Christmas Video

Each year, I make a Christmas video for the camp Christmas party.  I think I started in either 2007 or 2008.  (Whatever year was my last year of having a desktop which made the project much harder.  Laptops are awesome!)  Program folks (OE, Retreats, TLC, EQ, and Directors) at camp get noticed more and are more in the "public eye".  Public here meaning campers and guests.  But the program folks can't do their job as well as they do it if there weren't a whole team of people behind them getting everything done (plus their spouses behind them).  Everyone from maintenance to housekeeping to office to kitchen staff are so needed that their value is priceless.  If we had to worry about getting cabins cleaned after each group, taking phone calls, or making meals, we would never get to running the programs.  This is where we are blessed.  Other camps have so few full time staff that their staff has to do "double duty", doing multiple jobs around camp.  The summer staff get a video at the end of the summer but there is nothing for everyone who makes camp go all year long.  I wanted to recognize them while also remembering all the events of the year.  If you step back from the year, there are so many little things that happen day in and day out that we forget about and there are so many changes and events that happen throughout the year that help us remember where we've been so that we can be grateful for where we are now.  This year was a little rough from time to time.  Storms and other issues made the day to day a little harder.  It never affected the experience, it just took its toll on those giving the experience.  God made it evident with each passing day that it wasn't us, but that He was using us to do His work.  When work got hard, He picked us up and carried us in His arms.  And that was how this video went for me.  It wasn't easy this year.  It was tough to even get going on the video and I did it in a short amount of time.  I questioned if people even wanted to see it or if they got tired of it.  Tonight reaffirmed that I don't do this for me, I do it to glorify God for our year and for our people (who told me that they look forward to it).  So I guess I have the job for a while.

While this year's video will need a few edits before it goes viral (some stuff was just to be between camp people ;-)  ), I can post last year's video.  As I looked back on the years, I can tell that I've gotten better at the whole video thing.  Thanks to folks for some of the pictures including our "technology" staff from the summer, "stolen" face book photos (I asked!), Vince, and then my own stash of photos.  Thanks to our entire staff at camp for doing your job like it's more than just a job, for giving of your time and energy to serve others, and being there for one another day in and day out.

Christmas 2010 Video