23 of them. That’s how many we brought with us. All together at camp, it’s well over 200. Ages 1 month to 17 years old. Let’s say 225. 225 kids for a week.

I know I keep talking about the kids, the broken kids specifically. I have problems with little people being broken already at the age of 9 or 10. Of our 23 kids, we have 6……6..who come from a traditional family. That is a mom and dad who created them, then stayed together to raise them. I actually miscounted, as I counted my own. I forgot we don’t fit that description; I have been around so long that I forget I didn’t make them LOL.

There are no Dads, and step Dads. There are no Dads and boyfriends. There are no Dads and revolving boyfriends. To an extent, there is the opposite with Moms. There are full step families, half families, and joint and split custody. Just today, we needed to get a message to a boys father, and it had to go from real mom, to step mom, and finally wound it’s way do Dad.

There is alcohol abuse. There are homes that can afford the beer but cant’ afford shoes. There is drug abuse, meth mostly. Ditto on the shoes. There is neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and likely as not sexual abuse. It’s an angry generation being raised here. Frankly, I don’t  blame some of these kids for being mad and acting out. Many get zero training on any sort of behavioral standards or authority at home; I don’t blame them for not knowing how to act with company so to speak.

Yet….we do need them to learn all of these things. 225 kids would quickly turn into chaos with no discipline or control. All these kids can’t just do what they normally, which is exactly what they feel like, to whom they feel like.

They need so much love. I am never ceased to be amazed at kids who NEVER get to have just a regular conversation with a grown up, and kids who are desperate for a tender touch of any kind, or a simple kind word.

So, lest any of you haters out there think we spend a week screaming about Hell…read above and take a hike. Of course, we do talk about Jesus, a lot, as that need really is greater than any of the others. We try hard to fill all the needs.

So, there you have it. We have 5 days to love them, talk to them, feed them, teach them about Jesus, discipline them, and teach then how to respect authority and act with company. Did I mention we need prayers?