"Tecumseh"

I just got home from a closing campfire after the 7th long week of summer camp.  It's hard to believe there are only 2 more weeks left until camp transitions to a whole new routine with it's own struggles and challenges.  As I look back at the summer I wonder where it's gone and at the same time, week 2 seems like a lifetime ago.  So much has changed within those weeks.  The counselors have gone from nervous, wide eyed, bewildered folks into confident, wise adults who have done more and seen more

and experienced more in these past 7 weeks then some people will do in a year, or 2 or 3.  They've grown in their faith, their resilience, their ability to manage chaos and 10-200 screaming campers, and in their ability to connect with, empathize with, and love all who stepped through their doors.  Being a camp counselor is one of the hardest things you will ever do in your life. You will be exhausted, worn out physically, mentally, and emotionally, you'll probably be sick/hurt at some point, and you'll have campers who drive you up a wall.  Yet you will love every minute because camp is, well, camp.  Camp is a place you can know what LOVE is, what UNDERSTANDING takes, what SELFLESSNESS means, and where CARING abounds.  Camp has a lot of things-climbing walls, zip lines, blobs, rope swings, horses, slides-but none of those things are what camp is.  Campers will forget about the activities but they won't ever forget that an adult took the time to play a game alongside them, not be judgmental or put them down just because they are a kid, get wacky with them with no concern of what others might think, to know them, to love them even when they were unlovable, and they will leave knowing that someone cares for them.  And through all of that, camp will teach them that there is One who will forever and perfectly love them for all of their lives.  "God is most important to me, others are second only to him, and I am third."

What is camp?  Camp is all the little things that happen between the big things.  Camp is having a little river village boy come up to the staff table during dinner and have the complete attention of all the staff there as he performs a card trick, much to the bewilderment of all (FYI I'm still baffled).  Camp is about almost crying when you get a friendship bracelet.  Camp is about celebrating life and triumphs that come in all shapes and sizes from getting a blue band after a week of lessons to getting your horse to canter. Camp is sitting down next to a camper who's not even in your cabin and make a connection over a game of checkers.  Camp is about pointing out the awesomeness of others instead of putting others down to make you look good.  Camp is high fiving someone just for making it to the barn on time.  Camp is about the older kids cheering on the younger kids as they attempt a cheer leading routine or hip hop dance.  Camp is playing Flamingo hunter and going absolutely crazy because someone was able to make the ducky into the bucket. Camp is singing at the top of your lungs during Song fest even if you can't stay on key because you want the world to know how you feel about God.  Camp is about being speechless when a counselor gets the "it" of camp and can tell it better than you can.  Camp is where you can live each moment of each day to its fullest.

As I listened to Mike, Heidi, and Jordan play "Touch of the Master's Hand" I found myself thinking so much about my year as a counselor.  Those 9 weeks were the best weeks spent of my life.  They changed me, molded me, grew me from the inside out.  I learned what I was capable of, that it was okay to be the me God created me to be, and to love completely and selflessly.    I remember sitting at closing campfire with my girls each week, truly sad to see it come to an end, singing about an old violin, the spark that ignites the flame, or singing about the love we felt at camp.  It's being hot and sweaty at closing campfire but still wrapping your arms around the person next to you and swaying with the music.  It's giving out hugs to people you barely know.  It's taking the chief's creed seriously even as the whole ceremony might be strange to the casual observer.  It's about crying with your torchbearers who you have only known for a week but you know you won't see them again as campers.  Even now, 13 years later, the closing ceremonies bring up memories and emotions of how powerful that first summer is and how important it continues to be now.

I find it SO hard to explain camp to someone who hasn't gone through it.  Words are hard while emotions are plenty, but if there's one thing that's been on my heart this summer it's that this is for the kids.  Sometimes I do question why I do it over and over and over but I definitely live for these 3 months.  These 3 months remind me why I do it.  We have sleepless nights, long hours in the heat, and countless early mornings over and over so we can make sure that every single child, from week 1 to week 9, feel like they had an experience that was made just for them.  It doesn't matter that it was the 100th time we've done an activity, for that one camper it's their first and only opportunity.  We are here for them, to help them have a better tomorrow.  That's why we do what we do and because of that, we are forever changed as well.