It’s Wednesday morning and the week is flying by! From silly songs to Morning Watch to crafts to nature to fishing and beyond, camp is amazing. This morning your counselors announce that your unit is going creek hiking. You find your water shoes under your bunk, change into your bathing suit, and off you go!
As your unit enters the creek and starts walking, you realize that this could be a bigger endeavor than you originally planned for (much like walking up the Unit 8 hill—which you have now mastered…sort of…) The rocks are sometimes slick, the creek bottom is uneven, and overall, it’s a slow-moving process. Just as you’re beginning to lose interest, one of the kids in your unit spots a Great Blue Heron! Woah! As the loudness of your unit startles it and the beautiful bird takes flight right before your eyes, you think “Wow! This really is cool!” and it gives you the boost you need to keep going.
As your unit continues up the creek, you begin to see all sorts of new things. Cool looking plants, moss, rocks, and critters. Your mind begins to wander and think about your next steps. Do the kids in my unit really like me? Do my counselors think I’m cool? What role will I have in this week’s skit? Will people think I’m funny? These are just some of the questions that pop into your head as you make progress up the creek.
Gradually, the rocks in the creek get bigger and creek hiking turns into creek low ropes. Someone in your units says “That one rock is slippery and wobbles, step on the one slightly to your left,” and then “Grab my hand and then put your foot on that little ledge and I’ll help you up.” You start helping people too, and soon everyone is helping everyone else up and over some massive boulders. Wow. This is fun! Who knew that shy girl had such good tips on slippery rocks? And who knew the loud kid could provide such a steady hand to everyone as they make the big step from rock to rock?
As your creek hike comes to an end, you look around you and think “Wow, we’re a team. We can do things together. This feels good. And it feels like God’s here too. In the creek, in the birds, in the trees, and in the sky.”
When we leave the comfort of home, pack up our bags with butterflies in our tummies, and step into a new environment, something magical happens. We grow. We learn. We understand. We see differently. We explore.
For many campers, camp is a new and unfamiliar environment. For even the most seasoned camper there are always new things to do and explore. Even though it is hard and scary to step out and do something new and be with new people, this is how we grow. If we never did anything different, we would never be different. Camp offers children the opportunity to explore themselves, their environment, and their relationship with God during their time at camp.
Camp is a place to try new things and hear different perspectives. What other place would you eat a crawdad out of the creek or perform a goofy rap at skit night?
Exploring is like trying on a new pair of shoes. You put them on and they may feel uncomfortable and clunky at first. Maybe you take them off and put on another pair. Then you start walking around. And if they really fit you, they feel good, you feel good. And people tend to notice. They might even comment on how confident you look in those new shoes. Those people help you see yourself and help you see that that new thing is you.
When we keep exploring, we become more comfortable with those new situations. The next time we are caught in a thunderstorm, we are prepared. The next time we get into an argument with a friend, we know what not to say because it went really bad last time. Our comfort zone gets bigger and those situations aren’t as bad as they used to be. Not only that, but when new situations come up, we have an idea of what we might do because it looks a bit like it did when you figured out how to get back into your car after being locked out.
We are always learning and growing. Camp offers an environment intentionally built and structured so that kids can explore themselves, their relationships with others, and their faith. What does it mean to be a Christian? Who is Jesus? Does He love me? These are just some of the questions that we try to explore with campers during a week at camp.
This week for your Camp @ Home challenge, we challenge you to get out and explore! Step into an environment where you can see the world differently and maybe even see yourself differently. Go on a hike. Look in the nooks and crannies of your backyard. Check out every street sign in your neighborhood. Explore a familiar place from a different perspective and see what you find! Share your exploration with us by sending us a picture or video of you and/or your family exploring! Share it with us by using #AltaMonsCampatHome and emailing it to [email protected].
As your unit enters the creek and starts walking, you realize that this could be a bigger endeavor than you originally planned for (much like walking up the Unit 8 hill—which you have now mastered…sort of…) The rocks are sometimes slick, the creek bottom is uneven, and overall, it’s a slow-moving process. Just as you’re beginning to lose interest, one of the kids in your unit spots a Great Blue Heron! Woah! As the loudness of your unit startles it and the beautiful bird takes flight right before your eyes, you think “Wow! This really is cool!” and it gives you the boost you need to keep going.
As your unit continues up the creek, you begin to see all sorts of new things. Cool looking plants, moss, rocks, and critters. Your mind begins to wander and think about your next steps. Do the kids in my unit really like me? Do my counselors think I’m cool? What role will I have in this week’s skit? Will people think I’m funny? These are just some of the questions that pop into your head as you make progress up the creek.
Gradually, the rocks in the creek get bigger and creek hiking turns into creek low ropes. Someone in your units says “That one rock is slippery and wobbles, step on the one slightly to your left,” and then “Grab my hand and then put your foot on that little ledge and I’ll help you up.” You start helping people too, and soon everyone is helping everyone else up and over some massive boulders. Wow. This is fun! Who knew that shy girl had such good tips on slippery rocks? And who knew the loud kid could provide such a steady hand to everyone as they make the big step from rock to rock?
As your creek hike comes to an end, you look around you and think “Wow, we’re a team. We can do things together. This feels good. And it feels like God’s here too. In the creek, in the birds, in the trees, and in the sky.”
When we leave the comfort of home, pack up our bags with butterflies in our tummies, and step into a new environment, something magical happens. We grow. We learn. We understand. We see differently. We explore.
For many campers, camp is a new and unfamiliar environment. For even the most seasoned camper there are always new things to do and explore. Even though it is hard and scary to step out and do something new and be with new people, this is how we grow. If we never did anything different, we would never be different. Camp offers children the opportunity to explore themselves, their environment, and their relationship with God during their time at camp.
Camp is a place to try new things and hear different perspectives. What other place would you eat a crawdad out of the creek or perform a goofy rap at skit night?
Exploring is like trying on a new pair of shoes. You put them on and they may feel uncomfortable and clunky at first. Maybe you take them off and put on another pair. Then you start walking around. And if they really fit you, they feel good, you feel good. And people tend to notice. They might even comment on how confident you look in those new shoes. Those people help you see yourself and help you see that that new thing is you.
When we keep exploring, we become more comfortable with those new situations. The next time we are caught in a thunderstorm, we are prepared. The next time we get into an argument with a friend, we know what not to say because it went really bad last time. Our comfort zone gets bigger and those situations aren’t as bad as they used to be. Not only that, but when new situations come up, we have an idea of what we might do because it looks a bit like it did when you figured out how to get back into your car after being locked out.
We are always learning and growing. Camp offers an environment intentionally built and structured so that kids can explore themselves, their relationships with others, and their faith. What does it mean to be a Christian? Who is Jesus? Does He love me? These are just some of the questions that we try to explore with campers during a week at camp.
This week for your Camp @ Home challenge, we challenge you to get out and explore! Step into an environment where you can see the world differently and maybe even see yourself differently. Go on a hike. Look in the nooks and crannies of your backyard. Check out every street sign in your neighborhood. Explore a familiar place from a different perspective and see what you find! Share your exploration with us by sending us a picture or video of you and/or your family exploring! Share it with us by using #AltaMonsCampatHome and emailing it to [email protected].
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