Earlier in the summer the group decided it would be nice to get our sponsored students out of the city for a nice change. Between school and work it can be pretty difficult for them to see other parts of our culture and experience anything outside of Regina. The plan then was to go camping at our fearless leader Jessica’s farm. So ten of us crammed into two cars and began the 3 hour journey to the farm.
The weekend consisted of sleeping outside (and since the weather was perfect, we decided against tents and slept under the stars!) and campfires, where Mohammed, Laxman, Manie, Panchol and Patience got to enjoy their first taste of s’mores! Did I mention that there was an abundance of itty bitty kittens at the farm? Naturally we spent as much time cuddling up with the little beasts. The first night there the boys were educating Jess’ dad about their region of Africa while the girls worked hard helping Jess’ mom in the kitchen. So it was more than just a weekend away, it became one giant cultural exchange for all of us.
The second day of the trip we all went over to Jess’ aunt’s farm for a beautiful horse-drawn wagon ride and then a bit of horseback riding. It’s a bit unreal to think that a horse could make such a big group of people so happy but everyone was just so excited to get on a horse! After we left the horses we went and had a picnic in a park and decided to cool off in the lake(river?).
Before we left to return to Regina, Jess’ grandparents came to meet everyone and surprised our sponsored students with quilts that Jess’ grandma’s quilting club had made for all of them! That kind of generosity truly shows what this club is about – complete strangers coming together to help enrich the lives of others.
To be honest, I’m not sure there’s a better way to enjoy a gorgeous summer weekend. We had fantastic company, horses, kittens, fires, picnics and barbecues. However, I think the best part of the excursion was the opportunity for the group to really get to know one another and become more than just names on a list of club members. This is especially significant because a majority of the members were new and didn’t really know anyone. So now, when we have tasks to do, we’ll be more eager to help because these aren’t just faceless names but instead new friends.
Aurora Elig
SRP Representative
WUSC Regina
