What a GREAT start to Camp!!

So it sounds like everyone started out the week on a really positive note! Here's what I've heard:

Our high school adventurers were dropped off at their originating site on Sunday and they were very excited. The Camp Director, Ryan, is very confident they are in for an awesome experience! God is just so apparent when you're out in nature, with a new group of friends, having an adventure led by staff with hearts full of God! The opportunities are limitless! I'm hoping the staff will come back from this adventure with a whole lot of "A-ha" moments for themselves and campers.

One of the great things about having so many weeks of camp in a summer, it gives the staff it work, tweak, and really get things to fit with each group. They have taken suggestions and their own experiences and tweaked the elementary experience a little more for this week. The worship band has worked on and are presenting for our elementary campers more younger kid friendly songs with your camper in mind! I think that's really awesome! I have elementary age kids who experienced worship with this particular staff. They absolutely loved it, however, if it's being tweaked, I'm wondering just how much better it would be for them.

They've had counselor hunts, messy games,and field games. Our elementary campers were in tent tonight and cooked out on an open fire. Typical meal probably was a hobo dinner. If you're not familiar with a hobo dinner, it's basically a meat, vegetables, and potatoes wrapped in tin foil. Throw it in the fire, cook for a while, and enjoy. Some of the best meals you will probably ever eat. However, if you as a parent suggested it, your child probably wouldn't eat it. (At least my kids are that way!) However, at camp it's totally different. They try it and they really like it. Hobo dinners are pretty tasty anyway!

For those campers leaving on Friday, tonight was an important night in the worship life of camp. It's the culminating event when it comes to worship experiences. The daily lessons all lead up to this night giving the kids the opportunity to think more thoughtfully about their relationship with Jesus and what it means to them. If they want to really talk with someone about their feelings and thoughts staff members are very available to them. If they just want to sit quietly, that's okay too. A no pressure event, but a poignant one none the less. Very meaningful. It might be something you will want to mention or at least ask about once they've been home for a day or two and had time to process their week.

The recurring theme of most campers having spent a week at camp will tell you that the worship and worship band are pretty awesome. Asbury obviously does worship well. Of course, they're doing all sorts of other really cool stuff that they like as well. My kids just told me today that they were THRILLED to have pancakes with powdered sugar and waffles with whipped cream. Thank you Asbury Hills for spoiling my children with food treats they don't usually get at home! What a treat for them and something to look forward to for next summer! LOL!