Category Archives: camp

Sister Camp

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A few years ago our family embarked on our first Big Family Vacation; my two sisters and Kevin’s sister joined us in a big beach house in South Carolina  ~ 19 of us for one week! It was amazing! Last year we did it again, we rented a big cabin on a lake in Minnesota – one week, 19 people, tons of laughter, excess food and important connection.

The relationships that my sisters and I have built are priceless to me, and I believe the value is equivalent to the investments we have each made. We’ve spent so much time together that my sisters consider my sister-in-law one of us. (In a future post I will write about how Jared (Kalie’s son) thinks Beck (Jamie’s son) is his cousin and my sister and brother-in-law are his aunt and uncle!) In varying combinations, sisters have met in Florida, Chicago, Minnesota, Indiana and Kansas.

A few months ago I looked ahead at the calendar and realized with two of us having graduating high school seniors next summer – in two different states –  the possibility of our bi-annual Big Family Vacation was in jeopardy. Then I looked at our calendar for this summer and saw all the weeks blocked off due to my kid’s summer camps and realized it wasn’t likely we would be able to squeeze one into this summer either.

So with a longing for some sister time and flexibility in my summer schedule (after all it isn’t me who has weeks blocked off for church camp, camp counseling, football camp, etc…), and with so much camp on my mind, I suggested we do a Sister Camp. I proposed meeting in Kansas at Jamie’s ranch house. (She has a very large home on 70 acres, and they recently added chickens, turkeys and ducks – so it seems like we should go there to see what the heck is going on with her, after all this is my city girl sister from the East Coast!) So Sister Camp 2012 was added to the calendar.

With only a week to go, we each received a camp itinerary earlier this week from Jamie (who is a Chief Marketing & Customer Experience Officer, so yes this makes her the perfect director for our camp). We are all responsible for preparing, serving and cleaning up one dinner, and some of the activities on the schedule include:

  • early morning coffee with the chickens (this is optional for those of us not responsible for letting them out of their coop)
  • morning devotions
  • morning running or walking
  • a yoga instructor is scheduled to come out one morning – that’ll be hilarious!
  • pool Olympics with events such as holding your breath under water the longest, relay teams, etc…)
  • Massages – grateful for an awesome Groupon we were all able to purchase for this.
  • an evening at Denim & Diamonds (somebody help me – I need some cowboy boots!)
  • Church together at Newspring Church
  • Craft time – we’re making sugar scrubs
  • Book time – reading for 2 hours with no talking, then coming together to discuss our books over wine
  • games and chick flicks
  • evening worship in the fields
I am looking forward to this “camp” experience more than any Girl Scout camp I ever attended! I have the added blessing of this – my 20-year-old daughter mentioned that her summer internship would be over and that she could come with me to Sister Camp. So…she begins the transition from being one of the kids to being one of the women in the family. Really, blessing upon blessing.
I’ve got my packing list, I know who will be in my cabin, I’m excited about all the camp activities and so I will anxiously count down the days until we leave! Pictures to follow!
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Summer Church Camp…

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The counselors Erin Served alongside

…it’s something every kid should experience. I really believe this. Erin just returned from spending six days (or 117 hours!) with kids in grades three through six. Courtney led the way for our family in this area, she was the first of our children to transition from camper to counselor. She gave some time each summer to be a counselor for elementary school kids, then middle school kids, and two years she even served at both camps – back to back!

Before long, Zach was old enough to be a counselor and took the same path; elementary one year, middle school the next. This year Erin wasn’t quite old enough to be a counselor at the elementary camp, but she was old enough to be a counselor in training. (This meant she was assigned as an extra counselor to a cabin, but didn’t sleep in the cabin and needed to be flexible to help other cabin groups as needed.)

Messy Games

Counselors give A LOT. When its hot, (and it was in the 100′s this past week) everyone wants to complain. Not only do counselors not complain, they lead the way in finding the “awesomeness” in sweltering weather! They engage, play, swim, sing, dance, pray, get messy, get eaten by mosquitoes, laugh, eat, develop heat rash, encourage, talk with, guide and lead kids, with almost no time off (one hour a day, and most used part of that hour to shower) And, I’m just gonna be honest here, most kids are a delight, some are not. But counselors find ways to take delight in every kid. I’m talking  e v e r y  kid.

The “Blob”

If you sent your kid to camp, you know they talked the WHOLE way home! Well, guess what, mine did too. Erin talked all about “her girls”. She talked a lot about one in particular. She talked about how sweet this girl was, how they encouraged her to do some of the “scary” stuff, like the Blob, the zip line, and HUGE swing.

She told us that this girl had so many stories to tell, and she listened to each and every one of them. Erin truly enjoyed talking to her all week, she said, this girl just had so much to say! At one point the girl thanked Erin for listening to her and apologized for talking so much; she said she didn’t want to waste Erin’s time. Erin replied, “You’re not wasting my time! This is why I’m here.” She thanked Erin and told her that every time they talked, Erin made her feel special. So, yes, my daughter, that is why you were there. Well done, good and faithful counselor.

Teaching & worship time

Erin ended up with another group who needed her help one evening and one girl was sad about something. She was sitting next to Erin during teaching and worship time and put her head on Erin’s shoulder. Then she nestled in a little closer as tears ran down her cheeks. Erin put her arm around her, then the girl put both her arms around Erin and started crying. (Now tears ran down Erin’s face.) This girl was simply missing her dad as knew he was leaving for two weeks while she was at camp. But Erin was there to hold her in that sadness. She said she felt honored to be there. Honored. She was glad that group had needed her that particular evening.

Amazing, exhausted, dedicated counselors

How many times have I dismissed something my kids needed from me? Comfort, time to listen to a story, time to play and swim and pray and dance and more. We all do, none of us can meet every need of each of our children. This is just one more reason to send our kids to camp. There are counselors there to do all of that and more with a mission and a focus. And they show up to do all of that with each and every child who arrives at camp. I know this. Remember, I have three kids that have been counselors and I know many of the youth from our church who come to these camps year after year.

Erin came home with a rash on her belly, back and thighs, laundry that smells terrible and she is exhausted. She also came home a stronger leader, a more equipped counselor, more confident and is even bolder in her own faith.

Today I saw this posted one her Facebook: “At camp I prayed with a girl as she accepted Jesus for the first time. From that moment on every other thing that week was totally worth it…God is amazing!”

God is amazing. I’m so proud of you Erin.

Look for me to write here soon about Zach’s 
time as a middle school counselor this summer…

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