An Intentional Time: Mission u Convergence
By Courtney Pazan
A warm afternoon was spent on the deck of Totem at Camp Indianola, reading aloud to senior high school students from across the Conference. This was our second year of creating a specific, intentional time during the day for Senior High at Camp Indianola. Campers were able to spend a little over an hour focusing on Bible study, discussing social issues, deepening their understanding of the camp curriculum, meditating, or listening to stories based around the theme for the day.
On this particular day, we were discussing new ways an individual might use their given skills to influence the world. The focus on the story-time was to discuss the theme through another means. The story I read to this small group of high school campers was “Your Special Gift” by Max Lucado. This story follows the Wimmicks who come to the aid of a family travelling into their town to visit Eli the Wimmick maker. As a smaller group, we had a great discussion about what gifts we have been given that can assist those around us.
As I reflected on the story, the convergence between camp and Mission u came toward the end of the discussion about gifts. The family in “Your Special Gift” entered the town in a painted wagon, and were called travelers. The first few times I have read the story, I just believed the wagon and the family to be used as exposition to describe a reason for the family to a) need help (a broken wagon) and b) a reason for them to be in the town (travelling to see Eli). After my time at Mission u the story gained added meaning: the family could be considered what society would call gypsies.
At Mission u, the whole school was in one large class concerning, “How is it with your soul?” Then we split into smaller classes of 20-30, in which I focused on “The Roma of Europe”. During the four-class sessions we learned about the origins of the Roma in Europe, particularly on their past treatment with a focus on WWII and then their current treatment finally ending with what we can do to change the stigmas surrounding the Roma (first being to stop calling them “gypsies”) to help them succeed.
The convergence of the story, “Your Special Gift” and my time learning about the Roma resulted in a great discussion with the campers about who the Roma are, what challenges they are currently facing and then what we can do to help them overcome those challenges. “Your Special Gift” will forever have an added meaning, the family will not only just be a group of people in need but a Roma family, whose wagon needed repairs, whose children needed education, clothing and food and whose message was more than use what gifts you are given to help others but to help the Roma- traveler families who enter your midst.
I am blessed to have been a part of Mission u as well as a volunteer cabin leader at Camp Indianola during Senior High. For without both, I would not have gained a deeper understanding of “Your Special Gift” – which now goes beyond using your talents to help others, but can also tell the story of helping those whom we often view in a negative light.
