Camp Thoughts

Here is a stream of conscience list of my thoughts from camp. Some are funny, some are serious but they are all real and true.

1. Cereal should never be eaten with warm milk. When one’s favorite food is a good bowl of cereal, and she goes to take a first bite of cereal at camp to be disturbed with the taste of warm milk and mush in her mouth, it is disturbing.

2. Kids are kids no matter where they are from or what their socio-economic status is. At camp as I hung out with Kristen, Proxima, Lucy, and Janette I quickly realized that these girls are experiencing life and struggling with similar things that my girls back at FBC Jefferson City do as well as my Young Life girls. They, just like I at that age, desire acceptance, love and hope.

3. Getting out of one’s comfort zone and into a new adventure can open a whole new world. These children left the townships on Monday to head to a camp in the wilderness where they kayaked, hiked, did low ropes, laughed, ran around, and bathed in the beauty of God’s creation. For some of them, camp was the first time they ever left Cape Town. For some of them, camp was the time of lots of firsts. It was a time where they were free to just be kids. It was a time where they could have new experiences that did not involve the distress abusive home life, drug addicts and alcoholics and more. It was a time where they were in a place told to believe in the beauty of their dreams. It was a time they were encouraged and told they were of worth. Getting them out of their comfort zones gave the kids and opportunity to realize their worth in God. Camp was a door that opened showing them the amazing possibilities that await them.

4. Camp variety shows are some of the funniest yet most painful moments. After working Passport and having the weekly variety show, you quickly realize that some kids are talented and well some need to reconsider their calling for life. But, no matter how good or bad each act, the kids were empowered on stage. The same held true at camp when each cabin had to create a drama, song, or dance with a message. Some of the cabins acts were a bit more painful than the others but as each cabin performed, the kids were empowered. They were given an opportunity to express their talents and humor on stage. As I watched the acts, I quickly realized that this might be the first time these kids performed and were encouraged by a community who loves them saying, “Great job…keep doing what you are doing! You are talented. You are of worth.” And for that fact alone, I am willing to sit through multiple variety shows.

5. The hardest part about camp is the “camp high.” Now, it can be argued that the greatest part of camp is the “camp high” and the moments were people get it and hear God speak. Yes, those are powerful moments. But too often, when we leave camp we do not set in place adequate tools to continue to nurture the camp high so it is not just a “high” but something that lasts. Those kids definitely experience highs from camp. Now the key is to foster those highs and help nurture them so they can grow and not merely be stuck with a 5 minute high that quickly depletes once life gets in the way. I think that is the key for any camp experience be it if you are attending, chaperoning, or working the camp. The trick is figuring out how you sustain, grow, and nurture the “high moments” from camp then integrate them into your life for further, long lasting growth.