Considering that we were on holidays, it was a great thing that most of us were awake by half past seven a.m., and all at eight, when ML’s wife woke the rest. Oh, the chills and colds we had while we dressed! Brrr, I trebmble only remembering it! But we dressed anyway (it was warmer, after all…) and I was the first one downstairs because I had to warm up water for my tea (I couldn’t have milk because I had a dreadful cold). I saw how ML lighted up the fire, and when the first boys came up and the girls came dow, we all piled up by the fire and chatted (that’s when we listened the “cold-air” story… *giggles*).
Some of us helped with laying the table for breakfast, and soon a hungry pack of people happily sat at the table, waiting eagerly to eat. We sang, prayed, and… in ten minutes all was gone! Some people even toasted their bread directly in the fireplace, and, as it was very hot (the fire, I mean), the room soon was filled with the comfy and homey smell of burnt toast!! We had bread (or burnt toast…) with apricot or strawberry jam, and once again, mandarins!! We would end tired and fed up with mandarins… *grin*
After breakfast we had a small devotion, and then we had the “Clean Up”, where we ordered bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, etc. We girls opened the two windows while we cleaned up, so we could hear the birds singing in the morning, the boys laughing and chatting while, apparently, the worked on the tent, but most of all, we opened the windows to tel the fres, cold air in. I can remember how my nose went numb from the cold while I folded my pj’s!
Then, while we waited for everyone to finish, four of us went outside and played badminton. I don’t remember ever enjoying so much a game of badminton! We used to squeak when we missed the fly. *giggles* We played a lot, but finally we got bored (woops!) and went back inside where people were sitting by the fireplace. Most of the girls went there, but I and another girl prefered to go and have fun with the cookers and peal potatoes. I had just finished pealing the last one when down came ML and called everybody out with his wonderful whistle. We were going on our outing!
We all got our big jackets on, and piled in the cars. Then the drivers drived to a place where fossiles could be found abundantly, and we became archaeologist! It was fun, just nosing around the ground, touching this and that, removing this rock or that stone. We all found plenty of fossiles, and I found a big rock with a snail fossile. It was almost as big as my fist! With everybody’s help, two bags were filled with fossiles. My brother also found a bullet that was said it probably belonged to a soldier who fought during the Spanish Civil War!!
Then we walked a little further, and when we got tired we sat on the ground and talked. Three girls even lied down and dozed off…
When we went back, lunch was almost ready, so while we waited we played badminton, and when it was ready, we ate. After lunch, out we went again after helping with the dishes, to play more badminton. Badminton is such a fun game! I love it, I really do. We had to run if we didn’t want to miss the fly because our aim wasn’t really whay you call (ahem!) perfect… and so we ran this way, squeaked and jumped to the left, etc.
Then came the time when we were going to do indoor crafts. Most of us went inside, but some stayed out to play more. Anyway, we made candles! It was lots of fun! We had a white wick, and there were three pots with red, blue and white melted wax. We took the wick by the end, between the fingertips, and dipped it in one of the pots. Then we blowed at it and patiently waited untill it had cooled down sufficiently, and we repeated the operation. It was kind of patience-trying, but we stubbornly continued on and on and on, and our efforts were nicely rewarded with a pretty blue-and-white-and-red candle. When we finished it was about five, and already dark. We left our candles on a window sill to completely cool off, and we had the afternoon snack, consisting of peaches in syrup, juice and bread-and-chocolate by the fireplace. And after that we had the Bible Study.
That afternoon, after singing with the guitars, which I enjoyed so much, we talked about faith, reading in Hebrews 11:8-9,
“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whiter he went.
“By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.” In this we had an example of huge faith, for Abraham obeyed and trusted God completely when he was sent from living with his family, in a secure and wealthy place to a strange lang wich he knew nothing of, and where he lived as a stranger. What an example for us!, to show us how to live in faith in a world full of sin and wikedness as strangers. ML also used examples of his own life to show is what he ment. With a final prayer, we finished the study, but I had enjoyed it inmensly.
We had supper after that, so once again the table had to be laid. I think this time it wasn’t my turn, so I stayed close to the fire, chatting with everyone. We used to play with a long stick, poking the fire, and seeing who’s was the first one to burn. Then we would blow the flame away, and do it once again. But we were called to table, so we sat, and after the prayer we simply ate and talked.
That night was the nicer one after supper. Three friends and I got two blankets, and went outside. We layed one blanket on the grass, we layed down, covered us with the other blanket, and just watched the stars. It was beautiful!
As you know, before going to bed we had a film, and a talk about it. Before starting it, ML went around and gave a little stick to everyone, answering with “I’ll tell you later” at our questioning eyes. The film was interesting. I think it was called “The Mystery of Life”, or something alike. But what I liked best was after it, with the sticks. ML got up from his seat and looked around. Then, he started, “Everyone has a stick. I have one too (it was broken). No one wanted my stick, because it is broken. So I kept it. Now, imagine you are a little stick. A little stick does a little fire. But imagine all of you got together… even being the sticks small, the fire would be much larger, wouldn’t it?” He looked around. Then he continued. “We are like the sticks, and our work for the Lord is like the fire.” His words impresses me and made me think. “If all of us work for Him, the work will be greater than if only one of us does. Now, I want to serve the Lord, so I am going to throw my little stick in the fire, for even a broken stick can burn. Then I am going to turn around, and close my eyes. I won’t be looking, but if any of you wants to serve the Lord then he may get up and throw his stick into the fire. I’ll be praying for you all.” And he turned around, as he had said. It made my heart cry with joy to see so many people get up and throwing their stick into the fire (I did too). It made me feel so glad I wanted to cry. I think that that was the most beautiful time, because when we were seated, the fire blazed up and consumed our sticks. I felt happy. Then we prayed and it was time to prepare for bed.
But since it was the last night, we were allowed to stay up late. We girls upstairs in our bedroom talked, laughed, took photos (I have many hilarious ones of us being silly in our pj’s!), and even had a love story told to us, a true love story. It was, well, late, when we began to think of going to bed, but even then, we continued to whisper in the darkness. I felt happy, joyful and very much blessed when I fell asleep.
End of the second day and part of the story…
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