Our morning devotionals today focused on the concept of encouragement and building each other up. We all tried to make a focus on saying kind words, offering help, being present, and paying attention to the needs of others. This is a theme we are praying will continue throughout the week.
Today we got to meet all the day campers from the Sutton area as they arrived at camp. Our team was wholly impressed with how quickly the students and the campers got together, introduced themselves, and started to gel together.
The morning started with a series of led icebreakers led by Eaglecrest staff. This was fantastic as it allowed everyone to become familiar with camp and with each other. The students jumped right into games of Gaga-ball and 9-Square.
After the icebreakers we all gathered together in the barn for worship together. This was high energy! The Alaska campers ranged in age from 4 to 15! There were some instant connections between the Alaska campers and our students.
Coffee Buddies
Worship and Teaching Time
A great moment for our student teams were the two skills clubs that they ran today. One was an obstacle course and the other was making paracord bracelets. We had four teams of 6 compete in the obstacle course. The course consisted of mental and physical challenges, including de-scrambling Bible verses, identifying the locations of Alaska’s 8 National Parks, and shooting a Nerf gun dart into the Gaga-ball pit. The winning team finished with a time of 11:52. The paracord bracelets were a big hit! And not only at the time with the Alaska campers, but also with all of our students after hours! Our group probably made a hundred bracelets together.
Obstacle Challenge
Paracord Bracelets
After camp concluded and the local students went home, we ventured to a local grocery store to pick up snacks and supplies for upcoming skills clubs. It was a great chance to step away from camp and catch our breath for a moment.
Tonight, we had the opportunity to share some of our stories. As a team we are having a leader and several students share their stories each night split into two different groups. These are great, intimate moments that allow us all to open up a bit, be vulnerable, and grow together as we learn about each other.
A great reminder that one student shared with our group was that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. That truth is something we are encouraging the students to carry with them through their middle-school aged lives that seem so full of changes.
I love this, team! I’m so proud of you all.
Yay for para cord bracelets, I know Maggie has to be excited about that.
I can’t wait to hear who everyone’s favorite campers are and about all the relationships being built.
I love hearing that you all were talking about how God is the same always. I’ve been trying to grow in my understanding of how that is true, and at the same time, know that my prayers can have an effect on how God moves in the world. I used to think that since God never changes, my prayers don’t make a difference. But the Bible is full of examples of prayer’s power to move God into action, and encouragements to pray and ask and petition God to move. So these things have to be held at the same time.
What I’m trying to say is: Pray. (And know that I’m praying for you).
Wow what an action packed day! Did some of the 9th grade boys load up on saltine crackers and haribo gummy bears? 🙂
I’m so proud of this team. Your connections and relationships are a reminder of how big God’s Love is and can be! Enjoy a good night’s rest and keep these wonderful updates coming. You have a whole community praying with you!!