Update: Junior Week 2

We had our second group of junior campers last week, a full camp of 71 campers, almost half of them first time campers.  It's always exciting to have lots of new campers to introduce to the joy of camp and, for some of them, to the stories of Jesus for the first time.  Overall they were a very nice group of kids with very little homesickness or behavior problems.

There was a tragedy in the nearby city of Dryden last week.  The principal of the Catholic elementary school and his 17-year-old son were killed in a car accident.  It was quite a blow to the community, and several of our campers who attend St. Joseph's were camping with us last week. A couple of the parents let us know that it made things easier for them, knowing that their kids were being cared for by us during this hard time.  It is a blessing to us to be able to have these strong community ties, and we were glad to assist these families.

There was a round of sickness that struck several people including me.  I had a severe cold that laid me up for the entire day on Tuesday, and then I had to take it easy to get back to full strength by Friday.  It's a good thing to find out you're not irreplaceable.  Josh, one of the cabin leaders who had heard me tell the same story every Tuesday, stepped in to take the kids on their hike and tell the story of Peter following Jesus.  Other people stepped in to help with games, which was another of my responsibilities this past week.

Josh did a fine job with the story.

Since being a game leader was my job this week, let me share a couple of the games we play here with you.  Many games are regular camp fare that have been played at camp for years and years and might make you a little nostalgic.  One of those games is Steal the Bacon.  It is always a favorite of the campers here as they dash to collect items from the center and take them to their team for points.  They may even wrestle to steal things from other players which makes for quite a show.

On hot afternoons we try to stay cool by playing some water games.  A favorite is Sink the Canoe, which is just what you think:  splash enough water into the canoe to get it to sink.  This year we added another element, which was having the team captains sit in the canoe.  The kids loved splashing their captains, and it added to the fun. (Good idea, Isaac, Chester and Amy!)

Organized Mass Chaos (OMC) is another favorite game on a hot afternoon.  Each team has a bucket full of task cards, and the game is to see which team can complete the most tasks before the time is up.  The tasks involve things like shaving cream, silly string water, balloons and sponges.  A task might be something like, "Squirt shaving cream under your arms and say, 'I'm feeling foamy today.'" Lots of silliness produces lots of smiles in this game.

Finally, we play a game called Canadian Beaver each week.  It involves the people who are "it" (beavers) chasing down players, lifting them off the ground long enough to say "Canadian Beaver" and then, hopefully, putting them gently back on the ground.  It is a rough game, but most campers really love it.  We used to play it when I was a kid, and we called it American Eagle.

Prayer requests:  Pray for all of the staff to have enthusiasm and energy for this last group of kids.  It may be our fifth week of camp, but for the campers coming, it is their first week.

Pray for me that I can tell my stories for the fifth time with enthusiasm.  Also, that I can make good choices about which ones to include, as I have added different elements each week.

We are very thankful that my mom was able to get her radiation treatments moved to Chattanooga.  She begins on Tuesday, July 30.  My nephew Andy will be going with them on Tuesday, then we will see what her schedule will look like.

Update: Junior Week 1

We had to change gears this week as we welcomed our first group of junior campers, ages 8-12.  They require a lot more care and supervision than the teen campers.  Everything we do takes considerably longer.  But they make up for it by being very entertaining.

This week I hiked along with this group of boys and the subject of dreams came up.  I told them about a dream I had just that night.  In the dream (a typical teacher type dream) I was teaching a group of kids but they weren't the current campers or any kids I could identify.  One of the boys in the dream was pushing all my buttons.  I finally blew my top, and told him to "sit right here and don't move until I tell you to."  Then I woke up.  One of the boys on the hike said, "Tell me what he looked like.  I think I know him."  We have laughed and laughed about this.  Phil said, "Tell him to look in the mirror."

One of the fun things I get to do each day is lead one of our specialized activities.  The kids get to choose from things like paintball, archery, canoeing, ping-pong, frisbee golf, rock climbing and others.  My activity is space art.  Using spray paints we have created our own planets and galaxies.  The kids have been very delighted with the art they have created, and that has made it a joy for me.

Prayer requests:  Camp is full again for the coming week.  Please pray for the summer staffers as they recover from a pretty demanding week.  

Pray for those who heard the Gospel for the first time, and for several who responded to the Gospel this week.

My mom went to Emery in Atlanta.  They cannot do surgery and are sending her for radiation.  She will have to go five days a week for six to eight weeks.  Right now she is scheduled to do this in Murfreesboro.  We are trying to get it moved to Chattanooga.  Pray that we can get this arranged in the coming week.  She is scheduled to start on July 29.

Update: Teen 2

The second teen week has been completed, and it was another good week.  The weather, however, was not as good to us this past week as it had been for Teen 1.  Teen 1 was sunny and warm but cool in the evenings, almost perfect.  For Teen 2 we had two very wet days and thunderstorms one night that bothered some of the campers and kept them awake.  By Wednesday we had some campers that didn't have any dry clothes to put on or a dry towel to use.  Cold and wet makes for some unhappy campers but the end of the week improved so we finished strong.

This week I didn't have to lead the games, so I was able to spend some time helping out in the kitchen.  The kitchen is a great place to work as a team and have some fun conversations while you work.  Phil and I also jumped in to prepare the Sunday lunch meal, which gives the regular cooks a small break from kitchen duty.

We had 65 campers last week which made for a very full camp.  The staff is fantastic at making it all run smoothly, and I'm so thankful for their hard work.  Phil continues to do the same job he's done for the past several years, helping out with canoes and paddle boards during swim time.  He often has some of the staff or some of the campers come sit with him and talk.

At the beginning of the week the campers divide up into teams which compete the rest of the week.  All the team names this year are constellations.  Their first team task is to create a mascot out of craft materials we have.  I have been amazed by their creativity.  Here's what they've come up with so far.

I'm sure you can see Scorpion and Gemini is there
(a turtle with two heads, the twins).

There's a phoenix here and Orion on the right, the hunter.

Prayer requests:  The coming week we have around 70 junior campers coming.  The whole feel of camp changes when the younger kids come.  It's requires a lot more work for the staff so pray for them.

My mom goes to Emery in Atlanta for consultation about surgery on her nose.  Pray for good understanding of what needs to be done on her part and on the part of the medical team.  Also pray for their travel (Will is taking them) because the weather down there is looking bad because of the hurricane.

Update: Teen Week 1

Teen Week 1 is in the books and it was a great success.  The group of 40 we had this week was all returning campers except for four new ones.  Many of the campers this week have been coming every summer since they were eight years old.  It is good to see so many familiar faces and work with kids who just love camp.

I took the kids on hikes each day and told the Bible stories.  I focused on Peter.  I talked about what it was like for Peter to follow Jesus and how that looks for us today.  I was happy with how it all came out.  Now to look into what things I might add or change since we have several campers returning for a second week with us.

I was also the game leader this week and worked with Mallory and Kelly during each game time.  They were great help and made my job much easier.  Mallory took this lead on several games, and Kelly is one of those people who just quietly go about getting the job done behind the scenes. 

Keeping score with Mallory (sorry I didn't get Kelly in the pic)

My favorite game this week was one created by Isaac, one of the interns here this summer.  It was called Telescope.  After racing to retrieve pool noodles without being tagged, teams used them to build telescopes.  I was so impressed with their creations.

Lots of good relationships were strengthened with the returning campers.  Some of them are going through some tough stuff.  The teen age years are often hard, and the cabin leaders did a great job listening and empathizing with the campers.

One of my most enjoyable tasks of the week was performing skits in the chapel with Bekah, another intern.  We got a lot of laughs.

This is not the skit but it gives you a little glimpse of some of the chapel decorations.
They are really wonderful.

Prayer requests:  Please pray for the returning campers, that God can continue to work in their lives. Pray for me as I try to develop some different lessons to add to their learning.  We have several individuals and groups traveling in and out this weekend so we pray for their safety.

Also, pray for my mom.  The cancer in her nose is too extensive to treat in Chattanooga.  She will have to travel to Emery in Atlanta.  I don't know when yet, or what that might mean that I need to do.  Pray for her healing and for wisdom for all of us in the decisions we have to make in this situation.