Reading camp makes a difference

(July 9)
Today is the third full day of reading camp and my second day here at assegai trails retreat center. We have 18 children campers, several teen and young adult counselors, and 6 teachers. All is going well, and the folks who have worked so hard to make this happen are beginning to talk about next year. We had several observers who wondered about how effective this really is - what happens when these kids go home? Who follows up with them? Is there long term progress? Kari, the coordinator, said with passion that if we make a difference in these kids lives even for just a week, then its worth it. Too often we get paralyzed by the fear that it is not enough- that it doesn't erase poverty or end abuse or change the nation overnight. But as kari reminds us, it doesn't need to do everything to do something. There is gratification in a child's smile - in a hug or glance or new word learned. That has to be enough to make it worth it. We can make a world of difference in the lives of these 18 children. Sometimes that has to be the measuring stick.