This coming Saturday, I will be going to Camp Westview on the James in Goochland, VA to spend the week as a camp mentor for children with incarcerated mothers. This is part of my plan to "discover my life's purpose" as well as to help children in need, because I love kids!

I am very anxious because this is my first time being a mentor in a situation like this. It will be an intense week, basically 24/7 on-call for the children in my cabin, as well as the two girls who will be assigned to me. I think I am more scared about whether the kids will like me or not, not really the camping or the area because I have been there before. These kids will have lived through things that I can't even imagine. I come from a stable, two-parent household where everything I've ever needed was given to me. With a mother incarcerated, these children will have been exposed to a more unstable environment, violent neighborhoods and low socio-economic status. I know that I must remain sensitive to these issues, but also remember that they're just kids!

The whole point of the camp is to give them a chance to be kids for a week, to not have to worry about their home life or where their next meal is coming from. They will be exposed to a miriad of activities that they wouldn't be able to experience at home, such as canoeing in the lake, water trampoline, archery, a rope obstacle course, and other camp-like shenanigans. It is a faith-based camp too, so they will also have Bible study and nightly worships, which I think is wonderful.

Looking past my anxiety, I am truly excited about going. I know that I can help make a difference in someone's life and make this one week of their lives memorable. Pray that things will go smoothly for me! I'm ready to go now... LET'S GOOO!