Transformations in Grahamstown

My apologies for picture quality, but so far, the only Internet access I have is through my phone. The illustrations may be a little blurry, but I hope the feelings come through clearly.

Below are Akhona (who was previously pictured singing the national anthem) and his counselor, Marty. They are intently watching the game which unfortunately turned into a loss for the home team to Uruguay last night. There is, however, still a winning story to be told. Akhona had never spent a night away from home before Reading Camp and told us from day one that he was NOT staying a week. He said he had to be home to watch Bafana Bafana play and gave us a running countdown of the hours before he was leaving. Marty had once experienced homesickness himself and took Akhona gently in with patience and understanding. Though a new counselor, Marty found a perfectly balanced combination of allowing Akhona to "cling" just enough to feel safe while encouraging him to stick it out. It has been amazing to watch Akhona's transformation from a glum and reluctant camper to the smiling, winking, and much more confident boy we see today.

Reading is, of course, at the core of why we're here, but whether in KY or South Africa, it is consistently the relationships and confidence developed at Camp which allow both progress in skills and produce the lasting transformations in young lives.

- Mary Jane Amick, member of St. Raphael's, Lexington,
is in Grahamstown serving at their Reading Camp