freedom at camp

There is a freedom at camp that is like none other. When the caravan door flew open upon our arrival to Mount Carmel we were free to run around, find our cousins and revisit all of our favorite places. We were just expected to show up for meals and check in once in a while.

Of course, kids camp is a bit different! The camp I'm at now, every kid is with his or her counselor at ALL times! But even still, the freedom of being outside, the long, stretched out days and the unexpected adventures are all still the same.

The picture above is the prayer chapel on Lake Carlos at Mount Carmel. It's a tiny building that seats eight, and was always a favorite destination when we'd run around camp. The picture below is of me and my cousin Dan. I love this picture and hope to frame it soon. This chapel was good for praying in, but it also served as the most perfect location for the best barbie weddings you could ever imagine. Lots of barbies were married here, complete with toilet paper runners and Ken-pastors.

why I love camp

I know that I won't have time to blog during staff training (or if I do, it will be a complete bonus) so it is Saturday night, and I thought I would put together some posts surrounding camp and why I love it so.

I grew up going to Mount Carmel Family Bible Camp in Alexandria, Minnesota. Each year my family would go for a full seven days. Both sets of grandparents were there, along with cousins and aunts and uncles. I was certain we owned the place, just because every part of this camp was so familiar, homey and safe.

I've got memories unending of weekly water carnivals, talent shows, finding one of my grandpa's each night during canteen to buy my skittles, and late night sauna meetings that concluded in the lake. In the mornings adults would hear a speaker and have their own Bible studies while the youth were taught about Jesus by counselors who were fun-loving and easy to like.

My grandma used to say that Mount Carmel was a "little piece of heaven on earth." It felt that way. Filled with loving community, familiar friends, faithful conversations and so much joy and laughter...I always have thought this is what God intended for us all. I love camp because it truly is a place set apart. There is no other time when our family had uninterrupted family time for seven whole days, where the everyday life stresses were left back at home, and where peace and blue skied days, sunny afternoons on the beach and lots of late night popcorn and conversation are the norm.

Correction!

Ah! I just called my dad to wish him a happy birthday and said, "I really can't believe you're 69." To which he said, "I'm not. I'm 66." Brother. Here I was all sad that my dad was getting older, but I just got three years of his life back! Happy Birthday to me!

Plus, this way he has four whole years to plan for the family cruise he should take us on for his 70th!

Oh Dad. Sorry. So sorry. Glad you're just 66. Happy Birthday!

a day to celebrate!

My dad is celebrating another year today! I'm not going to say how old, not because he cares, but because next year will be a big decade change, and it sort of makes me sad that my dad is getting older!

He is definitely a man worthy to celebrate. His life has been so good and full of the best things...lots of good people, good work being done in the world, and a family that he loves and loves him back.

So Happy Birthday Dad! I say next year you take the family on an Alaskan cruise to celebrate! What do you say?!!

and we're off...

Today I have 20 summer staff arriving for leadership training. Then on Wednesday, 50 more college age students will join them. All in all, we will share 12 intensive days together, building community, preparing for campers, readying our hearts for camper Bible study and all of the late night conversations and questions that so faithfully surface at camp. We will go over emergency procedures, songs, crafts, hiking trails, tips for cooking over a fire, game leadership and general tips on how to be a good counselor. We will talk about difficult campers, and how we lovingly discipline and remain in control of kids who might be a bit trickier to love for six days. We will plan skits and worships, devotions, storm procedures, improv games and walk through how to greet campers and their parents, assuring them that they have one jam-packed, super-fun week ahead. We will have swim tests, boating orientation, high ropes orientation and horse orientation. We will be very, very tired when it is all over.

I have been lining up all of our speakers and presenters, session topics and locations. And you know what? I'm feeling ready. Which is saying a whole lot. Because I am usually quite the worried and anxious woman. But it dawned on me today that this will be my fourth year leading a 12 day staff training. I led two years at Mount Carmel and this will be my second year at Carol Joy Holling.

Going through my "staff training" file, I found all sorts of agenda's, email copies and hand-written notes-to-self that say "remember for 2008..." And after going through that file, I just felt confident. It's amazing how after four years of something, you actually do start to get the hang of it! Surely there will be unexpected challenges and things that come up. But you can't prepare for all of that, except just in knowing, those challenges will come each year and I can deal.

So keep us in your prayers. I'm moving to camp on Wednesday and plan on considering this time as a 10-day trip for work. Rory will come and visit and I plan on getting away for an afternoon or two. But this way I have a bed at camp for napping and can be present for our 7:30am-10:00pm day of events.