Teen Camp

It was a smaller camp with only 10 teenagers, 6 boys and 4 girls. It was nice in that was an ease into the camps to come.

Each morning we started with staff meeting and accountability groups then we would take our cabin out to the challenge course to do one challenge before breakfast.

During the week I was helping with the climbing wall and also riflery. I was in charge of field games.  I am also the first aid person for the week. Doing all these and being a cabin leader kept me busy. Despite all the busyness we still got time to spend with the girls in the cabin with a cabin quiet time after lunch each day. The picture to the right is taken just before our show time, each cabin had a passage that they did a skit from. 

One afternoon we went for a walk down to the river for a swim. I did not swim but it might have been better than being eaten by the swarms of mosquitoes. The mosquitoes are big and leave red itchy bumps that stay for a while. The lesson I learnt was take insect repellent.  

After that we had a hotdog roast for dinner. Three nights during the week we also had camp fire in the evening before bed. At this we sang songs and a leader shared their testimony.

The food at camp was so very good. I am not sure I will get used to having cooked breakfast every morning. Each morning it is something different and the lunches and dinner are good meals, it's just like having home cooking. Including home made bread rolls and noddles. Before meals we had to line up and the straightest line would get to go in first. Sometimes we also had to do something else like recite memory verses or sing a song. This day one of the boys cabins decided it's straight line would go the wrong way. 

We had chapel twice a day with singing, teaching and memory verse learning. The teaching had a gospel message as well as challenges for those who are Christians. I was challenged about stepping out in faith and also during the week about having compassion. As the first aid person I was challenged that I needed to show love and compassion even when a child seems to be making it up or exaggerating. The singing had a mixture of fun action songs and quieter songs. It was cool to see the kids, who at the beginning of the week would just stand there, joining in and listen carefully. I was encouraged by the girls in my cabin pretty much motivating themselves to learn the memory verses, all four of them could say all five at the end of the week.

I got really tired part way through the week with staying up late and such but I am very thankful for the answered prayer in having strength and energy to the end. I am thankful for the talks that Tetley and I were able to have with the girls in the cabin. We have come away knowing we have to trust God to continue to do work in their lives and I am praying for wisdom in how to do follow up.

Something else we are very thankful for is how good the weather was. We had a thunder storm which lasted for a short time and then heavy rain one evening but nothing that required changing the programme. This is a full circle rainbow, around the sun with a planes trail that was above us while at the river.

Today is a quiet day to get ready for the next camp which is kids camp with 35campers registered. We are trusting God to provide the male cabin leaders we will need as still only have 3 and 21 boys. I am thinking that now I will go and take an afternoon nap before working on the rest of my to do list.