Journey Camp

Many times in life we take journeys we are not expecting, one of the hardest of those is the journey of loss. Loss is even harder on the young. During the week of July 28-August 1, 2014, The Junior League of Midland, Inc. partnered with Rays of Hope to give 35 children an opportunity to travel around the world and work through grief with their peers.

This was one child’s journey:

“Day one, I ventured to Mt. Everest, Challenge Mountain, we did many activities including making snowflakes and a marshmallow challenge. There I was able to learn how to face challenges in my life and how to cope with them.

Day two, I ventured to Jamaica, Ocean of Emotion, we did many activities including coconut corner and
a message in a bottle. There I was able to learn how to express and work through different emotions.

Day three, I ventured to the Amazon, Jungle of Anger, we did many activities including volcano explosion and angry bowling. There I was able to learn how to work through anger and ways to express it.

Day four, I ventured to the Black Forest, Forest of Fears, we did many activities including zapping fear and stomping away fear. There I was able to learn that everyone has fears and how to cope with them.

Day five, I ventured to New York, City of Change, we did many activities including name that tune and navigating a maze of change. There I was able to discuss changes and how to work through them.”

One of the joys of a trip around the world is the experience of the art and music different cultures have to offer. This trip was no different; each day the children had the opportunity to take part in a different culture’s art and music. This also served as an outlet for feelings and a little fun. One of the most important things we hoped to get out of this partnership was impacting the lives of young children. What we didn’t count on was the impact the children had on us.