Family Retreat Part I

Last tuesday, Catrina, Rick and I were picked up and taken to the Calvary Chapel Conference Center in Murrieta Hot Springs, California. We arrived just in time to put out stuff in our rooms and go to the training. Training lasted most of the day which was a little tiring but they made it fun.
On wednesday morning we went over some legistics and were given the information about the family that we would be working with. I was paired up with the Edwards Family. Connie is the mother and Steffi is the daughter. Steffi is a twenty-three year old woman with Cerebral Palsy. She is a wheelchair user but has almost typical upper body movement and speaks easily. I was also assigned to the children's program. We met with the program and I was placed with the 4-6 year olds. I was paired up with a little boy named Elisha who has autism. I was a little bit disappointed that I wasn't placed with a family affected with autism because that is where most of my experience is. But I was glad that I could work with Elisha in the children's program for three hours a day. I felt that God placed me with Steffi so that I could experience a part of disability that I was not familiar with.
Before the families arrived, all of the short term missionaries made signs for their families, welcoming them to the camp. The STMs stood on the side of the road with our signs while the cars drove up. The Edwards Family arrived pretty quickly.
I walked over to their car after they had parked and introduced myself. Connie put Steffi's wheelchair together and let Steffi go with me to where everyone was gathering. I found out that Steffi had been coming to this camp since she was a little girl and that she had her own group of friends that she hangs out with every year.
Steffi was feeling self conscious because she was having really bad allergies and her voice sounded different than usual. She told me about her favorite band, ApologetiX and how she's been wanting them to come to perform at family retreat for years!
The first day with Steffi went pretty well. It was a little hard for me to make conversation, as it is hard for me to make conversation with anyone that I have just met.
We spent our meals with her friends and their STMs instead of with her family. (Most of the families eat together with their STMs)It was interesting because I didn't get to spend too much time with her mom.
The second day was even more interesting because Steffi's voice had gotten worse and it was starting to go away. She felt even more self conscious.

To be continued.