Many of this weeks middle schoolers have being coming here for up to 7 years. Crazy! Even though I asked the same question surrounding the main idea of “why camp?”  the answers were different. While the younger kids would go on about how fun it is, some of these campers expressed deeper reasons to return year after year. I also noticed instead of going to camp being a generational thing, friends were the answer for coming.  The answer that seemed the most significant was “it’s a place where I can be myself”. How incredible to have an environment where kids are not pressured by this world to be anyone other than who God created them to be.

This week’s shepherd, Roon, was a real blessing to both campers and staff. After asking several campers what they had learned about God/Jesus through Roon’s teaching I noticed that there was a one message that had really stuck with them. The last night of fireside the campers had the opportunity to write something they wanted to give to God on a card and then throw it into the fire. After all week hearing Roon share parts of her life story and then hearing some testimonies from some staff, the campers responded thoughtfully. Many of them for the first time saw how God allows us to go through the fire in order to refine us. That with God at work in us, there is purpose in pain. So many campers commented on how our experiences and hardships make us who we are today. At the same time, as a new creation in Christ Jesus, it is our relationship with Him that defines us, not our past.

Once again, I was astounded at the depth of these simple, yet vital, truths that the campers expressed.

This week I decided to change up the “What is something new you have learned” question and focus in on some of the interest groups. There was everything from crazy hair dos to duck tape wallets.

A photo montage showing the campers forming friendships and just having fun. And the best part… frolicking as a part of capture the frisbee.

This week was the first of the summer to play mission impossible. At every camp I’ve ever been to, this game has been the craze and so I was not surprised that many campers chose it has their favorite camp activity. I love seeing the campers’s excitement, there is an incredible energy surrounding this game.  Then you can’t forget the pig trough, the best way to eat ice cream, and the GaGa pit which, as one camper thoughtfully pointed out, brings kids from many different cabins together and allows you to meet new people. Oh and I almost forgot, unique to this messy monday- the jigglin toe pick-up!!

This week during registration we had a chalk board set up in the center of the pavilion. I wrote the questions: why camp?,  How are you feeling about being at camp? and What is your favorite camp activity? and then encouraged campers to write their answers while I filmed. On monday, I continued to ask the question why camp? specifically how they heard about BBC. Again there seems to be a generational theme and my favorite answer, “because I had nothing better to do?” I’m mean, what could be better than camp?!

I had no idea what to expect when I started asking this question. Had they really taken fireside and shelter chats to heart, enough to remember something meaningful? Well, I underestimated 8-10 year olds. This makes me think of one of my favorite verses. “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” -I Timothy 4:12. These kids are an inspiration. Their unabashed faith and boundless love never ceases to amaze me. As for them, what better place to grow in Him than here in his magnificent creation with the example of their counselors. I felt it was important to included some counselors speaking during shelters chats, and then show how the campers responded to demonstrate this mutual growth. I love the passion I hear in the words of the counselors and the honesty in the revelations of the campers.

After several days of gathering footage I realized a lot of it showed campers and staff building relationships. So I decided to put it all together in this montage clip. Although there is no logical progression between images I think collectively they show the beauty in how everyone connects in love and service to one another in a single week. And sometimes children laughing says enough.

I certainly was not expecting some of the answers I got when I started asking this question. I think this week I might investigate the first comment in this clip in more depth. Does food cooked over the fire indeed taste better?  Is it better than fast food? Perhaps it doesn’t compare to mom’s cooking, but there’s certainly something to be said for it. For the second part of this clip, I must say I was very impressed with the creativity of the kids this week. Everything from saying a bible verse to a rap beat to dancing and 4 square in the pavi made the rainy days seem bright.