Kidnapped and ate alive.....

....that is just some of the things I experienced this weekend.

Leah and I have been away with our church on a kids camp. There were 30 children, 7 teenager helpers and 7 adults. Leah was along as a helper.

I must admit that on Friday afternoon I was in no mood to go on a weekend with 30, 6-12year olds. I was more in the mood to put my feet up, make some delicious food and see a film. It had been a busy week and I wasn´t in the mood to have a busy weekend too. But I must admit, the weekend was brilliant. We had such a great time with the kids, right from start to finish. So even though I was tired on Friday afternoon, as soon as I got to the camp I got the energy that I needed.

The highlight for some of the older kids was our "night-run." We gave some of the teenager boys the responsiblity to organise a "night run" for the oldest kids. So as soon as we had got all the younger children tucked up in bed, the fun could begin.

The older children were gathered in the dining room, playing card games together. The boys had arranged that they would come in and kidnap me. Then the children would have to go to different posts and do different things to earn money to be able to pay the ransom money to get me back. (I was a bit worried that they wouldn´t want me back!) It was hilarious. I wish I had videoed what happened!

The time was about 10.45pm. We told the kids that we were going to read them a goodnight story and then it was off to bed....(few complaints at that!) While the other leader was reading, the dining room door suddenly opened and in came 4 people (our teenage helpers) dressed like "terrorists." They had masks, guns (toy machine guns with all the noise that comes with them!) and they shouted and screamed. They grabbed me and pulled me out of the room. Now I knew this was going to happen and I got the shock of my life....so you should have seen the kids, they nearly jumped out of their skin!! and they LOVED IT!!!

So at about 11pm last night, I was out running through the forest with these boys. I couldn´t see a thing, and there were a million mosquitos about the place.

The other adult leaders were already at their different posts in the forest, waiting on the kids to come. Then the "terrorists" hid in the forest ready to scare the poor kids as they were on their way to the different posts. Every so often you could hear loud, high pitched screams and you knew they had succeeded in scaring them once more.

Since I was getting ate alive with mosquitos, I decided to head back to my car and hide. But what a job that was! I had to make sure that I didn´t meet the kids on the way! I finally made it back and about ½ hour later the "terrorists" came and dumped me back at the camp for a happy re-union with the kids.

The kids thought it was brilliant. They talked about it constantly last night. We could hardly get them to bed! This morning when we asked the kids what had been the best thing about camp - all the older ones said it was the "night-run."

I thought I had gotten a lot of mosquito bites until I saw Leah´s legs. She had only short leggings on when she went out on the "night run" and she paid the price for that. The mosquitos had a feast and all she got was itchy legs!!

Now it´s off to bed. Another busy week is about to begin, but that´s ok. I feel refreshed and great, even though I have been on the go all weekend!