Okay, I drove into summer camp late. All the kids arrived on Saturday afternoon, but I decided to stay back and man the fort (Sunday services) while everyone else was having fun at camp. It was a 4 hour drive that I turned into 6. No, I didn’t get lost. My good friends Joel and Heidi Hayslip, missionaries to Burkina Faso, West Africa came home for the summer. Since they are only about 2 hours from our camp facility, I decided to meet them half way.
So, I ended up getting into camp at 11:30. Yes, this place definitely qualifies as the type of camp a horror movie could have been filmed. After I parked, I made a lonely walk from the lot to the cabin guided only by the light of my cell phone. Fun.
Now that I’m half way done with my first day, I have a few observations:
- Do camps purposely put half the kids a mile away (okay, maybe it’s not a mile away) from the main part of camp and then have them make the trek back and fourth 20 times a day. It’s only 1:00 and I’ve made the trek 5 times.
- I know why I get summer colds. There is a 50 degree temperature difference each day. It had to be close to 50 degrees in our cabin last night… I think I could see my breath. The high today, somewhere in the mid 90’s. If that won’t get you sick, I don’t know what will.
- I’ve found there are two types of summer camps in the good ‘ol US today. There is the “Parent Trap” style of camp where everything is rustic including the facilities, music and programming. The other type is just modern children’s ministry in the woods. They may be in the woods, but they’ve got their powerpoint, fog machine and sound systems. This camp I’m at is the rustic type. The ones I’m used to holding are the other type. One’s not any better than the other… just different (except we sang Father Abraham this morning… nostalgic, but that’s where I draw the line).
Father Abraham? is there a difference between that an hokey-pokey?
How funny! Did you do the motions and everything?
Okay, I did do the hand motions… but not as enthusiastically I did 22 years ago as a kid. Sheesh! I’d put it right up there with the hokey-pokey.
But, I’m not going to knock those songs… they’re a part of my heritage and they worked back in my day. I just won’t use them today. Last summer I actually did one at camp for fun… to show the kids the my favorite song when I was growing up at church camp. The song? Arky Arky. The result? The kids laughed at me… it was a sight to see.
My other favorites:
In the Lord’s Army
If I were a butterfly
This little light (The Psalty the singing songbook version, not the version my grandmother sang as a little girl)
Anyone else have any oldies but goodies?
“Lean on Me” is always a favorite and popular song among children and teens.