Well lovely and loyal readers, the Ignite campers and CIT’s are all back home, the camp has been cleaned of the wreckage they left behind (kidding), and the summer staff have all packed up and gone after a lovely staff reunion. This all could only mean that we find ourselves at the end of the summer of 2012.
We can reflect on the summer as a whole sometime in the next week or so, but for now lets look back at the last full day of camp, and try to pretend that we don’t have to wait another ten months to do this all over again.
Friday was the second last Morning Watch of the week, and from what I’ve heard, the campers, CIT’s and staff were all really enjoying the opportunity to spend quality one-on-one time during Morning Watch opposed to the usual groups of 3-4 people in the other six weeks of summer.
The rest of the morning was a little different as usual, at least for the CIT’s. While the Ignite campers were off doing Discovery, the CIT’s met up in the Chapel for the annual Teeny Tiny Talent Show! Every CIT is required to participate in the show in some capacity, and the product is usually something strange that only the CIT’s really understand. Judging by the pictures, this year was no exception. Regardless, the CIT’s usually have a blast doing this, even if it means dressing up and going on stage performing something that people can only describe as “interesting…”.
Meanwhile, the Ignite campers broke off into their skill groups for the last time. It’s a weekly tradition that on Friday, the water ex skill, along with some other skills, head over to Crevice Point for some rock-hopping. The campers always love this, and it was a nice way to put a cap on skills for the summer.
The rock hoppers do need to be careful though, as the kayakers want it to be known that they own these waters. For some reason whenever I see pictures of kayakers all together, it looks like they’re planning something. I suppose it’s a good thing that they’re all on the same page…teamwork counts for something I guess. However, all the other waterfront skills have been put on notice. Don’t mess with the kayakers.
The campers were not just sad to leave camp at the end of the week, they were also sad to leave the people here. Swim, Boat, and Tuck time provided one of the last chances they will all get to hang out with each other, and they took advantage of every moment of it.
The also made sure to fit in all their favorite free time activities wherever they could. The kids have been lined up on the basketball court playing bump all week long, actually all summer long for that matter, and so they made sure they could fit in as many games as possible. The kids have actually gotten pretty good, and I’ve seen them really take it to the CIT’s on many occasions.
As the afternoon came to a close, the campers moved into Pine Lodge for one last supper for the week, then broke into their Big Brother, Big Sister pairs to enjoy the many activities we have available here at camp.
The last Chapel saw Heather talk to the campers about diving into God’s truth, and letting that be the guiding force of our lives. We can say we want to follow God and live for Him, but until we spend daily devotion in Scripture, and expose ourself to the truth, it’s going to be harder for us to know where God is leading us. It was a great reminder, and the campers seem committed to keeping that a part of their lives.
The final event of the week was Worship Night in the Chapel. It was an incredibly powerful surrender to God, as the campers sang their hearts and lungs out to their Lord. One of the best parts was that over half the campers decided to stay back in the Chapel after it was all done to talk and pray with their counsellors, CIT’s, and other campers. It was an amazing night that I’m sure many of these campers won’t soon forget.
It is also a summer that many of us won’t soon forget, and we are SO thankful for everything God has done here. As fun as this place is, we are a ministry first and foremost, and God certainly ministered to people through us this summer, and many lives were changed. This may be the end of the summer, but this is not the end of God’s work in these campers and CIT’s lives.
Thank you so much for your prayers this week and throughout this whole year, we honestly couldn’t have done this without them. Like I’ve mentioned before, this is certainly not the end of the blog, as you can expect 3-4 posts a week for the rest of the year. Please check back frequently for new posts and updates about what’s going on around camp, because I really think you’re going to enjoy what we have coming up. We’ll have a post in the next couple of days just recapping the summer, so make sure you stay tuned for that as well.
Thank’s again for your support, and we’ll talk to you again very soon!
