Home again

Kadesh was great as usual! I'd never done this year's curriculum (Hope) as a leader -- just as a camper about 100 years ago. This year our group was really fun (and they laughed at most of my jokes.)

I seem to go through the same cycle every year at Kadesh:

Sunday: We're here at Kadesh! I'm so excited!
Monday: We have the BEST group!
Tuesday: Wow -- some of these kids are really hurting.
Wednesday: It's hard to watch people so young struggling with such big stuff. I feel so useless when I can't really do anything to help them. Maybe I'll take a break from Kadesh next year.
Thursday: Wow! It's not all up to me, anyway! It's great to see God moving in these kids' lives. I'm doing Kadesh every year until I die!
Friday: I love you guys! Bye!

This year was extra good for me -- I even feel better about the death of my friend Jennifer (a year ago last Sat.) I have always dwelled on that Friday afternoon at San Jacinto Hospital -- Jennifer fighting it, her husband ordering a shot of Methadone which relaxed her enough so she could quietly slip away in his arms...him having to go tell their two young girls.

But I hadn't really thought about the glory she woke up in just a few moments later...