Sleep-Deprived Ramblings From Camp

What a week! I just got back last night from an intense, painful, and hugely fun week of jr. teen camp. In this blog I will attempt to recount some of the events of the week, for those of you not fortunate enough to be a part of it. Despite what the picture to the left may look like, most of us did actually shower throughout the week. Also, I did not shrink in size to Rae Ann's height, I merely ducked down so we could fit in the same picture. Over all, it was a most excellent week for me, as I had a great time with both the campers and the counselors. It was a slightly strange experience counseling with guys whom I had counseled just a few short years ago, but at the same time was exciting to see how much they've grown since then. Those counselors who were not previously aquainted with the Cold Lake/Vermilion crowd had to get used to our unique sense of humor in a hurry.


As I said earlier, the past week at camp was a painful one for me, as I seemed to injure myself on a daily basis. The very first night I wrecked my neck and back carrying around my junior couselor on my shoulders (pictured at left) during the first game. Despite our best efforts, our team still lost. Another injury occured while shooting a basketball around. I went in for a lay-up, and in mid flight, my right knee be came well acquainted with the pole supporting the backboard. But my pain was not finished for the day, as shortly afterwards I was entered into the soccer tournament (in which we lost by a goal in the finals, I might add). My body was simply not meant to run around a field chasing a black and white ball for an extended period of time. This wouldn't have been so bad, had I not desired to win so greatly that I sacrificed my body on numerous occasions and ran like a wild honeymoon stallion that had just been tamed. By the end, I vowed to never take breathing for granted ever again, as I was on the verge of passing out right there on the field. Another time, my leg got cut up while cleaning the girls side of the shower house when I broke a mirror and had it shatter into thousands of sharp shards of glass. I had only some minor bleeding scrapes, but the nurse proceeded to wrap my leg up like an Egyptian mummy for reasons unknown. The final injury that comes to mind occurred while out canoeing. Me and my junior counselor Warren decided that we would try and see how long we could last while standing on the seats of the canoe and rocking it. We lasted about five seconds, before we both bailed, and I smashed my elbow on the canoe as it flipped and landed on top of me. Although my body took a beating this week, at least I didn't run into a barbed wire fence like somebody else who will go un-named for their sake.

It was also a very exciting week in terms of what God accomplished in the lives of the campers. I know of at least two guys who made first time committments, and at least one other who wants to be baptized, and that was from my cabin alone. I know that there were many other comittments made in the other cabins. It actually came as a surprise to me, as for the entire week we failed to get them talking about spiritual matters of any sort. But anyways, those are just some of the many things that took place at Belle View this past week, and most certainly will not be my last blog about camp. Go Cabin 7!