Competition With a Lot of Laughs

Life at the shelter can be a bit confining at times because of the unsafe reality of the surrounding neighborhood and the protective nature of CSC's ministry. It's just not possible for kids to go out the gate and roam the neighborhood looking for play opportunities. For any who have had the chance to visit the shelter, that would be very evident. Drugs, gangs, and occasional violence are not uncommon to our locale.

So our kids relish every opportunity to have some time out from the hustle and bustle of the shelter. It might be a weekly outing with their houseparents, going shopping with Auntie Sandy, Jollibee for lunch with Uncle Paul, bowling with Teacher Amy and Teacher Tammy, or out on a boat for some snorkeling with our family. We also enjoy going out for a bite to eat with the kids and playing several games of P-I-G at a local billiards room. P-I-G, introduced to our kids by one of our teachers, is an elimination type game that involves a billiards table with two balls, lots of action and strategy, and a ton of laughs.



While all of the kids play for fun, most of them want to win really badly. For a few it's pretty important. But more than that, they like to see me lose or make a silly error. That gets the most laughs. And if I end up on my back on the floor, all the better. Nothing like a good laugh at the expense of Uncle Mitch.



It's just a good experience for everyone all around. The kids get to get out and enjoy themselves, they get a chance to compete in a game where even the less talented kid has always got a chance to win, they get to see me do badly, and everyone gets to laugh a lot.