First Week Favorites: Carnival

Now that it is actually THE LAST CAMPER DAY:( today, I am finishing up with the main stuff that happens at Speakout:-) This year, because of the construction, the Dorm got a beautiful tent that can be used as a common area.  There is a ping pong table there and comfy chairs and then on the last evening of the camp week there is a carnival.  This is something new and it’s been lots of fun. 

Here are some pictures of the first two camp weeks on Carnival night.

The last night and same night as the Carnival is also when we have an “American picnic dinner” with hamburgers that Dan grills (over 200!) Here are some of the boys that have been JJ’s friends this summer and Jamie, who is in the military with her husband and they are living in Budapest and have been here as staff this whole summer at Speakout along with their two boys!

 

Each week, at the beginning of the Carnival, when the Campers come out to it, Everyone is “frozen” in a pose and they stay like that until Zach says “who wants to have some fun?” or something like this and then they all run to their "booths” and the games begin.  But before they “un-freeze”, the Campers come up to them and look at them and try to get them to move somehow…

 

Here the Campers are coming in…

 

Karen (left below) is having a hard time not smiling…I “helped” with her discipleship group (she didn’t need any help and the girls were at their 2nd time at Speakout).  She is on staff with Student Venture in the States and I met her at Speakout ‘06.

 

Below left, are 3 girls from Texas in a creative pose—they all came last year and came back because they loved it so much! Below right, is Zach in his Carnival “get up”

 

Let the Games Begin!!!!!!!!!

  Eli is trying to figure out how many “Smarties” (not tart like in the US, but they are like M&M’s) are in the jar!

Here is “Kate” (Kata) holding Susie.  She had just prayed to receive Christ with her tutor, Janie earlier that day! Pray for her please:)

 

The Batman face was very popular—the Face Painters did an amazing job! This was a great part of the Carnival which really mostly blessed the Staff’s kids.

Jasper was a “sad clown”…he wanted to be a SUPERHERO!

The Main Event was that the Campers (and kids) would earn tickets at each game and if they got 10 they could “cream” or “pie” one of the Staff. Here is David from California—this is not his real hair;)

Jared was creamed pretty early on…

Here is Susie with the Camp Director and our “STINT BOSS”, Dan.  He and his wife Kelly are great with all kids—ours are no exception!

 

Rivers was the only Mom to be creamed in all 3 of the weeks…she took it like a CHAMP!

Ingrid was the girl that got CREAMED the most and also a great sport!!

Somehow Stephen from California thought that sticking his fingers in his ears helped!!

Brothers get creamed one after the other!

Boys loved to cream their Dads or friends’ Dads.  Here is Ryan getting creamed by his oldest son, Ben.

Here is Rivers’ husband, Dave, getting creamed.  Too bad I didn’t get his daughter, Lydia’s, face (he is holding her)—it was priceless.

Jared gets Double Teamed!!!!

We have known Andor, on the right below—who creamed Jared above, since Speakout 2006.  He has lived most of his life in the States and will attend college there, but he is Hungarian too.  His English is perfect, so he just comes to the camp to “hang out”.  He met with our friend and staff, Jeremy.  Please pray for him.  He is in a confusing place spiritually and we pray he would clearly give his life to Christ and be changed from the inside out! 

JJ was good as long as there was a ball to KICK!! 

   Larissa, one of the girls from Orlando that I met with—she was a CHAMP TOO—getting creamed multiple times.

Susie dancing!!!!

Susie and Aubrey—they are very good friends and we are so thankful for Aubrey’s love of Susie and vice versa.

I can’t tell if Susie is scared??!!

We end the Carnival by Zach reprising a dance he’s taught the Campers (this is tradition on the final night:).  This year it was the “Menza (cafeteria) dance” and JJ loved it so much so that that was the first thing that he asked for in the 2nd week at the Carnival!

 

Below is Balint—his cousins are Staff and Jared talked with him quite a bit.  He is very close to receiving Christ—Please pray that he will!

Below in the middle are the blurry figures of Dan and his daughter Jodi who is on Staff in Hungary—they are keeping the party going by dancing!!!

SPEAKOUT IS FUN IN 2010!!!!