Chirilagua Summer

Jul 9, 2012

Summer is here in Chirilagua, and we have been busier than ever from four different camps to baseball games, and more. Come see what we’ve been up to!

Camp Bennett

12 brave rising 4th, 5th, and 6th graders set out to camp for 5 days during the first week of July. This was Kids Club’s first time venturing off to Central Union Mission’s beautiful Camp Bennett located in Brookeville, MD. Upon arriving, our kids were divided into cabins by age and gender, quickly making lots of new friends. The week’s theme, “The One and Only”, focused on the life and gospel of Jesus Christ. The theme was reinforced through morning cabin devotionals, daily memory verses, and nightly chapel with skits, music and testimonies.

The week was full of fun and adventures, including:

  • Bonfires with hot dogs and s’mores (a first for some of our kids!)
  • Ropes course with an awesome zipline
  • Creek exploring and crawfish catching
  • Pool time, water games, and a GIANT slip and slide
  • Tie-dying and model car making/racing
  • A carnival complete with moonbounce, snow cones, cotton candy and prizes
  • Our own personal firework show on the 4th of July
  • And MORE!

We are so thankful to the “One and Only” who made this trip possible and so wonderful and enjoyable for all! Thank you Jesus!

5th Grade Graduation

Nine kids club 5th graders graduated from Mt. Vernon Community School this June. Jason Reyes, Wilmer Castillo and Odir Gutierrez even made speeches during the ceremony. Congratulations, and onward to middle school!

 


VBS Babylonia

Our 1-3rd graders travelled to Babylonia this summer at Alexandria Presbyterian Church. For one week, they learned about God through stories, games, crafts and snacks. Thank you APC for inviting us again this summer!

VBS

Nats Game

16 Kids and 15 lucky adults, who were chosen by the students to attend, went to the Nationals game on July 7th as a reward for having missed only 3 days or less of Kids Club 2011-12. Well done!


Wyldlife Camp

“Ms. D, Ms. D, Ms. D,” the group of girls shouted when they attacked me from behind as I walked across an open field. They came at me from all sides, jumped on me and wrapped their arms around me in excitement. “This has been the best day of my life! Thank you so much for bringing us, Ms. D,” they rang together in chorus.

Seven of our rising 7th graders spent the past week at Wyldlife Camp at North Bay on the Chesapeake in Maryland. Thankfully, we had air conditioned cabins to battle off the July heat. Activities provided for the students included: land zip line, water zip line, tubing, kayaking, sailing, low ropes course, trail biking, pool, game room, volleyball, basketball and the SCREAMER. In addition to all of this, students participated in evening “club time” (communicating the hope of the gospel) and “cabin time” (giving an opportunity to process as a group what they have been learning). Two of our students made a first time commitment to follow Jesus this week. At the end of the week, the students did not want to go home and they all chimed, “This has been the best week of my life.”  All of the students are excited to attend the camp reunion pool party on Wednesday afternoon.

We are grateful to Young Life South Arlington for partnering to make this camp experience possible for our kids and we look forward to seeing this relationship continue to grow and blossom.

We are a community of people “learning together to love our neighbors as ourselves” in a Latino neighborhood in Alexandria, Virginia.

As a faith-based Christian non-profit with a small staff and over 100 volunteers, we serve alongside more than 100 families and their children (1st-12th grades) each week through our community programs.

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Our relational network of volunteers and donors reflects a diverse group of individuals from all over the Washington, D.C. metro area. As a non-profit, we rely on the community for assisting program directors on-site, being mentors, supplying the needs of our food pantry, and everything in between. Each member of our Casa community holds a unique gift, whether time, talent or treasure.