You've all been to summer camp, right?
And on the drive up to the camp you've got some nervous anticipation happening in your stomach, and the road is getting windier and the forest is getting fuller and you can't hear any other vehicles.
This is kind of the drive I had up to Rancho Ebenezer this past week in Honduras. We started our trek from the mall in the city, making our way up the mountains and around the mountains and through small towns for nearly an hour. The bumps in the road let us know that we were on the right track to something remote. I wasn't sure what to expect, but sure enough, the forest got fuller and I couldn't hear any other vehicles (unless you count cows as a mode of transportation).
And when we finally reached the property it was exactly how I imagined it but not at all how I imagined it at the same time. It was the epitome of summer camp in Canada. Lush forest, sloping hills to run up and down, cabin style lodging, a gazebo in the middle of the property, a playground fit for 60 kids. All that it was missing was a lake and a tire swing.
But Rancho Ebenezer isn't a place for summer camp. It's a place where kids from the streets can find a refuge for their souls for perhaps the very first time. Currently they have 27 kids under their care, with about 10 extra kids from the community coming to their school. This bilingual school hosts students from Kindergarten to 11th grade with teachers from all over the United States. These students, who wouldn't otherwise have a hope in the world, are earning an education in two languages in an incredible "one big, happy [chaotic at times] family" environment.
If it were just a school, it would still be a great ministry, but it's not just a school. Where this place really shines is in their advocacy and conviction for healthy spiritual development for the children (and the staff!). Kids are placed in homes (with 9 or so children in each) on the property where they live with a counsellor or two who is responsible for making sure the daily routine goes as planned. Brushing teeth, bedtime stories, and all of those kinds tasks associated with raising children would be the counsellors' job. On top of that, each family house has a set of mentor parents who do homework with the children, organize activities to participate in as families, and really invest themselves into these precious little kiddos' lives.
Not only do they look after these kids, but they look after the community as well. They grow coffee beans and blackberries on the property, both of which raise money for the program. They sell ground coffee, coffee beans, blackberry jam, jelly, and tea. Their workers are residents of the community who can earn a good enough living during coffee's harvest season (approximately 5 months) to provide for their families for the entire year! They want to expand the operation but the government is making it difficult for them to purchase more land, cut down trees, etc., etc. But imagine if this coffee bean business really economically sustained the community and the school. Wouldn't that be beautiful?
Our tour guides were actually the health and well being directors of the camp, and it's their mission to ensure that the staff (teachers, cooks, counsellors, mentor parents, etc.) aren't getting burnt out. And so here you have this community of believers living and working and playing together, showing these children what it means to be loved and cared for and valued. Their goal is to have 100 kids one day, but they want to build up the number slowly because they believe in quality more than quantity. Because their desire is for deep spiritual discipleship, not just feeding and clothing and providing education, they never want to be stretched beyond their ability to be intentional with each child. They never want to not know everyones' name and story and love language.
So on this property, with a winding and bumpy road leading up to it. You'll find the same kinds of laughter that you'd find at summer camp, and the same kinds of buildings, but this place doesn't end for these kids. There's no packing up your sleeping bag and crying in the car on the ride home. These kids live here, and what I really mean is that they come alive here. For maybe the first time.
If you want to know more about Rancho Ebenezer and World Gospel Outreach, check out this website: http://www.wgoreach.org/
And if you want to visit, I've heard a rumour that they'll hook you up with a hot shower and some fresh blackberry juice. 🙂
