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