Living the dream staff training style

Do you start your day off with a starfish stretch? If not, I think you should consider it.

I got to be a part of chapel this morning with Maddie, Chrissy, Finney, Brad and Mike. We played some of chapel's greatest hits and introduced We Won't Be Shaken for the first time. Brad narrated the story of Maddie, Chrissy and Natalie as trees striving to be as tall as they could be.

I got to share about how when I started teaching I had so many people that I looked up too-- past teachers of mine and new teachers that I was working alongside--  that I measured myself by. Then I realized that I had students who were looking up to me. At camp I have counselors that inspire and encourage me to keep growing and stretching each summer while I have campers that are watching what I do and learning from me.

The bible talks about how since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses we must through off the sin that so easily entangles and run the raise laid out before us with perseverance. This summer we have this incredible cloud of witnesses around us that will be with us every step of the way. Still, even though these people are sweet, Christ is the ultimate measurement of what we need to strive towards.

Today I did a better job of remembering to take pictures. Good thing because I got some really fun ones.

 

I love that camp counselors are always willing to play games. Before lunch there was a spontaneous train of leap frog and a game of I'm A Tree going on.

We ate lunch all mixed-up (instead of with our cabins) and the flies (just the fake kind) were swarming the dining hall. I also supported the all staff rendition of Don't Stop Believing with water pitcher and silverware percussion.

The rest of our day was spent exploring all over camp with a group of thirteen incredible individulas. Team Humpback Whale was fearlessly lead by Keith. We were having fun before we even hit the trail.

Our first stop was at the Teams Course in the Oak Forest. First we bravely crossed over the lava field of Hawaii...

and then figured out how to balance the wobbling Whale Watching platform. This is a pretty solid team.

Ben ran into us out by the Deep Woods campfire and let us have a little photo shoot...

We all went exploring in Ghost Creek. We had to find a rock that we thought was really special and turn over sticks and rocks in the water to try to find bugs or other living things.

At Ghost Cabin Keith read us a story from "What's Under The Log" and we got to play Screaming Toes and a new game that Claire taught us.

Did you know that we don't get staff binders anymore? Instead we have these super-awesome, handy-dandy, pocket-size staff handbooks that rock. They've even got a whole Adventure section including pictures of how to set up the tents up at the South Pasture.

Mags and Liz have just become friends with each other and I loved getting to be goofy with them all day. They're two of the most hilarious people I know.

Our crew headed to Elfenrode to make a fire and share dinner together. Nothing like PB and Js for an appetizer and hobo dinners as the main course.

You haven't really eaten until you've cooked a hobo dinner over a campfire-- hamburger, onion, potato, carrot, ketchup and mustard all mixed together in tin foil. And while you're at it, you should also try a s'more casserole.

Minute Mysteries were the focus of our dinner conversation-- men dying over 53 bicycles, a guy who rides the elevator all the way up when it rains and two men that drink the same thing but only one survives. Confusing but so fun.

Sometime after we'd finished eating dinner we decided to go on a mission to a group cooking out nearby. While they were distracted by David eating his first s'more, we kidnapped Kenzie and took her back to our Giant Chair Jail. We sent back a ransom note asking them to save her from pain and turmoil by giving us a choreographed routine and chocolate.

There were a few attempts to get her back while we kept her safely locked up. We ended up kidnapping Mericia too... but she basically volunteered. Eventually we gave the girls their freedom back and they returned home again.

We all loved getting to just play all afternoon and night. I was so happy to be able to talk with Margaret, Maggie and the rest of our group as we hiked all over camp and hung out. These people are sweet and there is always more to talk about.

Our last event of the night was a four-part competition. We had to build a fire that would last for at least a minute, set up a hammock, act out a camp song and measure the circumference of a pine tree. Camp people love competitions.

My cabin talked about our dreams and hopes tonight and what that has to do with Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

So many of us shared stories of when we went through a desert period to find that God was truly taking care of us the whole time and making things work out even greater than we could have ever predicted in the end. I love that though we have high expectations and big hopes for this summer God has something even more awesome in store for us.