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Day 1 - Mentors Diary - Shabbir Merali |
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Salaam Alaikum
We arrived in Stanmore at 6:30am prompt. You can imagine how tired we must have been but this was no excuse to sit down and have some chi. As soon as I entered the jamaat
, the mayhem had already started. Volunteers and mentors were running around getting everything prepared for the sacred campers.
The campers soon arrived with their parents who would come over to me and I would introduce myself to them as their son's mentor. One father said to me, “I pass on the responsibility of my child to you over the next ten days”. This comment made me realise how important our care as mentors means to the parents. The mentor training weekends that the admin have organised for us and the weeks of mental preparation that I have been through for this camp has increased my confidence in looking after the campers and I am certain that the mentors and I will do an excellent job.
After the campers checked in we gathered into our groups and spent some time to get to know each other. Shortly after, we started the bus journey to Heathrow. It was at this stage that the campers started to become more excited. We, the mentors, realised what we were really in for. Can you imagine 30 or so hyperactive children under one roof? It was chaotic! However, the mentors did well to calm the camper's excitement and board onto the plane with no problems and in good time, just! The energy of the campers on the plane journey continued as we took off and lasted right through until landing.
Our first visit in Sweden was the Stockholm jamaat where we prayed zohr prayers. We then moved on to reach the campsite at approximately 8:30pm. I have been told a lot about the campsite but I did not expect it to be as picturesque as it is. Even at night the scenery is so beautiful. The moonlight beams across the calm waters of the lake. I cannot wait to see what it looks like in the sunlight tomorrow morning. The lodges are very practical with a lounge, kitchen and one room between 2-3 campers. When we arrived we prayed Maghrib namaaz. We then got together in the dining hall to eat goss no saug, which might I add, was fantastic, nearly as good as my mum's cooking! All the campers then went back to their lodges and had half an hour of group time with their mentors and then went to bed at 11:30pm ready for the next exciting day at Sweden.
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