ROW! ROW! ROW! - ROW! ROW! ROW

Sunday Aug 9 Th

After the dawn prayer I decided to take a short nap since there is no line up . A bout an hour or so I started hearing this roaring noise ., ROW ! ROW! ROW! from the back of my cabin, not knowing what it was I woke up ,check on my phone to see what time it was and to make sure I wasn't dreaming, I ran out to the lake front and watched the canoe rowing competition coming to an end and some of the campers running to go take part in another activity. It was 8' o clock in the morning and this dedicated campers are already up and going. Today is the last day of the color games and the competition is getting very hectic. I came back to the cabin and prepared for breakfast. The weather looks great and its going to be a long day. We are going to know which color is the winner of the 3day long mini Olympic (Color Games).

MESSAGE TO 'HAJIMI'

The last part of the competition will be memorizing and delivering a message. the message is a short speech by a historical figure dead or alive, to be memorized by a representative of each color and reciting it to a member of he white team. The time(how fast), and accuracy of delivering this speech determines who is the winner of this part of the games.
The two team started this part of the game by taking part in many chain or relay of activities which ends with the last person being the one that delivers the message. The other non participating members were waiting outside the big hall until the two representatives emerge from the hall and each group run and picked their representatives up high and were singing towards the lake to wait for the official result. After an inspiring speech by Wil and Leslie......... the official result was released and the winner of the 2009 sessions 2 color games is the


GREEN TEAM



The prize for this three day games is they get to go into the pleasant lake first , follow by the Blue team and then the white team and other visitors. The purpose of this game is not for a prize , its part of the leadership training that seeds of peace does to emphasis team work and the campers always get it. During the games the most important thing is the team work .
The rest of us walk into the lake and form a big circle with our hands on top of each others shoulders and started singing the Seeds of Peace theme song.


I am a seed of peace,
seed of peace, a seed of peace
I am a seed, a seed of peace
I am a seed, I am a seed of peace
Peace, peace, peace, peace

People of peace, rejoice, rejoice,
For we have united into one voice
A voice of peace and hate of war
United hands have built a bridge between two shores

We on the shores have torn down the wall
We stand hand in hand as we watch the bricks fall
We've learned from the past and fear not what is ahead
I know I'll not walk alone, but with a friend instead

I am a seed of peace, seed of peace, a seed of peace
I am a seed, a seed of peace
I am a seed, I am a seed of peace
Peace, peace, peace, peace

For me , I think the importance of the games is not about who won or who had more points ,its about the team building and leadership skills gained during the games. The campers did fully participated with the support of their coaches and they all gave it their all and at the end we are all members of one big Seeds of Peace family and one big part of humanity. But together we can make the world a better place.

Memorial Service

Since the Seeds of Peace family is growing over the years, naturally it will also have tragedy along the growth ti night is the memorial service for all the seeds families that have passed and Its always a special memorial for a young Palestinian and a former member of the SOP family, Aseel Asleh , he was shot by the Israel police during the 2000 intifada, he was an innocent bystander. Bobbie shared his legacy of bringing people together and how he started a new serve call Seeds net where former campers will continue dialogue online. Wil Smith also shared some of Aseel's stories and encouraged the campers to live by the principles that they learn the camp. There is a face book in his honor http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6065701331
The DL are having a farewell dinner so we joined the party and had a taste of Middle Eastern : Jordan, Egypt Israel, Palestine and American food all under one roof.

Quote :
Live your beliefs
And you can turn the world around.
~Henry David Thoreau~