Hello! It’s Bekah, and I am back to tell you more about what has been going on here at Camp Lebanon to prepare the staff for the summer. It was a long first week, and so much has happened since my last post on Friday!
Saturday, we participated in a day of silence. We spent the majority of the day not talking and fasting. This gave us all time to rest and refocus our minds on God and all of the amazing things He is preparing us for this summer. Some people chose to be alone in the Word and in prayer and some chose to be together in silence. Everyone was able to recharge for the coming week.
At 5:30 on Saturday we gathered for worship so that the first words to come out of our mouths would be praise to God. It was an amazing experience! After worship, we shared together and had our first meal of the day. Since we didn’t talk during the day, we had testimony time after dinner and that brought our night to an end.
After Sunday morning breakfast we attended Community Covenant Church in Upsala, where we were commissioned as a staff. Our worship team got to lead worship at the church, and we got to meet the staff of Lake Beauty Bible Camp. Later in the week, we will be facing the Lake Beauty staff in a game of ultimate frisbee.
After church and lunch, we helped clean up around camp to prepare for groups to come. We split into groups to clear fallen tree branches and leaves, clean up the beach, and move furniture and set things up.
We then gathered back as a group to learn and talk about what we will be doing with the kids this summer and to listen to a few more testimonies before dinner. We later got to participate in a strenuous and chaotic game we like to call “Mighty Mighty Scoop Noodle Challenge.” (Get excited, campers, because you get to play Mighty Mighty all summer long!)
Monday morning we could feel the achy muscles as we went through our morning routine of alone time with God, raising the flag, and having breakfast before we gathered as a group for a learning session. Our session was led by a mental health professional who gave us insight into caring for campers this summer.
That afternoon, we were assigned to projects around Camp to clean and prepare this space for all the campers who are soon to arrive. It was a challenge working through the sore muscles, but a lot of progress was made.
Over dinner, we met with our staff families to come up with a silly skit. We preform these skits for the Junior High groups during mail call. There was lots of laughter filling the amphitheater as presented our ideas, and I can’t wait to see them when they are more fine-tuned.
Tuesday was a normal morning leading up to our testimony time and team time. Counselors were told what cabin they would be in charge of for the summer, and we got some free time to relax. The lead counselors presented each counselor a cupcake with a flag representing the country that their cabin is named for.
Free time turned into fellowship time as staff gathered to talk, play volleyball, and throw a frisbee.
Afterwards, we learned about the carnival we will be putting on for the Super Kids groups. We came up with games, chose people to lead and set them up, and made signs for the attractions.
After dinner, our staff families were hosted by year-round staff members at their homes. Sadly, I didn’t get any stories about the other staff family adventures, but my group had a blast. There was a fire, snacks, a swing set, and a stream in the backyard that immediately peaked interest.
After a little exploring, we gathered around the fire to talk and enjoy s’mores. However, the s’more roasting quickly changed into odd food combinations. The boys ended up roasting Starbursts, which they said tasted amazing.
We have had a great week so far, and with only a few days left of staff training, we are excitedly looking forward to the campers getting here. I can’t believe how quickly we have grown close as a staff, and I know God is ready to do great things through us for His purpose with all the people we have coming to Camp this summer. Keep following the blog throughout the summer for more fun updates! Thanks for reading, and God bless!
Follow us on social media all summer for updates on Camp Lebanon’s ministry this summer!
