Week Six - Teen Boys’ Camp

Monday, July 30, 2012  -  It's finally time for Teen Boys' Camp! This is the final week of camp down in Warsaw, and it is by far the most energetic and action-packed week of the entire summer!

On Monday morning 44 teenage boys arrived at camp, many of them excited returners. The staff greeted them exuberantly as they climbed off the bus, and after a great lunch and introductory chapel we plunged immediately into activities. The pool was a popular place this afternoon, with everyone appreciating the opportunity to cool off. However, the pool is definitely not a restful place at Teen Boys' Camp; every swimming time inevitably morphs into a massive counselors versus campers dunking competition!

Following afternoon swim time, cabin groups bonded over The Great Race, a series of unique competitive events that require precision, speed, and most importantly, teamwork. Teams had to do everything from launching water balloons at a target to rolling cookies down their faces into their mouths.

The evening continued with dinner and s'mores down at the lake and lots of lake activities: swimming, canoeing, paddleboating, kayaking, fishing, lake trampolining, and wrestling on our new-this-season-and-already-well-loved "Battle Barge" dock.

When it finally got too dark to keep playing, the boys returned to the campfire for worship and teaching. One of our counselors, Mr. Ronnie, shared his testimony, which was an incredible opportunity for the boys to connect with his story and get a glimpse of what the gospel means for real life.

Please be praying this week for open hearts for the boys, for opportunities for them to see the counselors and staff as real people with stories very much like their own, and for the boys to honestly evaluate who rules their lives and who deserves to rule their lives. Pray that they will see our King Jesus in all of his majesty, beauty, and authority!

Tuesday, July 31, 2012  -  Tuesday was another action-packed day of soaking up all that camp has to offer with our teen boy campers. The boys began their skill lessons today; they have each chosen an activity (canoeing, swimming, or archery) to work on all week and develop some advanced skills. They also began working with Mr. Kesner, our craft director, on a week-long project of crafting their own personalized belts out of leather strips.

Tuesday night is centered around an activity that is arguably the most anticipated of the entire week: the Egg War. Staff and campers face off in the woods in an epic game of Capture the Flag in which the method of getting a player out is to hit and splatter them with a raw egg. The boys (and the more adventurous staff) love it!

After much-needed showers, we returned to the chapel for worship and more solid teaching from Mr. Mark. He spoke about an extraordinary man, King Saul, who refused to allow God to rule his life and was destroyed by his own pride and sin, and an ordinary man, David, who was a repentant sinner redeemed by an extraordinary God for God's own honor and glory. He challenged the boys to consider what it means to be a man, and particularly what it means to be an ordinary man in the hands of an extraordinary God. After speaking through Mr. Mark, God then spoke powerfully to the boys through Mr. Mark, one of our rec staff this week, who shared his testimony with the boys as they listened raptly. It was so encouraging once again to see the boys get to experience this strong Christian staff member as a real person, just like them, a broken sinner who has been chosen and redeemed by a great God. Mr. Mark's sincerity as he urged the boys to follow Christ as their King and honor him with their lives was obvious, and several counselors reported great conversations at their devotions afterward and praised God for a developing mutual openness between campers and staff as they slowly build relationships.

Finally, we are all so thankful to the Lord for Monday night devotions, in which several campers were asking important questions. It seems like this is happening more than in other years, which is very exciting!