Confirmation Camp Day 6-Friday (June 11, 2010)
And so it ends…our week at camp has reached its conclusion. And what an amazing week it has been. It’s been a privilege to play and worship, pray and learn, with our ALC 8th graders this week, and with all our new friends, campers and counselors alike. Not even a ridiculous storm during closing worship, with the wind blowing over swings and trees, could keep us from hearing the Word of God, singing songs, receiving Communion, and being community. Everyone was given a special memento to take home to remember this big Good Earth Village camp community of which we are now a part.
The rain let up as worship ended, and it was time for one last delicious and filling meal (brunch!), one last round of confirmation, one last round of chores and Bible study, and one last trip up the hills. Luggage was piled, closer-by-living parents came to see the Closing time, and we all gathered together once more. The campers sang some songs and the village leaders walked the families through their sons’ and daughters’ week (if only that had some sort of online forum to post notes or something…), and we closed in prayer.
After everyone had their goodbyes, hugs, and pictures in order, we hit the road westward on our way home. We did make one stop – our mystery spot was finally revealed! The SPAM museum! We walked around the fun and campy (!) tourist attraction, sampled some tasty SPAM, bought some SPAM-y souvenirs, grabbed a bite for lunch, and drove straight home.
Thank you, campers. You were wonderful. Thank you Good Earth Village. Not even the rain could take away from this amazing week. Thank you, families, for your support. Thank you, folks of American Lutheran, for your support and prayers. Thank you, God, for the love you show each one of us, the beautiful creation all around us, and the relationships that connect us – those formed over a lifetime and those formed over a week at camp – that make up the fabric of our lives. Thank you for this week, and thanks for reading.
--Pastor Ryan
The rain let up as worship ended, and it was time for one last delicious and filling meal (brunch!), one last round of confirmation, one last round of chores and Bible study, and one last trip up the hills. Luggage was piled, closer-by-living parents came to see the Closing time, and we all gathered together once more. The campers sang some songs and the village leaders walked the families through their sons’ and daughters’ week (if only that had some sort of online forum to post notes or something…), and we closed in prayer.
After everyone had their goodbyes, hugs, and pictures in order, we hit the road westward on our way home. We did make one stop – our mystery spot was finally revealed! The SPAM museum! We walked around the fun and campy (!) tourist attraction, sampled some tasty SPAM, bought some SPAM-y souvenirs, grabbed a bite for lunch, and drove straight home.
Thank you, campers. You were wonderful. Thank you Good Earth Village. Not even the rain could take away from this amazing week. Thank you, families, for your support. Thank you, folks of American Lutheran, for your support and prayers. Thank you, God, for the love you show each one of us, the beautiful creation all around us, and the relationships that connect us – those formed over a lifetime and those formed over a week at camp – that make up the fabric of our lives. Thank you for this week, and thanks for reading.
--Pastor Ryan
Confirmation Camp Day 5-Thursday (June 10, 2010)
Hey all – another day of camp has come and gone, and it seems way too soon for tomorrow to be our last day. It has been so amazing to see friendships forming, smiling and running, increased dance moves at every worship service, and all the other sort of magic things that happen at camp.
Today started on a kind of chilly note, but a McMuffin breakfast warmed us up. Confirmation class today included a wonderful game called Plague Tag, with each of the 10 plagues making up its own unique phase of the game (that’s pretty much all of the pictures from today, too). It started to rain pretty soakingly just as we started, but the consensus was to play on. We finished our lesson time by hearing some lesser-known passages of Scripture, and Pastor Mike showed up just in time for a Bible-book-looking-up speed trial and a short little devotion.
The rain didn’t let up at all for many hours, so campers (and leaders) had some downtime and a round of “How well do you know your counselors.” The rain eventually took a hike (tee hee) in time for a yummy dinner of brats, burgers, and hotdogs (and dirt cups!). After Bible study and a bruising game of Frisbee, it was time for two rigorous rounds of capture the flag. A quick canteen break and it was time for worship, and our ALC campers have been very prominent over the last couple of days helping lead worship. That’s ‘cause they’re cool.
Then it was off to bed (and at least one short night-hike). Time to rest in preparation of a bittersweet morning of packing, more fun, finishing and farewells. It has been an awesome week, and it’s hard to believe we’ll be back home tomorrow. See many of you then!
Today started on a kind of chilly note, but a McMuffin breakfast warmed us up. Confirmation class today included a wonderful game called Plague Tag, with each of the 10 plagues making up its own unique phase of the game (that’s pretty much all of the pictures from today, too). It started to rain pretty soakingly just as we started, but the consensus was to play on. We finished our lesson time by hearing some lesser-known passages of Scripture, and Pastor Mike showed up just in time for a Bible-book-looking-up speed trial and a short little devotion.
The rain didn’t let up at all for many hours, so campers (and leaders) had some downtime and a round of “How well do you know your counselors.” The rain eventually took a hike (tee hee) in time for a yummy dinner of brats, burgers, and hotdogs (and dirt cups!). After Bible study and a bruising game of Frisbee, it was time for two rigorous rounds of capture the flag. A quick canteen break and it was time for worship, and our ALC campers have been very prominent over the last couple of days helping lead worship. That’s ‘cause they’re cool.
Then it was off to bed (and at least one short night-hike). Time to rest in preparation of a bittersweet morning of packing, more fun, finishing and farewells. It has been an awesome week, and it’s hard to believe we’ll be back home tomorrow. See many of you then!
Confirmation Camp Day 4-Wednesday (June 9, 2010)
The weather this Wednesday has once more become kind to us. After early morning worship and a delicious breakfast of pancakes, it was time for chores. There was enough extra time though, at least for one of our hilltop cabins, to go on a hike to inspiration point to look down the deep bluff valleys and listen in silence to the wind and the other sounds of nature.
Confirmation time today included a little bit of artwork – Playdough and colored pencils produced many wonderful scenes from the Bible (check out the videos tab to see the finished work). Between that and a very silly version of the telephone game, I think we just might have had as much fun as learning today! After confirmation time we continued teaching each other all the fun camp games that entertain us and work our brains while we pass the time between activities.
Some of our campers went canoeing today, and some hiked to the bat cave. The canoers had a good time without getting too waterlogged, and the hikers got to traverse narrow and steep bluff paths as well as walk right on down the creek as we made it to the cave and back. There was splashing, dam-building, enjoying the cool fast-running water, and dam un-building. Then back to the cabins for quiet time and rest.
Supper this evening was made over campfires: we ate something they call “hobos,” where you add all your ingredients to a foil pouch and throw them directly on the grill. After being filled to the brim with delicious meat & veggies, we found just enough room left over for s’mores. The rest of the night was pretty low-key – we don’t want to completely tire people out – with Bible study, game playing and free time, and a closing worship where we tried out a few different kinds of prayer. Our prayer now is for a good night’s sleep and another wonderful day tomorrow.
Confirmation time today included a little bit of artwork – Playdough and colored pencils produced many wonderful scenes from the Bible (check out the videos tab to see the finished work). Between that and a very silly version of the telephone game, I think we just might have had as much fun as learning today! After confirmation time we continued teaching each other all the fun camp games that entertain us and work our brains while we pass the time between activities.
Some of our campers went canoeing today, and some hiked to the bat cave. The canoers had a good time without getting too waterlogged, and the hikers got to traverse narrow and steep bluff paths as well as walk right on down the creek as we made it to the cave and back. There was splashing, dam-building, enjoying the cool fast-running water, and dam un-building. Then back to the cabins for quiet time and rest.
Supper this evening was made over campfires: we ate something they call “hobos,” where you add all your ingredients to a foil pouch and throw them directly on the grill. After being filled to the brim with delicious meat & veggies, we found just enough room left over for s’mores. The rest of the night was pretty low-key – we don’t want to completely tire people out – with Bible study, game playing and free time, and a closing worship where we tried out a few different kinds of prayer. Our prayer now is for a good night’s sleep and another wonderful day tomorrow.
Confirmation Camp Day 3-Tuesday(June 8, 2010)
Hey all – it’s Tuesday out at Good Earth Village, and it was a bit of a wet and gray day. We still had another full and good day, but the rain did put a little damper (get it?) on things. I ate breakfast with some of our ladies today (more campfire French toast), and morning devotions led to chores led to confirmation time. We finished our lesson early, so we taught each other all sorts of fun and frustrating games like Sally Green, Silverware, and Black Magic. If you’d like to know how those games work, you’ll have to suffer through the figuring-it-out process just like the rest of us did. (:
The rain threw a wrench in the works for some of the planned activities like swimming or a trip down the trails to the camp’s very own bat cave (we’ll hopefully try for those again later this week). But we still had lunch out on the trail, played some fun and silly games, and spent some time with the camp naturalist learning about the local nature. Some folks went canoeing, and lots of us had a chance to rest, which is also a good thing.
I think the highlight of the day today was our evening activity: The Christ Walk. The camp staff played the parts of Jesus, the disciples, and some other prominent characters from the Gospels, while the rest of us were the crowd that followed Jesus about. The staff acted out many of the more well-known scenes from Jesus’ ministry, and ended with the crucifixion. Then we all gathered around a beautiful cross decorated with brightly-colored strips of cloth surrounded by candles that we could light as we prayed silent prayers and sang camp songs. It was a very beautiful and powerful way to end the day – songs, prayers, and silence, all given up to God.
The sun will be out again tomorrow, I hear, and our adventure at camp will soon reach its halfway point. Until tomorrow!
The rain threw a wrench in the works for some of the planned activities like swimming or a trip down the trails to the camp’s very own bat cave (we’ll hopefully try for those again later this week). But we still had lunch out on the trail, played some fun and silly games, and spent some time with the camp naturalist learning about the local nature. Some folks went canoeing, and lots of us had a chance to rest, which is also a good thing.
I think the highlight of the day today was our evening activity: The Christ Walk. The camp staff played the parts of Jesus, the disciples, and some other prominent characters from the Gospels, while the rest of us were the crowd that followed Jesus about. The staff acted out many of the more well-known scenes from Jesus’ ministry, and ended with the crucifixion. Then we all gathered around a beautiful cross decorated with brightly-colored strips of cloth surrounded by candles that we could light as we prayed silent prayers and sang camp songs. It was a very beautiful and powerful way to end the day – songs, prayers, and silence, all given up to God.
The sun will be out again tomorrow, I hear, and our adventure at camp will soon reach its halfway point. Until tomorrow!
Confirmation Camp Day 2-Monday(June 7, 2010)
Monday has now come and gone, and it’s been an amazing and full day! Our Hilltop campers had regular breakfast, but our Old Town campers got to make their own breakfast over a fire – French toast! (Tomorrow we’ll switch.) Then, after some chores and morning devotions it was time for our first Confirmation session (remind us when we get back to show you our 7 Days of Creation Dance). We had a tasty meal of pizza for lunch and then it was time to prepare for The Hike. Unfortunately, Pastor Ryan missed The Hike. He waited for the last group to leave, but it turns out they were staying. When he tried to catch up, he took a wrong turn. ): He’ll try again tomorrow.
But I hear that The Hike was fun, even though we had campers falling into the creek, falling into the tall grass, falling into the mud (losing shoes and getting, dare I say, mud wedgies) and laughing about all of it after they returned.
After a rest, supper, and a Bible study, it was time for a big game. Each cabin was a member of the food chain – from a mouse up to a hunter – and we ran around hunting or trying not to be hunted. Pastor Ryan even joined a team – a mouse team. We successfully evaded capture, but we were, alas, not victorious. Much fun was had for us mice and our friends the badgers and wolverines. (:
Before bed and cabin devotions, we had an absolutely amazing and powerful time at evening worship, where the camp counselors and staff shared a message that neither the campers nor I will soon, if ever, forget. Good day. Good night.
But I hear that The Hike was fun, even though we had campers falling into the creek, falling into the tall grass, falling into the mud (losing shoes and getting, dare I say, mud wedgies) and laughing about all of it after they returned.
After a rest, supper, and a Bible study, it was time for a big game. Each cabin was a member of the food chain – from a mouse up to a hunter – and we ran around hunting or trying not to be hunted. Pastor Ryan even joined a team – a mouse team. We successfully evaded capture, but we were, alas, not victorious. Much fun was had for us mice and our friends the badgers and wolverines. (:
Before bed and cabin devotions, we had an absolutely amazing and powerful time at evening worship, where the camp counselors and staff shared a message that neither the campers nor I will soon, if ever, forget. Good day. Good night.
Confirmation Camp Day 1-Sunday(June 6, 2010)
We made it! We are here at Good Earth Village just outside of Spring Valley, MN (after a quick stop in Blue Earth to pay our respects to the Jolly Green Giant), and we have been welcomed with open arms. It was raining just as we pulled up, but it politely stopped right in time. After unloading all our sleeping bags and other gear, our campers immediately started the most important job they have this week – having fun! Lots of games, lots of running around, making friends with our new Southeastern MN cabin-mates – just within the first hour!
We gathered for worship – songs, skits, prayers, and more songs. We’re learning so much awesome camp music! Then a delicious dinner of sloppy joes, veggies & fruit, and some sort of sweet dessert-y thing that I don’t know what to call. Then off to learn about cabins, chores, and other routines. After some more running about and fun silly games, the campers got to meet all the staff, took a visit to the canteen, and then joined around the campfire for evening devotions. More songs, more Scripture, more prayer – a good ending to a good and long day. Pastor Ryan is tired now; he just recently realized that it’s still Sunday! Time for bed before a very full and fun day tomorrow. Stay tuned for more daily updates, more pictures, and more awesome times from camp!
We gathered for worship – songs, skits, prayers, and more songs. We’re learning so much awesome camp music! Then a delicious dinner of sloppy joes, veggies & fruit, and some sort of sweet dessert-y thing that I don’t know what to call. Then off to learn about cabins, chores, and other routines. After some more running about and fun silly games, the campers got to meet all the staff, took a visit to the canteen, and then joined around the campfire for evening devotions. More songs, more Scripture, more prayer – a good ending to a good and long day. Pastor Ryan is tired now; he just recently realized that it’s still Sunday! Time for bed before a very full and fun day tomorrow. Stay tuned for more daily updates, more pictures, and more awesome times from camp!