Some highlights from Camp

This is my second year of being the summer camp ministries director at a church. It's been an interesting summer so far.... so many challenges.... we have faced funding, planning, health, staffing and personal issues. Plus the daily grind of looking after a large group of kids. Yesterday, I thought that I had reached the maximum degree of exhaustion possible. And then I experienced today! But alas, there have been some moments.

It's fun to watch my leaders shine. We spent a lot of time in team building exercises last week that are most certainly paying off this week! We have laughed so much together. We share in the joy, and in the struggles. We have our inside jokes:

- "Shannon, the phone"

- "Oh aint that funky now!"

- "Where's Philip?"

- Shnookums!!!

- Will you be my ducky wucky?!

- the cupcake that almost killed captain crunch

- enTHUSiastic!

We go home with camp songs in our heads. (seriously who writes these camp songs? their words are so very unintelligent - I think KitKat should finish the hair song....). We share stories about tipping our canoes (still not sure how we got onto that topic today!). We have shared hard moments and faced challenges with kids who are not perfect or their leader that gets them lost. We make frequent coffee runs to sustain us.

But all in all, I say we are the best team ever.

I like watching them grow - in confidence, in leadership skills. I have to say that for a leadership team who claimed shyness at the beginning, they are impressive at their initiative to try new things. I've been trying to delegate and actually wasn't sure how long that would last because I didn't want to make my team uncomfortable, but rather encourage them as they step out in their own timing. But then, on Monday, without me asking, they were already leading the group (do they really need me??? hahaha - i think I'll stay home next week and drink coffee while they lead camps!).

I had one moment today that brought tears. There is one little child who has significant problems at home that I don't fully get yet... but this child is practically screaming for love through actions and words. We were walking together when this child started running ahead a few times. After each time, I called the child over to me and said that we needed to stay together... then I added "You are too special for me to lose". The child looked at me with the biggest smile I've ever seen and then held my hand and continued walking.