The season started with a LOT of programming with STEPHANIE REBIS! We worked out curriculum for 7 weeks of themes. The goal was to go through the Bible in the course of the summer so that campers would learn something different no matter how many weeks they attended. We also helped develop orientation and get to know you games for the staff. My favorite part about that was making mailboxes for the staff using cans!
Then the last week of June we had 20+ hours of high ropes. My least favorite part was the swing so here is a pic of Steph being incredibly adventurous ( I sort of looked like a drunk avatar with my hair tail swinging behind me as i healed on for dear life)
This is Lindsay and Charlie, one of the many truly wonderful staff this summer. This was the night before we needed some supplies for 'Olympics' week- clearly they were helping me find gold medals... :)
The campers.... what it's all about. We had weeks ranging from 35-100 in attendance. It was phenomenal to see the staff work with each camper. Every day we had chapel in the morning and devos after lunch. I was amazed by the ability of the counselors to develop devotions and minister to these kids 5 days a week all summer. Our season runs from July-August - 7 weeks of... everything.
We enjoyed sunsets over the lake every week- some of them full of color- some calm as glass. I, with the help of staff and campers, started a nature cabin this summer- we had 5 terrariums and kids would catch everything from spiders, to frogs to snakes... one mole, some newts... and crayfish- it was interesting letting everything go each week!
For our anniversary I was going to get Chris a leatherman (he lost his, or maybe it was Dave- the verdict is still out) but the week before he found this Jeep for $100 bucks so 'Happy Anniversary Chris' now he has a new project which he is enjoying more than i could possibly understand.
I was very excited to fit in my wedding dress 4 years to the day- yesssss!
We called the last week of camp 'Around the world in 5 days' and talked about missions locally and internationally. We tried to introduce the kids to missionaries and begin to open their world up a bit to the needs around them. To help them internalize this- we played games each day that had to do with a third-world type activity. We played stick ball, did a water relay where they had to carry water on their head up from the beach, we taught them some african dances and below we had them collect fire for a campfire and then popped corn over it (a HUGE success, thankfully!)
ok- so there are more pics on my photo stream- but i don't want overwhelm the wifi here. so a few take aways from the summer:
- programming is something i love- really, the details and the prep and the wacky games are so much fun!
- the programming can not get someone saved... and i had to learn, and am still learning, to let some of that go and see relationships in a sort of braid with the logistics ultimately knotted, or used... or threaded through the Holy Spirit.
- love is difficult ...
- seeing someone truly understand the gospel for the first time is unmatchable, priceless
- my husband is an incredible, patient, godly man
- there are a lot of tasks, things around the house, stuff in my life that i need to purge for the sake of relationships.
*redeemed how I love to proclaim it-
