When Attie was just little and still learning English, she came into the house one hot day and announced, “I’m sweat!”  Obviously I remembered that fondly, and it really sums up the day well!

We got to go back to the camp today!!  Yeah!!  Rejoicing all around.  We had our first day shift from 8-4.  Again, I worked in the clothing tent.  The early hours were spent organizing.  Then at 10, pairs headed out to take orders for clothing.  We have divided the camp into sections so each section gets visited once a week.  I stayed back at the unit and bagged powdered detergent to send out with the clothing bags.  Then Sandra and I headed out to grab a bite of lunch from the food carts across from the entrance gate.  Actually the food is quite good.

On our way out, we stopped at the compound where the good bathrooms are (actual toilets!  No seats but small problem.)  On our way out a young woman Sandra knows stopped her, in tears.  She and her husband were being hounded by smugglers who claimed that the couple had not paid enough for their passage.  The husband was attacked and had a 3 inch long cut stitched up on the side of his head.  They have been moved, but she still feels unsafe.  There is little we can do, but the doctor will hopefully help. So hard.

A little after noon, the pairs returned with the orders. We filled the yellow plastic bags with the best we could find, tagged the bags, and waited for people to arrive at the gate to collect their new clothes.  The clothing unit is divided into two rooms.  The back room has most of the bins for clothes.  The front has extra clothes and all the shoes.  There is only one door and a few tiny little ventilation windows which have to be kept shut on one side as that is where the women and children queue for their meals.  All that to say, it is stifling in there!  So I was sweat!  Still, it was a very good day.  I got to go out and take an order from 3 women who were new arrivals.  They are in the family compound, which is the best place to be in the camp.  There are showers and toilets and even air conditioning in the units!  However, in each unit, there are many sets of bunk beds with makeshift blankets and curtains dividing them.  You are sleeping just a few feet away from the next person.

Back to fill the order and then our day was done.  It had gone quickly, despite the heat and was such a good first day back.  As our team was gathering by the info tent to leave, there was a Syrian family, who had just arrived, waiting there for instructions.  A young couple with three small children.  The young mother squatted on the ground, waiting patiently, but she looked wary and confused.  I smiled at her and cuddled the children a little, but I never got a smile back.  She and her family have just survived another ordeal getting here, and who knows how many are still ahead.  And I got to leave, drive back to the hotel and go swimming!  To paraphrase a favorite cartoon  – when God was handing out lives, why did I get a good one?  I realize that theologically that isn’t sound, but it gives me pause and makes me so grateful. But also grateful I get to be here and experience this.  May it inform my walk, my priorities, and my love for God and others.

I really did hop into the pool quickly, to cool off, showered, and washed my clothes.  After supper, I am now in my room writing this.  Tomorrow we head up to Skala again for a 24 hour shift.  It really is a fun thing to do.  We are just the front line in case some boats make it to the shore.  However, that isn’t happening now – the few boats that make it across are generally picked up and taken straight to the camp – so we are the gate keepers.  And we do get to sleep up there on cots.  Last time I slept so well so I’m looking forward to it.  We are also just up the hill from my favorite village so there is that too.

All good things.