountains pile up from it, with tasteful houses and buildings decorating them. The warm air feels more like Brazilian humidity than Indianian, strong and covering your skin like lotion. My glasses fogged up as I left the air-conditioned dorms. The wind twirled my hair as I rested my chin on the bar of the overlook, watching the ships and feeling full.

I know almost nothing about anything–I just woke up and can’t find where breakfast is. But right now, my ignorance is complete bliss. Welcome to Hong Kong!

*Hong Kong has more Rolls Royce’s per person than any other city in the world.

*Hong Kong has the most skyscrapers in the world. Classified as buildings with more than 14 floors, Hong Kong has around 8000, almost double that of New York its nearest rival.

*Eating noodles on your birthday is believed to extend your life in Hong Kong.

Now that you know the important facts (ha!), please keep me in your prayers during this trip:

* I will be going to Hong Kong July 6-August 4 with Supercamp: www.supercamp.com

* Please pray for the 140ish kids during two camps. I am teaching strategies and principles–academic in nature, but applicable to every area of life.

* This is not a religious camp, but I want my light to shine bright: please pray for opportunities to be God’s hands and a blessing to those around me.

* Please pray for energy and good sleep when I can–this is a work hard, play hard job, and I want to lead by example.

* Please pray for safety, protection, and wisdom in new and different places and situations.

* Please pray for smooth transitions–especially with the time difference (on the flight home, I will actually arrive an hour before I left).

Thank you, and God bless. I hope to have lots of wonderful stories to share when I return. Have a wonderful July!