Wow, did this week ever fly by, and what a week it’s been. It’s already Saturday afternoon, and the Spark campers have just left us for the summer, saying goodbye to their counsellors and the new friends they made at camp. We’ve seen God move in many different waysithis week, and through that we’ve seen some pretty cool friendships being made even after such a short time here.
Some of the most powerful friendships that were made this week were between the campers and their “big siblings” which was made possible by the time they spent together during Morning Watch. We really hope the campers will take home some of the good habits they learned during this time, and remember that they don’t have to be at camp in order to read their Bibles and spend time with God.
Although the campers were sad to go home, they fully embraced their last full day of camp on Friday. It’s a weekly tradition that the water ex skill heads over to Crevice Point to do some rock hopping, and this week was no exception. It’s not a terrifying drop by any means, but it’s always something the campers look forward to throughout the week.
Once again it was beautiful outside on Friday, which meant the campers were ready to take full advantage of our aquatic facilities (I know, that’s a pretty fancy word. I impress even myself sometimes). This cabin seems to be a little confused as to what a “buddy check” is, but at least they’re all buds.
We checked in with the skiing skill early on in the week, and the campers were enjoying the comfort of the boom to keep them up. However, now with all the practice they’ve gotten, the campers have graduated onto the full rope, and for a lot of the campers it was their favorite skill of the week.
It’s been amazing to see the cabin unity that has developed this week. When we put these kids into cabin groups, it’s always very challenging because you really have no idea if everyone is going to mesh well and get along. This week, it really looked like the kids in every cabin genuinely enjoyed each others company. During any free time, or Swim, Boat, and Tuck, it was rare to see campers away from their cabin groups. I’m sure they’re all really going to miss each other as they go home.
With all of our younger camps, instead of doing a worship night we have a beautiful fireside beside the lake. The campers in wilderness caught wind of that, and made a bonfire ahead of time in anticipation.
However, before we could get to our fireside, we had one last Chapel service, and the kids wanted to give it their all one last time.
In our last Chapel, Chris reminded the campers to seek God’s truth in their lives even when they go home, something that tends to be a challenge for campers every year. However, it’s amazing to hear the changes in these kids lives, and the passion they have for carrying out God’s will for them. It was a great Chapel to end on, and in typical Chris fashion it probably had the coolest illusion yet as he found his way out of locked chains when it looked like it wasn’t possible.
Our fireside last night ended up being the perfect way to end the week. Campers shared about their favorite memories, and they boldly proclaimed commitments they made this week. It was a great time of sharing and praise, and it was another great reminder of how blessed we are here at camp.
All of the kids have now left camp, but our hope and our prayer is that God can continue to be a priority for them. That is something to pray about for all of the campers that come here during the summer. Our mission here is to make and grow disciples of Christ, and I really think God allowed us to do just that this week. Thank you so much for your prayers, and have a fantastic weekend!
