Summer Camp 2009

Sorry about the lack of updates recently. And to think, I used to do daft things like blog three days a week. I think I’ve had more on my plate recently, which cuts both ways in the good/bad department. Anyway, even though I don’t think I’ve mentioned this in the blog yet, I know I’ve spoken about this with a good number of folks in the last few months. So here you go my adoring readers.

There is a little preface involved so let’s do that first…which makes sense because it IS a preface, after all. Anyway…back when I was working on my BA, I took four summers (1995-98) to work up at Arrowhead Lutheran Camp with the first summer working in the kitchen and the remaining summers as a senior counselor. Most of my memories of camp are really good ones and earlier this year during an exercise in a course I was taking through Mosaic, I commented that it was at camp where I felt the most impact I’ve had in terms of reaching out to a large number of people in ways both big and small. Through all the different experiences from the Chief camps sleeping in a tipi, to Sports Bonanza, Horsemanship, Ice Skating, Mountain Biking, Junior High Adventure, Archery, and the lot not only did I have a lot of experiences but was able to have many opportunities to have a positive affect on the lives of young people. It was also the place where I first learned to play guitar, which prepared me for what I do now in leading worship in my small group and being a part of music ministry at church. Of course I also remember that in each of the three summers I was a counselor I went through some “lady drama” as tends to happen at camp which resulted in a fair amount of heartache for me but that’s been kind of par for the course in my life but I think I learned much about myself through those experiences.

So fast forward to earlier this year, Seth informed me that camp, for the first time in a loooooong time was not going to have a summer program due to financial reasons and that he was working my friend Susie (who was a former Program Director) to put together a week of summer camp this summer. My immediate reaction was, “Well sign me up!” and was a total no brainer. I have those moments every once in awhile where something comes along where the answer on how to proceed is such a no brainer that doing anything else would be ridiculous and I seem to have a had a few instances like that this year. Kind of weird. Anyway, we had a few meetings during the spring to cover logistics, fund raisers were held, and in the course of all of this over 100 kids have been registered and camp will be next week.

With all that said, I have taken a week off from work and will be leaving on Saturday to work at camp for the first time since 1998. As far as I know, I will be doing Junior High Adventure and am really looking forward to it. The staff is mostly made up of former ALC counselors, including a good number of ones I worked with all those years ago, and I can’t imagine a better way to spend a week away from work. I’ll be sure to report back on how things went, although in the meantime I just ask for prayer that things run smoothly and that this proves not only fruitful next week but it can be a springboard for summers, and campers, to come.