Summit Trip...Sand Dunes and Dry Land Kayaking

This week we got to go on an adventure with our Summit (oldest) cabin.  It was a blast to get to spend time with them and watch them make memories of a lifetime. 

Our lunch break was a picnic at the scenic overlook at Wolf Creek Pass. It included amazing views of the valley and fun rocks to climb on.

Our next stop was Great Sand Dunes National Park where we enjoying camping, hiking, dry land kayaking, and an amazing sunset!!!

Our last stop was Zapata Falls on our way home where were refreshed by the icy waters of the falls before heading back to camp.

Thanks for a fantastic trip, Summit!  

We are excited for all the adventures that lay ahead of you as well!

Backpackers

I got to go pick up the backpackers yesterday.  What a great group!  They had a super three day hike and the weather was perfect! 

Rock Climbers

Yesterday I got to drive the Rock Climbers out to my favorite spot in Durango: Cascade Canyon.  They had a blast!!! 

Term 5: The Last Olympic Party

I feel like I've been saying this a lot lately, but where has the summer gone?!? We've been so busy loving on kids and having a blast that time has seem to run through our fingers. Last night was our final Olympics party of the summer...just in time for the real Olympics to start! We switched a few things up from previous parties, though, and played a game of hockey in Kivu Arena (aka the Warming Hut). Campers competed with one another using brooms to push around our homemade "puck"; judging by the amount of cheering, I think it's safe to say that a little hockey was a good addition to the party! After finishing up in the Hut, campers and staff headed to the gym for a chance to show off their gold-medal dancing skills. Though it's hard to believe it was the last time for that party, I think we went out with a bang! Here are a few photos of last night's tournament-- enjoy!

Term 5 Fun!

This term has started out so good! I always get the opportunity to share my testimony at the first 2deep of the term and it was so cool to see people relate to my story and be able to open up with their cabins about the brokenness and struggles they have in their own life. God has been so good in my life and even though it is hard for me to speak in front of a big group of people, I am glad to do it because I want people to see a little more of God's goodness everyday. Tonight is the Olympics party and I can't wait for it. The energy has been awesome this term, so I know it will be a fun night. Here are some pics from a great day yesterday:

KIVU goes to Rwanda?

KIVU students standing on the banks of Lake KIVU in Rwanda

By now, you've probably heard of our International Culture Service trips (a.k.a. Mission Trips) we do during the summertime.  We take trips to Haiti and Rwanda during the summer for students interested in expanding their global world view.
When I started teaching the Christian World View to students, I quickly noticed so many World View teachers are obsessed with the academic side of knowing how to think, but very few are working experiential training into their programs.  Here at KIVU we decided to marry the two.  If we Love God and Love Others in the classroom, we ought to be able to extend that Love at home in our own communities, on a greater grandstand in our country, and across international borders.  

KIVU Students outside an Orphan Home

Our intention was to expose students to a totally different culture, a totally different lifestyle, and a totally different language.  It's easy to live inside the spaces we know well, but when we push students to see the world for what it is, they need a totally different context.  

Last week, we sent 15 students to see what life is like, Rwandan Style.  

Jamie Jo and I adopted two children from Rwanda back in 2007, and quickly fell in love with the people of this tiny African country.  We saw orphan kids getting world class education at the Sonrise School in the North.  We worked with various orphanages in Kigali, the capital city; and we were introduced to some of the highest levels of the government as we tried to explore how teenagers might engage here.  

Most of the criticisms tied to short term mission trips are underlined with the word "exploitation," and we wanted to make sure this wasn't just another trip kids go on for a 'vacation,' but rather; how could we orchestrate something they could give something, and receive something.  It's our highest goal to make sure we don't add to the Missionary Syndrome happening in many African nations that tends to do more harm than good.  So we told the kids, "This trip is all about serving the needs of others.   We're not here to hand out.  We're not here to take pictures of little African children to feed our own social narcissistic tendencies.  This is about pushing your worldview to help you explore your future."

KIVU Students getting ready to set up games for orphans in Rwanda

It's amazing to watch American students explore their own faith core in the midst of another culture.  They get a chance to see how normal boundaries begin to stretch as they engage with kids who love God in spite of different circumstances.  Some of the African kids come from wealthy homes, and others come from total poverty; but the light they have in their eyes quickly encourages the Americans.  They see their faith doesn't have to be tied to a certain system, and they can learn principles of community living even when they can't speak the same language.  

I believe every high school student needs to go somewhere in the world to serve another culture however the other culture needs to be served.  High School students need to see life is more than video games, iPhones, and the next athletic event.

When they get a chance to put the lessons learned here at KIVU in Colorado in context with the greater world, they walk away with a jump start to their own vocational goals at the University and beyond.

I'm so proud of the KIVU students who went to Rwanda.  Their lives will never be the same.   

TERM 5 BEGINS!!!

We are more than stoked to be starting the fifth term of the summer! As campers come from all across the country staff is preparing for the last two week term of the summer, and we couldn't be more excited about the group of teenagers that are coming in!

Cabin 1 girls meet their new counselors

 
                     Oh David...

Kitchies and Maintenance: A Match Made in Heaven

It's hard to believe that Term 5 is starting today!! As we welcome our new campers into the gates, I thought I'd take a minute to recap term 4 from the kitchen perspective. I had the privilege to work with some of the most fantastic girls over the last two weeks, and we had a BLAST! It was definitely a term for the history books, and I can't say enough wonderful things about the kitchies. One of the highlights of the term was the great relationship we had with the maintenance men. They work super hard doing things that are absolutely vital to keep camp running: mowing, taking out trash, fixing squeaky doors, and just about any other job you can imagine. Our jobs overlap a little and the guys were extra helpful in the kitchen last term, so a unique friendship was struck. Sometimes we'd even walk into the kitchen to find encouraging notes from them!  It was such a great picture of the community we've developed here at Kivu, centered around serving and loving one another because God first loved us. Thank you, maintenance men, for being such servants to camp and friends to the kitchies! You are the unseen heroes of camp! Now on to term 5-- we're so excited!

Kitchies after a fun afternoon at the dock!

     

Joey and Austin (two of our Maintenance guys) and Scott. Orrin and Peter are our other two maintenance heroes.

The whole group together; I feel so blessed to spend my summer this way!

Goin' To The Chapel

We had an engagement here yesterday (actually it didn't happen here, but it happened)!  Our Women's Director, Tamara (who we love and adore) said YES (she actually said, "it would be my privilege") to Jackson (one of our leadership guys & our tower director) when he proposed yesterday!  Whoooo hooooo!!!  When they told us this morning in Leadership Meeting, we all screamed (okay, maybe the guys didn't scream)!!!  They are a perfect couple and we could not be more excited! 

I just thought I'd share the good news!  Jackson AND Tamara!  So fun!

Rwanda Rundown from some of the girls...

What were you expecting coming to Rwanda?

What surprised you the most?

What did you enjoy the most/least?

Is there anything you will change or do differently back home?

What does Rwanda need most and is there anything you can do to help?

Describe Rwanda in one word.

Describe your experience in Rwanda in one word.

How can you bring awareness or contribute to the partners we have made?

Katie Payne

1. I'm not really sure what I expected. I guess I thought everyone was going to be sad and there where going to be dirt roads and nothing developed.

2. The thing that surprised me the most was how happy everyone was and how lush and green the earth is.

3. The thing I enjoyed most was the first full day we were in Rwanda when we were greeted by the deaf kids with hugs and smiles.  The thing I disliked the most was leaving.

4. When I go home I will appreciate every moment more. I will always have a smile on my face and not be afraid to give unconditional love to anyone.  You never know who will need it.

5. Rwanda needs to invest in their youth and keep moving forward with their progress.  I think I could keep going back and encouraging kids and maybe sponsor a kid at a school. 

6. Strong

7. Unforgettable

8. I will bring awareness by telling everyone about my trip in detail.  I will contribute to the organizations by going back or sponsoring a child at one of the schools.

Caki Briggs

1. When I decided to come I expected there would be brokenness.  And although there is some, I was proven very wrong.

2. I expected brokenness coming to Rwanda, but this amazing country blew my expectations out of the water. Rwanda is alive and growing stronger.  It has come so far and has seen so much growth.  Rwanda is not defined by its brokenness from the genocide or by brokenness at all.  Of course brokenness can be found everywhere in everyone but we choose what defines us.  Rwanda has chosen to be defined by thankfulness, joy and above all, love.  Love for the Lord and love for others.

3. Something I really enjoyed was having the opportunity to talk to orphans that were my age at Imbabazi orphanage. Most of theses teens have seen unimaginable things and many were orphaned because of the genocide. You would expect for these kids to be bitter and shy and afraid of life, but rather, they were thankful, ambitious, full of love, joy and eager to learn. They talked about going to college and becoming social workers, singer and professional soccer players. They even love Justin Bieber and Shakira.

The hardest part for me was at Noel orphanage. The kids ranged from two months to over 20. I got to spend most of the day with the babies. When I walked in, the women who take care of them told the babies to call us mothers like they were also called. It killed me to look into the eyes of these precious babies and know they have no family and hearing them call me mother. They are young and don't understand. 

4. When I get home I need to slow down my fast paced life enough that I can remember and be thankful for my blessings. Seeing people less fortunate than I and watching them find joy in the little things that truly matter, helped give me a new perspective. I have a home, food, water and a loving family. I am truly blessed. Also when I get home, I cannot keep silent about these past days. God calls us to be ambassadors and that is what I will be. 

5. Rwanda needs many things but after seeing so many children in orphanages, Rwanda needs a reliable relocation and rehoming project. Soon this will begin. Rwanda is closing all orphanages in a few years. But I'm afraid many of the kids will have even harder circumstances with this. I'm still thinking how I could even make a dent in this issue but I'll start by doing my research and taking it step by step. No child should grow up without a family!

6. Forgiving

7. Love : it's tough knowing that going on shorter trips like this that you may not have a huge impact or make a huge change by visiting the orphaned, but that isn't the point- Love is! Even showing love to others in small ways shows the love of Jesus and eventually those small acts of love will build to something great!

8. As for awareness, we can start small and grow big. Change always stems from an educations of what is needed- in Rwanda, Excel school specifically, there is always a need for someone to sponsor the many kids that attend but cannot pay.  If we talk to people in our schools, churches or anywhere, about the program, we can help lead to sponsors of the children. We made many friends and partners in Rwanda so we can start by educating people about the issues and offer solutions those programs provide.

Ellie Allums

1. Coming to Rwanda I honestly didn't know what to expect. I knew about the genocide that had occurred and the destruction it caused, but also knew they weren't still in that state of turmoil. I guess I expected a developing country that was building its infrastructure, but that was more rural. 
2. I was surprised by the kindness of the people we met. I was not expecting to be constantly greeted and said "hello" to. Having gone through so much suffering I was not expecting them to be so gracious and open when they have so much reason to be unhappy and dispirited. 
3. The thing I enjoyed most about the trip was the visit to the deaf school, because the kids were so, insanely sweet even though they were disabled. To me I felt like we made the kids' day because they probably don't get a lot of visitors that try to come and communicate with them. The least favorite thing was probably leaving because I grew attached to Musanze and the kids we met and the help we gave. That and the long flight/travel day were my least favorite thing. 
4. Back home I'll definitely appreciate things more, from the little things like the clean bathrooms to the bigger things like good education systems. After seeing how some of these kids live, especially in the places like the Noel orphanage, it really puts into perspective what I have, especially my parents. Due to the genocide and other situations a lot of kids don't have parents, so when they called me "mom" for the day or asked if I had a mom and dad it made me realize I need to appreciate them more. 
5. Rwanda needs a new reputation most. People make a lot of assumptions about Rwanda due to the genocide. People will think it's still in turmoil or is still underdeveloped and this is unsafe to go there. This isn't the case at all though. Rwanda is not stuck with this bad reputation it has. 

6. Generous. 
7. Moving. 
8. To bring awareness we need to tell the story of Rwanda of how it is today and get the thoughts away from the past. By focusing on the past it takes away from the awareness that should be brought to the needed school supplies and other supplies for the orphans. Changing the perception and continuing to give aid will bring awareness and help maintain the friendships and ties we've made. 

Grace Boyer

1. What were you expecting coming to Rwanda?

Coming to Rwanda I expected a run down country still depressed and mourning their loss. I knew from reading bishop John's book before that the people there were learning to forgive and continue life but I did not expect to see so many smiles on their faces and such joy every time they say "muraho" to you.

2. What surprised you the most?

The joy and friendship between the people amazed me and how loving each person was to me. Also their ability to speak English an their desire to learn it shocked me.

3. What did you enjoy the most/least?

I enjoyed serving and just being with the kids and loving on them; I enjoyed making them laugh and just feel cared for. I would say the thing I enjoyed the least was the food. Our cook was amazing but the lunch at the schools was hard.

4. Is there anything you will change or do differently back home?

When I get home I want to spread and show the love that each person from Rwanda showed me. I want to show the people at home how amazing this country is and how it isn't full of hate.

5. What does Rwanda need most and is there anything you can do to help it?

I think that Rwanda needs more efficient schools. The excel school was amazing but the wisdom school was so packed and I felt it needed more teachers and people pouring into the students 

6. Describe Rwanda itself in one word

Joyful

7. Describe your experience in Rwanda in one word

Eye-opening

8. How can you bring awareness and contribute to the partners we have made? 

Telling my peers about the trip and how Rwanda really is. Maybe sponsor a student from the excel school.

Lake!

I usually lead Mountain Bike trips, but yesterday there was no bike trip going out so I had a chance to go out on the lake. I had so much fun. We got to wakeboard, ski, tube, and jet ski all day. I have been on the lake a couple of times, and yesterday was definitely the best I have had. The campers that came up were super excited about all of the activities and didn't want to stop when the day was over. We had a small group up at the lake so we got a lot of time to get to know each other and even more time on the boat. I had a great time and I know the campers did as well. Here are some pics from the day:

The Rwanda group has safely landed in Washington DC! One more day of fellowship and debriefing and story telling, and then we must part tomorrow. Thanks for all your prayers. It really was a stellar trip! I will post the student's thoughts soon!

Landed in Addis Ababa, then on to DC!! See ya in 18 hours America! Rwanda was perfection!

7.16.12 By: Hayden
Today was our last day in Rwanda. As we joined for breakfast there was a bitter sweet feeling among the group and we prepared for our final day of visiting schools. Today we went to the Excel Private School. It was a totally different experience than the other schools and orphanages that we have visited. It was very clean and all the kids were relatively healthy. As we entered the school we were once again greeted with the loving and smiling faces of young children. We got a tour of the facility and then split into groups to play with the kids. We played soccer, tag, sang songs, and put on plays for the kids till lunch. For lunch we had rice with beans which was very good. After lunch a band came and played for us and the kids, they surprised us by asking us to sing songs as well. We scrambled and finally came up with a few songs to sing. It was an amazing experience and I can speak for everyone when I say it was very hard to leave.

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!

Global Awareness at Kivu

Global Awareness day here at Kivu is an incredibly cool experience that has the potential to change the perspective teenagers have on the world. It's a day in which all campers and staff get placed in a country, receive a background that corresponds with that country, and then live in that simulated lifestyle for the day. From Boulder, CO to Haiti people experienced drastically different schedules, economic prosperity, and even eating habits. At the end of the day the hope is that campers will be able to experience both good parts and bad parts of each life. For example, the people from Bronxville have all the money they need, but their schedules are packed to the brim and they never get a chance to experience much community or simple joy in the day. In contrast, Rwandans are economically disadvantaged, but have plenty of free time to enjoy each other and build rich relationships. During the debrief after dinner, campers pull critical ideas from the day and get a chance to share them with the rest of camp. It's always amazing to hear some of the things that they learn!

 Nicaraguans coming back from drawing water at "the well"

Boulderites taking a little break to go mountain bike.

7.15.12 By: Caki
We've had an absolutely life changing week. Every day we have seen and learned so many new things, and have been able to see the world with a new perspective. Today is Sunday, so this morning we walked to church. The church was very big, and absolutely beautiful. Everyone in Rwanda that I have met so far has been so spirited and joyful, despite whatever their circumstances may be. In church today, we were able to get a glimpse of what true joy really is- it can only come from Christ. Their worship was very loud, beautiful and lively, and everyone welcomed us with open arms. It was amazing to see such loving and welcoming people, and it was a great reminder for all of us of just how blessed we are- how much we have to be joyful for. After church, we went and had lunch (on African time... much slower than service in Denver, CO, but in a way, it has been nice to slow down), and then we headed to town to see the market and grocery stores. It was nothing near to going to Target, and it felt almost other worldly. There was everything from shoes, to socks, to fabrics, to watches, and they even had Nutella. It looked almost like a makeshift thrift store. Everything that we have seen so far has taught us more and more about Rwandan culture, and the Rwandan way of life, and although it is very different, we are not very different at all. I'm so thankful for this trip, and I know that I will always carry the things I have learned with me.

Rwanda Update!

7.14.12 By: Elizabeth

Friday morning we drove a little over an hour to Lake Kivu. It was absolutely gorgeous! Lake Kivu definitely reflected God's beauty. We took our group photo and then played an intense game of soccer on the beach. We could see the Congolese border from the beach. Hard to believe we were so close to another African country with a history filled with violence. After about 2 hours at Lake Kivu, we headed off on our next adventure.
After a short bus ride and a quick lunch, we arrived at Noel Orphanage. Noel is the largest orphanage in Rwanda. It is home to 650 children that range in age from 2 weeks to 28 years old. Our first stop on our extensive tour was a baby room.There are 25 babies to a room and there are 2 mothers that care for them. After holding a few babies and playing with the toddlers for a few minutes, we had to continue on our tour. None of us wanted to leave those adorable babies. Next, we saw a room where the oldest girls lived. They sleep 2 or 3 to a bed on a bunk bed. Not very much room for those girls! We then walked and saw the 3 to 5 year olds napping on a large palette of mattresses. After that we saw the sewing room which also serves as a shop that sells the carved statues, bracelets, and cards made by the children of Noel. We saw some more buildings where the boys and girls live, including one where the special needs children live. We saw the smoky kitchen and ended our tour at the newly built basketball court. Kenzie, Grace, Caki, and I all returned the baby rooms to play with them. Kenzie, Caki, and I played with the 1 year olds. They were walking machines! Kenzie and Caki left after a little while and played with the toddlers while I stayed behind. The babies and their "mamas" were fascinated by my camera and loved posing for pictures. When it was time for a snack, I left and went to play with the toddlers. After a few hours, I returned to the rest of the group who had been playing basketball and volleyball on the basketball court with the older children. Everyone had a lot of fun playing with all the children.
It was an amazing day! It was probably my favorite day so far, but everyday has been awesome and exposed us to something different.

7.15.12 By:Katie
Saturday we went to Imbabazi Orphanage. It was near Noel Orphanage but a little closer to Musanze. We spent all day there learning about the history and hanging out with the kids. The Orphanage had an interesting history. Before it was an orphanage they grew Pyrethrum but after the genocide there was a huge need for orphanages so they turned it into an orphanage. The orphanage had about 51 kids in it, but at one time had over 400. Once the founder of the orphanage died they decided to not take in anymore kids. It was one of the wishes of the founder before she died. While we were at the orphanage we got a tour, played soccer, had lunch, played in the music room, went for a walk and watched the dancers perform. Most of the kids were amazing at soccer. It is amaing how good they can be without any training! It was cool that we got to see what their normal lunches were like. Some people in our group thought the lunch was amazing but I did not like it. At the music room we played drums, guitar and piano. We found out that Caki and Kenzie are amazing at singing and piano. Josh is also really good at the guitar. The coolest part was when the kids started playing. They knew all these songs that we knew but sang them in Kinyarwanda. Sometimes music is the same weather you are in the United States or on the other side of the world in Africa. After that we went for, what I thought was going to be a nice walk, but ended up being a pretty steep hike. We walked off of the orphanage grounds into a small village where all the kids swarmed around us and then up the side of an inactive volcano. The volcano was super dry which made it really hard climb up. At the top of the volcano we looked down into this huge crater. In the crater there were rows and rows of plants and farmers. I was not expecting it to be so awesome. The walk back down was interesting. Caki and Ellie fell because it was so dry and slippery from all the dust. Once we came back from the hike it was time for the performance. It was the first time the dancers had performed since they had finished there 5 weeks of training. The dancers were so beautiful. They all wore bells on their ankles so we could hear every movement they made. They also had a drumming routine. The drummers took people from the audience and had them dry drumming too. It was super funny to watch the expression on everyone's faces when they tried drumming. As we left the orphanage we had a minor difficulty. Once we got off the dirt road that led to the orphanage we realized there was a rock stuck in the back of the bus. In order to get it out we had the back into a stick that we lodged under the bus to unlodge the rock. All in all it was an amazing day.

Laughter Knows No Bounds

The past couple of days here at Kivu I have had such a privelge to run the zip line and high ropes course with students from around the world. Kivu has been able to bring students from several different countries and cultures together to share in a unique community. It has been so fun to watch these students interact with each other as they did games, team building exercises, and the high elements. Laughter is definitely common to all kids in the world.