News from Dwight Mission

Dwight Mission is gearing up for Summer Camp 2011! Registration opens January 1st, and if you register by march 15, you get the early bird discount of $25. For more information about camps available, check out our website, www.dwightmission.org. Check back here frequently for information on camp, and for our new parent resource to the camp curriculum.

Dwight Mission just recently held it's first annual Old Fashioned Christmas, and it was a big success! Thank you to all of our volunteers who came out to help decorate cookies, serve soup, read stories, play a part in our living nativity, and more! We also want to thank all of the individuals and churches who donated Christmas items and lights - it made our Christmas a feast for the eyes. For more pictures of the lights at Dwight (and to see the people tree wrapped in lights) go to the Dwight Mission Camp and Conference Page on Facebook.

We hope everyone has a blessed and happy New Year!

Thooper Thursday

(Sock Hop from last night)

As the week comes to a close the campers have become fully comfortable with their new Night Owl schedule. We started the morning off a bit different than usual, though. Vespers, which is normally at night, was moved to the morning. Now, some may be wondering "Hey, what is vespers?!" Vespers is just a fancy term for 'night worship.' :)

Along with the games that were played today, which were "Mission Impossible" (Don't worry, it IS possible) and "Glow Worm," the campers were taught a story about Jesus healing a crippled woman on the Sabbath. The scripture from today was Luke 13: 10-17.

During the week the campers were able to take part in workshops which are just a time during the day that campers get to pick what they wanted to do from a list. Today, the workshops were Drama Games, Raptor, and Soccer. The kids enjoyed getting sweaty and then ate a scrumptious snack.

(Soccer Workshop)

(Raptor Workshop)

Tonight we are in for a special treat! A meteor shower is headed over us so we are about to go lay out on some parachutes, listen to music, and watch the show!

Watch Out, it's Wednesday!!

Today was a beautiful day filled with sunshine and laughter! The campers enjoyed lots of time in the water, good thing too because this week has been filled with an abundance of heat and sunshine! No need to worry though, we made sure all of the campers had adequate hydration.

I'm sure the campers were ready to enjoy a filling meal after their adventures today which included: canoes, the labyrinth, arts & crafts, and the challenge course. Before lunch, the campers were asked to find their best Hawaiian attire to dress up for our Luau lunch theme!

Tonight we have the ever-popular Sock Hop. The campers will get to experience a dance in a Christian environment, enjoy cold beverages, and dance their 'socks' off!

Today's biblical theme is 'Jesus Loves.' Remember to extend your heart to people in need! Also, remember to subscribe to the blog and check for new photos!

Terrific Tuesday!

Tuesday, the second full day of camp, was filled with all the usual activities: bible studies, games, and a long standing camp tradition, pool olympics! The kiddos are finally getting into the groove of 'Night Owl Camp,' which is quite different for the staff members I must say! Tonight, at 10:30PM!, we are playing a brand new camp game called Hawaiian Glow Flipper, where the campers must find a plethora of colored glow-sticks in their family groups. We can't wait to see how it goes!! Be sure and ask your camper what they thought about the new camp game!!

Today, a special camp called Summer Serve, was put to the test at the Challenge Course! They were able to finish three activities during their time at the course. This picture is of an element called the "Dangling Duo," or "Jacob's Ladder." The goal is to, with a partner, climb all the way up to the apex of the element.

Be sure and subscribe to this blog on the right side of this screen and look for more photos and blog posts coming soon!

Night Owl Camp Is A Hoot!

First, let me apologize for the bad owl pun. This week of camp is unique in a few ways. First, the schedule is dramatically later in the day and runs fairly late into the night. Today for example, we had breakfast at 10:00 AM as opposed to our traditional camp's time of 8:30. Tonight we won't be going to bed until almost 1:00 AM.

Night Owl campers will also enjoy typical camp activities like Challenge Course, arts and crafts, and more. This week, however, they will be doing many of these things late at night or play games only playable at night. Keep following the blog for more pictures and updates on activities!

Internet Down At Camp. Post Coming ASAP!

Thursday and Friday Fly By

The two camp days after camp-out really fly by very fast. By this time, the groups are all clicking and know each other very well. The campers know the camp routine and are settled in, and the counselors know their kids' needs and personalities.

Last night we played one of my favorite games: Mission Impossible. For those of you who aren't familiar with the game, it is similar to capture the flag. The male staff and the girl campers team up against the female staff and the boy campers. Last night's contest ended in a tie!

Today will be filled with typical camp activities like Challenge Course, arts and crafts, swimming, and worship.

Later today, I'll post some pictures of each group. Look for your camper or kids from your church! Until then, may Christ's Peace be with you!

Campout Night Tonight!

Today was yet another hot, awesome day. Two groups began their days at the Challenge Course Highs. The first thing they do upon reaching the course is stretch and then put on the harnesses that are a part of the safety system as they climb.

After harnesses are put on and checked, campers climb 30 feet into the air, navigate obstacles, and then fly down on the zip line. Some campers complete the entire course rigged that day, some only take a step or two, but all challenge themselves.

One of today's workshops was Campfire Building 101. After building their own fires, campers made that traditional camp treat, S'mores.

Tonight, all campers went to camp out for the night. Cooking dinner over an open flame and sleeping under the stars is a long standing camp tradition, and also a great time to become closer as a group.

When they wake up in the morning, they will only have 2 camp days left. Look for more pictures and posts to come!

Another Great Tuesday!

Today was another fantastic day at Dwight Mission! We started the day off as usual with Morning Watch, had biscuits and gravy for breakfast and then started our great activities.

Two of our three groups this week went to the challenge course this morning to test and build their group's ability to solve problems and work together. The challenge course low elements are a great activity early in the week because they help bring the group together and give every camper an opportunity contribute to the goals before them. Here are a few pictures of one group attempting the element, "All Aboard."

The goal of the element is to get your entire group off the ground and onto a very small platform all at the same time.

Another great team building exercise is called "The Helium Stick". Campers have to work together to lower a tent pole to the ground without touching the top of the pole or removing a finger from the bottom of the pole. It is MUCH more difficult than it looks, but it is also a blast!

Be sure and check back tomorrow for another post! I'm hoping to have some video from tonight's talent show to share with you. Remember to subscribe to this blog to keep up with us this summer and year round! Stay cool and God Bless!

Junior High Camp III Starts With A Blaze

This week at camp we've started with a VERY busy day in the sun. We are hosting youth ages 6th-10th grade. The weather today was very hot and sunny, but we drank extra water and learned to appreciate the air conditioning during meals and rest time (Air conditioning that we didn't have when I was a camper :0).
Having older campers this week, we are able to do some really fun things like workshops. This afternoon we had three workshop options from which campers could choose. They were Archery, disc golf on the M & T course here on campus, and the chance to make a brand new energizer. Here are a few photos snapped by this week's camp photographer, Marc.

Along with the workshops that campers will be enjoying all week, they will also be taking part in traditional camp activities like arts and crafts, challenge course, lots of swimming, energizers, canoeing, and more.


Be sure and check back tomorrow for more pictures and an update on how things are going this week! God Bless!

The Week is Winding Down!

This morning, the sun greeted us after a fantastic night of camping out in the elements. We enjoyed a lively brunch followed by a good soak in the pool. After rest time, we spent the hot afternoon having a blast in the heat while staying well-hydrated.

The highlight of this evening was Mission Impossible. Mission Impossible is a long-standing Dwight Mission tradition, and is similar to Capture the Flag in many ways. Once again, this match was too close to call!

Tomorrow will be a great capstone for a great camp week. Look for another post tomorrow evening!

Another Exciting Day of Camp!

First, we must start by apologizing for the delay in pictures being posted to the photo gallery on our bunk1 site. The camp camera has been touch and go since yesterday noon, but we were able resume picture taking today. We were able to get some great group shots, so look for those to be posted by Wednesday morning to the bunk1 site. Also, it seems the bunk1 email was a bit bogged down earlier, but it all appears to be running again.

Now on to camp news. On the pool front, there has been a lot of splashing, jumping, and overall good times. It has been a great activity for the hot afternoons. But we don't just stay cool by jumping in the pool, several groups have been playing water games, where we hear water balloons were involved. And of course the creek is a great spot to keep cool, where everyone is having fun floating the rapids and playing in the canoes.

So far the 'Orange Cheetahs eating orange meat & drinking orange juice & playing an orange X-Box' and the 'Red talking port-a-potties" have had some nature study time, and they have learned a little bit more about our awesome planet, including where a "doodlebug" lives, and how the mint flavor in our gum doesn't taste exactly the same without the extra sugar.
The '2 bright 4 you' (yellow), 'Stanley Steamers' (green), 'blue legit penguins', 'support staff' (purple), and 'smurf's' (melon) have all been spending some time on the Challenge Course lows in some team building experiences, and are looking forward to their time on the High Challenge Course later in the week.
The 'Pink rappers, WORD!' have been the first to complete the arts & crafts project for the week, and they can't wait to show off their shirts once they get home.
Nightcrawlers was tonight, which is a game where groups of campers sneak around in the dark looking for glow sticks and trying to not get caught by counselors. We had a lucky 10 campers win by finding all 6 glow sticks, and they will be receiving a free snack and drink from the canteen!
Everyone is doing well, keeping hydrated, resting (sorta) during FOB, and having a terrifically fun time. Keep those prayers coming about everyone meeting new friends, staying safe and having fun.
Wednesday night is campout, so hopefully any rain we get will be during the day, and not overnight!
ESharp
Post edited 7/15/2010

We're Still Here!

We've had some major trouble with our internet service provider over the last month or so. Sadly, DSL is still not available in our area, so we have to make things work with less reliable means of accessing the internet. Camp, though, is still rolling along very well!

Camp-out was a blast. All of our groups were playing together after dinner and we will have pictures to share in an update after our connectivity issues are solved. Last night we had a pretty decent thunderstorm with lots of lightning. It forced us inside for the evening, which led to an energizer marathon the likes of which haven't been seen in years. Remember, look for an update to this post later today which will include group pictures!

Edit: Added pictures 6/25/2010 4:56 PM

Tuesday was a great day at camp! This was the last full day for our half-week Tiger Camp and just the second of our full week camp also going on. We've had clear, but very hot weather. The heat doesn't slow us down, but we certainly are more thankful for shade and water games when we can have them!

Check back early tomorrow morning for pictures from Wednesday night's camp-out.

Tuesday's theme was "Jesus Shows Compassion". The scripture is Luke 5:17-27.

"17 One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. ¹⁸Just then some men came, carrying a paralyzed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; ¹⁹but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. ²⁰When he saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven you.’ ²¹Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, ‘Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ ²²When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? ²³Which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven you”, or to say, “Stand up and walk”? ²⁴But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the one who was paralyzed—‘I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go to your home.’ ²⁵Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. ²⁶Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today.’ "

Another Great Week Underway!

This week is off to a fantastic start. We have a fairly large group of kids at camp this week, especially through Wednesday when our half-week Tiger Camp heads home. Campers are 3rd-6th grade, and we have a lot of first timers.

Among the activities from yesterday were Bible study, swimming, creek discovery, recreation with the LIT's, and nature study. The temperatures are high, but the aren't slowing us down. Every camper has a water bottle and we have water coolers outside both dormitories.

Monday's theme was "Jesus Listens". The scripture is Mark 10:46-52. "46 They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. ⁴⁷When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ ⁴⁸Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ ⁴⁹Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ ⁵⁰So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. ⁵¹Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher, let me see again.’ ⁵²Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way."

Here are a few pictures from Monday:

Mid-High Camp is coming to a close. Today was a great day of Bible study, swimming, challenge course, and many other activities. The sun was blazing hot with temperatures well into the mid 90's. Here are some pictures of our groups this week.

First is the group "Lemons Who Aren't Limes"



Next are the "Melon-head Explorers"


And last but not least are the "Golden Gryphons"

It's really been a great week with these campers, and we look forward to seeing each of them next year. Christ's Peace be with you all!

It's HOT Now!

This has been a great week for our campers. We have 3 groups of great campers and a load of staff sharing their summers with them. The blog has been a little slow this week due to some tech issues, but camp is still rolling right along!
Camp out last night was fantastic. Groups cooked out over the campfire and then enjoyed sunset worship on the bank of the creek. Campers woke up and had Bible study before coming up to camp for brunch, a long rest time to recover from camp out, and then a blazingly hot afternoon of archery, arts and crafts, and then Mission Impossible! The outcome of tonight's Mission Impossible was too close to call! We will have a load of pictures on tomorrow's post to catch you up on the week's events. Please bare with us as we keep trying to blend together a busy camp day and slow technology!

We're Back!

Welcome back to the Dwight Mission Blog! We now have updated internet that will hopefully be more reliable for us in the future. Mid-high Camp is well under way now, and we are having a blast this week!

Among the activities we've done so far are Bible study, Morning Celebration, big group games, and archery. Here are a few pics from the first two days of camp!

Hello Friday!

It's hard to believe that today is the last full day of camp for the week. It has really rushed by! The end of the camp week is an interesting mix of being very tired from the constant activity and hot temperatures and trying to squeeze out every last bit of fun left to be had. I personally can't remember a year growing up when I didn't sleep on the way home from camp.

One of the great activities that we do on the last few days of camp is the high elements on the challenge course. One of our facilitators took a camera up with him this morning and got some great pictures of what it is like to experience the high course. Note: I may add a video later today depending on the video quality.




Tonight we have small group closing times, a talent show, and our last evening worship. I'll leave you with today's scripture: Luke 14:12-24. "

"12 He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. ¹³But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. ¹⁴And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’

The Parable of the Great Dinner

15 One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, ‘Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!’ ¹⁶Then Jesus said to him, ‘Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. ¹⁷At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, “Come; for everything is ready now.” ¹⁸But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, “I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my apologies.” ¹⁹Another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my apologies.” ²⁰Another said, “I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.” ²¹So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, “Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.” ²²And the slave said, “Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.” ²³Then the master said to the slave, “Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. ²⁴For I tell you,none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.”