Today I feel a real mix of joy and sadness. I found a lot of joy in the kids spending their 20$ birthday money from friends at the Onoway Pharmacy (which is kind of like an old style general store), playing outside on the trampoline and in the fort with friends, the first campfire of the season, hearing Eli's giggle when he tried the trampoline for the first time, and the fact that the driveway is DRYING UP finally and I might actually be able to drive right to my house soon instead of carrying groceries up the hill! Though I suppose I shouldn't complain since I was looking for more exercise :) The sadness comes from hearing the news of a drunk driving incident involving some youth from a reserve very close to where we ran a Bible camp for 2 1/2 years in northern Saskatchewan. A 14 year old girl was driving a mini-van with 10 passengers when she lost control and rolled the vehicle. Three youth died and two are in critical condition. Another senseless, painful tragedy in a string of them for the community that seems to never end. I can't help but wondering if the kids involved came to camp....what their stories were. It just reminds me of all the pain and hopelessness that we saw when we were there. The abject poverty, the abuse, the brokenness. But there was hope too, people who, against all odds, were breaking the deadly cycles and finding new life, reaching out to their community in extraordinary ways. I have to remember that....