Chinese Heritage Cultural Camp 2

This past weekend I did something that I haven't done in a very long time: volunteer. Yes I've done soup kitchens and stuff, but this is the first time in a long time that I've been a mentor/teacher/counselor for kids. And man have I missed it. And to think I almost missed the entire thing (read on it'll make sense)! 

The camp was called "CHHCII" which is short for something along the lines of Chinese Heritage Cultural Camp 2 (I know the acronym does not line up!). This is not just any ordinary Asian get-together, and believe me, and Asian get-together in Colorado is already an out of the ordinary thing. This is a camp for Chinese born kids adopted into American families. This camp is intended for them to make friends with other kids just like them and have fun with each other while learning a little about their country's culture. While the kids did that, there were parenting classes and seminars for the parents, as well as a couple Chinese culture classes too!

This is Pearl. She's a sixth grader that loves dragons!

So how did I stumble upon this camp?? Of all places, it was a video from YouTube! See, YouTube is useful sometimes. I was watching an interview with a rapper named DanAKADan who talked about how he was a Korean-born adoptee who was adopted into a white family. I found it pretty interesting, but what really piqued my attention was when he was talking about how there's a huge camp for it in... Colorado. Needless to say I was all ears at that point. He talked about how it's sponsored by this organization called Heritage Camps and blah blah blah and before I knew it I was applying to be a camp counselor. And shortly after that I found out that I was selected to be a camp counselor. 

If you don't know, I'm not adopted. I can't say I can really relate to the struggles of being an adoptee because of that. Yet before I knew it I was driving on my way up to Denver to a camp where I was going to be a counselor for Chinese middle schooler adoptees. 

I walked into a room full of Asian counselors in bright pink t-shirts. I already missed the meet and greet the night before because of work, so I was already nervous about how this was going to turn out. Believe it or not, I was actually nervous to be around so many Asians again too! But before I knew it I was talking to the other counselors and realized that many have been volunteering for years while others are newbies like me! And then camp started.

There was so much that happened (I wish I had more pictures!) but through the course of the next few days we watched dragon dancing, ate dim sum, learned to play mah jong, rock climbed, painted finger nails, and so much more. I'm still having a hard time explaining how I feel. I'm so glad to have been a part of this to help the kids, but I also benefited from this so much too. I made so many friends, got to speak with parents and kids in such a great subculture, and really just have an amazing weekend of good food and good company. 

I'm still just speechless from the weekend. I think a huge part of it is because I witnessed people loving each other unconditionally in a way so unfamiliar to me, and that really took me aback in the greatest way possible. I saw parents with so much love that they wanted to share it with ones who need it the most. I saw families with multiple adopted children and families that had both adopted children and their own.

This is Linnea, she came out from Minnesota to support her little sister!

You want to know what's great? There's another camp in September and I got selected to be a counselor for that one too! And I heard this one is even bigger :)