SPEC 2008

Good Morning SPEC Fans,

This will be our last morning together for this SPEC. Can you believe it’s over today? Where has the week gone? Later we have our delegation worship; it’s always a special time of fellowship and sharing. Usually the kids have lots to say about SPEC, school, family, and life. Our time together usually ends in crying and hugging. After our worship all the delegations gather one last time in the gym for a recap of all the medals and awards, and a prelude and announcement of the dates and themes for SPEC 2009. After that we say final good-by’s load up and head west.



Yesterday started out rainy, but fairly quickly turned warm and humid. The air was thick and ha rd to breath; sort of like being used to 2% milk and then having a big gulp of whole milk.

Breakfast was some sort of waffley thing (I didn’t try one). I stuck with tried and true; scrambled eggs. It was sausage day again for breakfast!! Picture tigger bouncing around for joy. Oh! And we also had warm, fresh from the fryer, glazed donuts. I’m sure there’s some kind of sin in eating warm donuts – God forgive me.



Yesterday was the last full day of class and competition. After morning celebration, we broke the entire camp into three groups for three presentations. The first was a young adult who talked about experiences in Africa and China . She shared about watching a group of poor African school children all sharing the same large sucker; each one savoring their lick. Then she talked about visiting somewhere else, also very poor, where she saw for the first time ever pineapple growing. Never pictured them on a bush – she imagined them on a tree like bananas. After visiting and talking of her surprise with the grower he cut and gave her a pineapple. She wanted to refuse because of his lack of wealth, but she was impressed with her need to accept his generosity and desire to share. The two experiences made her realize her own call to share her sucker and pineapple with others.

Next we visited with a lawyer who warned the kids about the very real danger of doing stupid (and often illegal) stuff, and having or letting it get posted on the internet for all the world to see. Those things can affect your life, your employment, and even your possible guilt and innocence in legal matters. Bosses and HR folks often Google you, or check My Space or My Face to see if you show up. Is that the way you want a potential employer to see you? And of course there’s always predators of all kinds to worry about.



Lastly we spent time with a young man, a hip-hop/rap singer who has a ministry to young adults, who shared his story, and taught us some new songs and dance. This reporter can really bust-a-move. Luckily not a hip or something.

Lunch was chicken patties, or something that tasked sort of like chicken, which made a nice sandwich; combined with a salad and a cookie bar with ice cream it was an ok lunch.




The afternoon was the culmination of the sporting events for those teams still in competition. Our volleyball team took fourth, our two girls won gold and silver with their respective teams. Our boy won a gold medal in gold level basketball with his team. And the joy of it all was that our softball team (all thirteen campers) won a gold medal in our division. It was so cool to see. Imagine though bad news bears. After two days of record rainfall every small indent, rut and pothole was a puddle, pond, or lake. So the kids slipped, slid, bounced, splashed and rolled in the mud and water. It was pretty hilarious. But the laughter was infectious and even in the midst of it all there was a few pretty amazing plays.

The evening activities were the SPEC Presents (the talent show) and a dance/concert by the hip-hop/rapper that lead our morning class. The quad and the MSC were filled with kids.

Our final devotion was low key and we headed the kids off to bed. I am so impressed with the quality of young people in our delegation again this year. The parents of the Rockies kids are just doing a wonderful job. This reporter is excited for the future of the Community of Christ with young people like these leading the way. They are gifted, talented, passionate, caring, and committed.
Don’t forget to check out the SPEC link on the church website cofchrist.org, and also World Famous Photographer, Jim Doty’s SPEC photo albums here. So far there are four albums, but continue to check – there will be more.

So in this reporters mind it was a very successful SPEC and one for the record books. I hope these reports have helped you feel a part of the experience and the joy. It has been fun to visit with you each morning.

Today is the long, hard drive home. 20Please attend us with your prayer and good wishes as we travel. We need to stay alert, awake, and safe. And until next year, this is your SPEC reporter putting this issue to bed.

Have a Glorious day, because “Someday is Now!”
Bob

SPEC photo albums are appearing at ImageEvent.com/JimDoty.