Some Sights and Sounds of Camp

The sounds of camp are many: the gush of water crashing at the bottom of the water-slide, the low growl of distant ATV rides, kids laughing and singing, a basketball bouncing, kitchen pans clanging, the dish machine’s high pressure water spray, mowers, and pool pumps, the rhythmic beat of a drum paired with a well played guitar, voices of worship leaders, and words from a speaker. As long as I live, I will always associate those things with camp. 

My favorite part of camp, the part which seems to be the most beneficial to our students, is the relationships and discussions they have with their cabin leader and peers. You can see and hear them happen every day here. In fact, the way we structure camp is designed much around creating an environment that is conducive for spiritual growth. We do this by blending relational discipleship, community spiritual formation, and the proclamation of Scripture. 

We have the special privilege and responsibility of presenting God to them in a way that they understand. Then, we get to help them process what the reality of God means for them individually and as a community. Kids get to wrestle with questions, appropriate Scripture to their lives, and see it lived out in the lives of our summer staff as they love and serve one another in community.

Here are some more sights and sounds of camp:

WORK WEEK

Vacuums in an empty dining hall: Before camp got started there was a lot of cleaning to do.    This normally happens during what we call "work week."  It is one of the final weeks before camp starts.  We get a lot of volunteers to come down and help us get ready.

An Empty Swimming Pool:  Before campers came this year, we repainted the pool with the help of some volunteers.

A Blob floating in the middle of the lake:  Every off season we pull our exciting water activity out of the water to have holes patched and annual service done.  In the spring, we put it back in right before camp starts.

More volunteer help:  This year Anthony Heating and Plumbing came down and helped us service every one of our air conditioners.  We are so grateful!  We could not do camp like we do it, without volunteers like this.

 SUMMER STAFF ORIENTATION 

Summer Staff arrive:  After work week, the rest of the summer staff arrive.  The Dining Hall turns into a noisy, fun place filled with college students from surrounding areas.  We have staff from MU, KU, K-State, Miami of Ohio, MNU, and many others.

Ropes Course Repairs:  Right around the time that summer staff arrive, I had to do some repairs on the ropes course.    in this case, I installed a new strand-vise to our two-line bridge.  

Mini-excavator rumbles:  Right before the first day of camp, we had an in-ground water line break.   So, semi-frantically we rented some equipment and dug up the ground to repair it.

 CAMPERS ARRIVE 

A filled Chapel:  Finally campers arrived.  Our chapel is very full when they gather in there every night to sing, and listen to the speaker for the week.

More Volunteers:  After the first week of camp, we had a large crew of volunteers come in to help us paint our cabins.   WITC (What If The Church), a non-profit volunteer-recruiting organization, assembled well over 100 people to come out and help.  Paint was donated, and they brought their own ladders and sprayers.  It was an exciting day.   

Midnight Madness: One of the theme nights for Hype (our fun event time), is called "Midnight Madness".  Everyone wheres glow bracelets and necklaces, we blob at night, the waterside is lit up with neon lights, the disc golf baskets have lights in them.  We even have a neon-lit basket ball.

Water-slide Frogs: In the morning, this is a common sight on our waterside.  For some reason, like to hang out on our waterside.  Its actually a bit of a nuisance, but a good picture nonetheless. 

Shaving Cream wars: During our pre-adolescent weeks, we have shaving cream wars.  Its a favorite for our campers and cabin leaders.  If you have never tried this, you should!  (Just make sure you don't have the kind with aloe or menthol)  Afterwords, they get sprayed down with the fire hose.  

More Shaving Cream war.






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