Some Changes

This upcoming week, I will be moving from the Rosedale ASP in East Camden, to Camp Grace, the ASP for 5th-8th graders located in North Camden. This is the product of some on-going staff and personal issues that go back to when I first started in East side, and while I am disappointed and disheartened with myself and the situation, I am grateful for the flexibility and humility with which everything has been handled, particularly on the part of my superiors who are guiding us through this and the intern who agreed to switch places with me. I am grieved because I will be leaving the kids who were the major motivation for me to spend the year here in the first place, but also excited to work with the kids in the situation which I am entering next week.

North Camden is different, on all accounts, from East side, and there are those who tell me that I will now be seeing the "real Camden". I will be moving this Sunday from my house in East to a house in Downtown Camden, where the rules about walking alone and staying in the house at night are much more carefully observed. I have also heard a great deal about the difficulty of working with the kids at Grace due to the situations that they have to deal with themselves. I just pray that God will give me the vision to see the place and the kids as he would have me see them, and the wisdom and courage to deal with the situations that arise to test me along the way.

I would also ask for prayers for the kids and staff that I am leaving, and the effect that my departure may have on any of them, as well for the effects that the other intern's departure may have on his staff, his kids, and his housemates. I will need a great deal of patience and grace, both from others, and for myself, over the next few weeks of transition.