Junior High youth group overnighter
Captain’s Log, Supplemental
Our church youth group held its annual overnighter, this time with only the junior highers because the high schoolers were leaving early the following day for a rafting trip. (Even for high schoolers, a rafting trip after an overnighter (usually with no sleep) is probably not a good thing.)
I hate to admit it, but I am just getting too old. I sat to play Poor Deprived Child with one group (David, the junior high group leader, had split them into two groups to pit them against each other Survivor-style, and to get them to bond with each other).
Poor Deprived Child is actually quite fun. Everyone starts off with 10 or more markers or chips, then each one takes a turn. “I’m a poor deprived child because …” You try to list something you’ve never done or been that you think other people in the group would have done or been.
If you say something you haven’t done—for example, “I’m a poor deprived child because I’ve never traveled to Japan.”—then everyone who has traveled to Japan has to give you one of their markers (in a Japanese church, the majority of the kids have been to Japan at some point in time). The person with the most markers wins.
I had a good one. The kids had just finished a week of volunteering for Vacation Bible School at the church, so I said, “I’m a poor deprived child because I’ve never been to VBS.” SCORE!
Anyway, after about 15 minutes of sitting on the hard floor (that carpet is industrial grade and as thin as felt), my knees and my ankles ached when I got up. I had to hobble to a chair to rest and move my joints. My body is falling apart.
But I can’t really complain, because at least two other staff workers—my husband and another woman, Keiko—are older than I am, and they’re still going strong. Aren’t I pathetic? No, don’t answer that.
LOL, Camy. My hubby's the youth pastor, so I totally relate. I'm ready to move on to adults who creak just like I do.
ReplyDeleteI remember turning thirty (so young!) and a couple of the teens realizing I was twice their age. The look of horror on their faces--oh, please! :)
Okay, Camy. I'm a bit younger than you and I spent all weekend doing yard work and my lower back, my legs and my feet hurt so bad I could barely walk.
ReplyDeleteIt's not age that gets us, its all those sports we played as kids. LOL!
You poor deprived child! For years I was in the VBS drama skits. Talk about getting old. I'd have to fall backward for someone to catch me, ride piggyback, climb fake boulders, and run around like a maniac! It was a lot of fun, a lot of work, and bruises!
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Sitting on the floor will make you ache. I just got over three hours on the bathroom floor with my dog for her to have her puppies. Ouch!
I remember once upon a time being able to sleep on a hard floor with a flimsy little sleeping bag and it wouldn't faze me a bit. I'm pretty sure those days are gone forever...
ReplyDeletethat game sounds a bit fun (i'll remember not to sit on the floor...) so i think i'll file that one away for future reference. :)
ReplyDeleteIt only gets more challenging as we grow more graceful :) My sons wear me out because my body--or my mind, not sure which--has a hard time keeping up.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great time, sounds like you pushed past the age thing (lol, not that you're old) and were there for the kids. We need to do something like that at our church.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing about the game.