Camp’s Over
Well… one day we’re asking ourselves, “How did camp time get here so fast?” and it seems like the very next that we’re saying, “What? Is camp already over with? Where did the last 8 weeks go?!” I don’t know where they went – the same place that every week goes, I guess – but I could tell you what they were full of: campers. Campers moving into cabins, cleaning them every morning for the mysterious cabin inspector to score, gathering together after lunch and just before bedtime to goof off and (hopefully) have some more meaningful moments of drawer closer to the Creator together, and collapsing into their bunks at night to sleep off another day full of activity. Campers on the ballfield— running and dodging in games of ultimate frisbee, bucket ball, dare base, and the intensity of a mud struggle or the weekly shaving cream fight. Campers in the chapel— jumping around to active songs, raising their hands in worship, listening intently to a Bible speaker, or taking a 30-minute slot in the “12 hours of praise and worship.” Campers in the rec hall, loading up on sugar and caffeine, or trying to make the highest score in the hoops game – or just hanging out with friends. Campers in the dining hall— drinking gallons of Kool-Aid, saying Bible verses to receive a piece of mail, ganging up on a staff member to try to force them to sing a song, determining who has the longest fingernails or the most alliteration in their name to decide which camper has to scrape the plates.
The weeks were also full of staff members who poured their lives into these kids for a week at a time. There were so many kids who gave their hearts to Christ during these 8 weeks of summer camp here. We’re so thankful to Christian Word Ministries who gave full scholarships to 48 of our campers, even provided them with sleeping bags, pillows and Bibles – we’re thankful that they were able to experience a week of camp that they might not have been able to otherwise.
With camp over, the pace doesn’t really seem to slow down that much. There’s a youth group from Ohio due to arrive on Monday the 6th – 30 people who have no idea how many projects there are waiting for them! And we’re getting down to the last few weeks of planning for our annual fundraiser auction. On August 18th, hordes of people (we hope) will be gathered in the True Value parking lot (probably praying for clear skies and a cool breeze) enjoying tasty food and spending our money on a cause that we believe in. All of the money that’s raised on that day goes towards providing eight fun weeks of summer camp, plus a couple of weekend retreats, all planned specifically to bring kids closer to Christ. I hope you’ll come join us.
If you have prayed for the people at Bethel Camp this summer –a single time or on a daily basis– thank you. We have felt the effects of those prayers; we’ve needed them and still do. I wonder… could the ministry of Bethel Camp be effective without the quiet prayers of people behind the scenes?
