I Speak on Camp

So I'm now the camp king. I haven't slept in my own bed since Friday last week. But I had my pillow with me this past week, so that brings a little bit of home with me where ever I go.

Camp one was a week long camp for random high school kids who are mainly from the area where I work. They may not be random, but as far as I can tell they all just come from seeing ads at their schools and coming with their friends.

So I spent a week with about 70 young people and 20 leaders. I was the speaker. It was an interesting dynamic for me because the camp thing feels more like work than a novelty these days. Which is ok, especially since it is my work. But you come at the whole experience differently. I quickly discovered early on in the week that I didn't really feel like being on camp. Not because I didn't like the people, or the camp, I just felt like having the holidays. I wanted the freedom to wake up when I wanted, eat when I wanted, go to bed when I wanted, go home when I wanted. And I wasn't really in the mood to be surrounded by people for a week.

But I figured, I didn't really have a choice about being there or not so I would just have to have the best time I could.

And in the end I had a pretty good time despite how I was feeling.

The camp itself was a really good camp. The directors were good at their job. They're a husband and wife team who are passionate and really focused on the gospel. They have lots of love for their leaders and the young people. It was special to see.

James was my room mate and the program director. He was a tireless worker for the camp, and did his job well. Plus he was a good roomie. I liked spending the week with him.

The leaders were a good bunch. Only one of them I knew before I came on the camp. They seemed to know what they were doing. There were no real doofusses in the team which is always a worry with groups like that. But I liked them all. I didn't really get to know them all, but I liked them all.

I spoke on the topic of "Jesus Fact or Fiction". It was a mainly evangelistic series, but I did a bit of stuff for the Christians too. There was a good response from the campers and team. A few of the campers became Christians, people laughed at my jokes. I was pretty pleased.

I spent most of my time with the campers doing camper activities. I figure while being the speaker on a camp you always have the option to be the "celebrity" and only do the stuff that interests you and disappear when you feel like it, I figure the more time you spend with the campers the more effective your message will be. Unless you're knob and then it's probably best just to leave them alone.

I did take time out a little to prepare my talks for each day, when I would inevitably fall asleep. But apart from that I was there doing everything. I liked it.

I did go Ice Skating. It was better than the last time. I was only on the ice for about 20 minutes, but it was long enough for a bit of healing.

We had a day of running around the City doing scavenger hunts.

We had a movie night watching a film called The Librarian: Quest for the Spear which was an action movie about a Librarian. Lesley you'd love it. But it was pretty bad. Funny in it's badness, but bad none the less. I hear it's a trilogy, so I'd quite like to watch the other two now, just to experience it all.

There were some kids on the camp that were children of various adult leaders who were good fun to play with. We watched movies together, jumped on the trampoline, and played chasings. I like kids.

I liked the campers too. I didn't remember all their names. There were one of two challenging personalities. But you always get that. And you grow to love those ones too. However I generally find it hard not to like teenagers, so I guess it's pretty obvious that'd I'd like these ones too.

I'm not sure what else to say about the camp. It was quality, well done team.

I went back to church afterwards, at some food and slept. Then it was off to camp two.