Week Five - Primary Camp & Tot-Lot

On Monday 3 buses full of campers, ages 4 to 8, arrived from City Union Mission in Kansas City around 12:15. They were hot and hungry and enjoyed the lunch that was waiting for them. After lunch, campers went to their cabins and spent the afternoon getting to know each other, their counselors and assistant counselors. Time in the chapel, at the pool, and free time after dinner completed their schedule for the day.

Our first full day of camp was on Tuesday. A few campers were homesick and had trouble sleeping. But most were very tired from the activities of their first day.

Campers are enjoying the chapel time. They are learning new songs and memorizing Bible verses. The Chapel staff is teaching the campers each day with a skit called The King is coming. They are also watching a video of a roving news reporter of Jesus and his disciples! What a wonderful experience for campers and staff! Swimming, crafts, optional activities, plus 3 meals, fills the day.

Sandra, the head cook this week at Big Camp recently had a birthday. Wanting to give her gifts, and not knowing what she would like, her friends asked her what would she enjoy. Sandra told her friends that she would like to have fresh fruit and veggies at camp this summer. She must have a wonderful group of friends because Sandra came to camp with 60 pounds of red grapes and 25 fresh pineapple. Wow! She shopped at HyVee and was given a discount on the produce. And she still has money left for Teen Boys Camp next week. What a wonderful servant!

Wednesday night the rains came while we slep and left behind clouds for Thursday that toned down the heat, although still mighty warm.  Campers are continuing to learn in chapel about our wonderful God.  The chapel staff is doing a great job as they teach the campers.

We have several recent prayer requests and ask that you take a few minutes and ask for Gods guidance:

• Continued health and safety for staff and campers
• Calm those campers that are experiencing homesickness
• Help with energy  - the heat continues to wear on everyone
• Eating meals and drinking plenty of water every day
• That the campers will understand  the salvation story
• Counselors are able to give adequate attention to each camper
• Transition times when campers are changing activities
• Wisdom and patience for adults to help with the power struggles between campers
• One of the summer staff was in the hospital earlier this year and just received the bill from the hospital. He does not have insurance and is very concerned.
• Female staff member hopes to have her father come for a visit from out of state. Hopefully they will be able to afford the trip. 

We wanted to share with you a few stories.  Some are sweet and innocent and some should make you laugh! 

• At rest time today, the campers asked their counselor if they could look at their Bible so they could look up the stories that Ms. Peggy is teaching them in chapel.
• A cabin of girls were walking to their cabin and noticed a bird up in the sky that look like a fish. One of the campers said "That bird looks like the fish that swallowed Jonah!"
• One of our counselors recently received news that a friend of hers had a very sick newborn baby. She was sad and the young campers noticed so she told them that they could pray later for the baby. The campers stopped what they were doing at the playground and wanted to pray right then.They were all very concerned for their counselor and later at bed time three of the campers wanted to pray for the baby again.
• Mr. Nathan, one of the janitors for the week was talking with a group of boys at meal time, One camper told him, "you look like my Dad." Nathan replied, "how do I look like your Dad? The camper replied, "Well, you're a bearded man, and your eyes look like my Dad's eyes. But not your face, My Dad's face is black."
• At lunch the other day, the boys were talking about their favorite restaurants. Suggestions like McDonalds, Wendys, Sonic were all some of the favorites. One little boy spoke up and said, " My favorite restaurant is the cafeteria at Camp Cumcito!!
• Before bed time each cabin settles in and the campers discuss with their counselor what they did that day. Included in this discussion is the lessons that they are learning in chapel which will lead into their evening devotions. One cabin reports that their devotion time is outstanding,! The girls don't always follow the designed plan but they do ask a lot of questions. This is how they learn! Recent questions: Why did Jesus die? Did he really come back to life? Did God make everything? Why did he ride on a donkey? All great questions for this age.

Our God is so great!! He hears our prayers and our praises. Let us thank Him for His continued faithfulness!

(Photos contributed by Mark Sewalson)

Volunteer Needs for Next 2 Weeks of Camp

Dear Camp CUMCITO Friends,

Camp has been amazing so far this summer.  Although it is HOT, the campers have been wonderful for the most part and we’ve seen much spiritual growth and action.  Please continue to pray for the next 2 weeks. 

We still have a few staff positions to fill, so please review the list below and pray for those positions to fill up so we won’t have to turn any campers away.  If you can fill any of them or know someone who can, please contact  campworkers@cityunionmission.org as soon as possible! Thanks!

Next week:   

• Primary camp is FULLY STAFFED!!  Thanks to all who jumped in at the last minute and to those who planned well ahead! 
• Tot Lot 3 still has one big sib opening. 
• Last week of camp – Teen Boys (July 29-Aug 4) still need a janitor, one more kitchen assistant and one more recreation leader (prefer Lifeguard, but will accept someone not certified at this point).
• Also for Teen Boys week, we need  6 more counselors.  Right now, there are 6 confirmed guys willing to lead these wonderful teen boys for a week, which means we can only bring 30 campers; but for every additional counselor who can come, we can take an additional 5 campers!  Can you help? 

Please pray for and about these positions and let us know as soon as possible if you are interested! 

• Another big need we have for the next 2 weeks are Bus Monitors.  For every 15 campers that ride the bus to camp, we must have 1 adult to ride as a monitor.  We are still short several monitors for this Saturday morning – to pick up our Pre Teen campers.
• We also need monitors for Monday morning and next Sat. morning for our Primary campers and will need some for our Teen Boys the following week.

If you are interested and need to know more info, you can contact Dena Baird at the Family Center (dena.baird@cityunionmission.org).  

Thank you all for your prayers and support!

Sharing Stories, Praises & Prayers from Thursday

Journal – Thursday, July 19

The week is still going very well.  We are having far fewer and less serious discipline issues than normal.  Normally if major behavior issues come, they are emerging by Wednesday, and this has not happened, so praise God.

Stories: 

•  One cabin of boys went to the lake yesterday, and one of their activities was on a floating structure where a sort of king-of-the-hill is played.  Three (out of 8) boys were afraid to get on because they didn’t want to get pushed off into the water.  The other 5 boys helped them climb on, and then when they were all ready, they all jumped off together.  Just one more illustration of unity in cabins.
•  Another cabin of boys waked up this morning asking questions about hell and salvation – all of them.  Great opportunity for the counselors to share.
• One girl who has not been connecting much with others in her cabin was crying in devotions, but another girl came over and comforted her, even using a hand-held fan to cool her.
• One girl camper told her counselor that the knows her AC is doing what she does out of love for the camper.  The counselor suggested that she tell the AC that.  She told the AC that she loved her, and it was a bonding experience between them.
• One girl camper was having difficulty with one part of her craft project, and another said, “I know how to do that – let me help you” – they are helping each other without prompting from someone else.

Big Camp Praise and Prayer Requests:  

•  An AC and the assistant janitor are not feeling well.  Please pray for staff health.
• The chapel skit is about a foster care situation, and it is speaking to the hearts of campers with disrupted families.  Please pray that God uses this in their lives to draw them to Himself.
• Girls in camper V’s cabin are still treating her with love.
• Camper K told his counselor he wants to take responsibility for his actions.  Please pray that this wonderful resolve continues.  
•  In one girls’ cabin where there was conflict earlier in the week, the girls are getting along better.  True in a similar situation in a boys cabin.
• Behavior issues, and the need to deal with them, although difficult, are leading to better connections between counselors and campers.
• This year, it seems that many of the campers have heard the gospel before, but it it’s head knowledge, not a personal relationship with God.  Please pray that many will see that the relationship is missing and long to fill that void.
• Campers are getting tired, and it’s taking them longer to obey instructions.  Please pray that counselors would know how to move them to obedience with gentleness and yet with firmness.
• Counselors are tired too.  Please pray for rest and endurance, as well as unit among staff.
• Pray that camper D would be able to focus and not instigate behavior issues.
• Pray that camper C would be respectful and humble.
•  We discovered that we do not have a Saturday cleaning crew for this week.  Please pray that God would send workers.
• KEEP PRAYING!  This week is exceptional, and God is working!

 Tot Lot Prayer Requests: 

• Please pray for some behavior issues (normal for tot lot):  Trouble listening, hitting (boys), anger
• Please pray for tots who are increasingly homesick
• Pray that big sibs would get more rest
• Pray that big sibs would know the line between being stern and meeting the tots where they are
• Pray that they would recognize teachable moments
• Pray that they would be able to form deeper relationships with the tots, and the tots would realize that the big sibs would know they are loved

What a way to start the week!

Journal – From Wednesday, July 18

First, an update from Monday evening.  A girl camper accepted the Lord Monday night.  This is very unusual for first day of camp.  We look forward to great things!

Counselors are seeing amazing attitudes from campers.  There seems to be a much higher-than-usual unity in many cabins, at least in these first days of the week.  For example, one cabin has a camper (V) with special needs, which could set the stage for teasing or worse.  Instead, the other girls in the cabin are rallying around her, taking special care of her.  When she signed up for a different activity than the other girls in the cabin, they were really concerned about her – “who will watch out for V if we’re not with her?”  Please pray that this love toward V continues through the week. 

In one of the boys cabins, there’s a camper who is 6 feet tall, and one who’s on the shorter end of the distribution.  Again, the stage was set for unkind behavior, but instead, the big camper shows leadership in treating the smaller camper with kindness. 

And a third story – camper K was playing on a seesaw with another girl.  The other girl unexpectedly jumped off the seesaw, and you know what happened.  Camper K was quickly on the ground.  She had been showing signs of attitude issues, and her counselor could imagine the cabin unity crashing with the seesaw.  But instead, the explosion never came.  Camper K laid on her back quietly until she got enough control to tell the other girl that it was OK.  She chose not to respond in anger.  Trust us, these things are amazingly, beautifully unusual, and it’s clear God is working.  DON’T STOP PRAYING!

 More praises:

• Counselor M is feeling better and was able to be back in her role again on Tuesday.
• Counselors J and B were able to share the gospel with their campers Monday evening, and the campers were asking good questions.
• Another cabin of boys is really motivated and doing exceptionally well at their Bible memory work.
• As a result of chapel teaching Monday evening, one girl camper wrote in her diary a list of characteristics of a man worthy of giving her heart to.
• One boy camper is thankful that “God is bigger than the rent my mom has to pay by herself”.
• In devotions, camper A asked his assistant counselor, “Did he (counselor) just say that we ALL deserve to go to hell?”  This is a camper who has been disengaged, but this was evidence that he is listening.
• After chapel, campers in a boys cabin were asking good questions about worship, and then they wanted to worship.
• Cabin of girls are becoming friends, not just girls who spend a week together.
• Cabin of girls opening up after a fun physical activity, and counselors getting to know some of the girls who had been quieter.
• One girls cabin went through the whole book of Esther with their counselors, and they had great questions.
• One cabin of girls is really proud of knowing their memory verses, and they have been quizzing each other on their own.
• Another cabin of girls had internalized their cabin rules and were “policing” each other (in a positive way) when their counselors were both away and another adult was with them. 
• ALL the boys were participating in worship Tuesday night.  That almost never happens.

Prayer requests:

• Campers K and G are still not getting along.  Please continue to pray for grace for their counselors and for peace in the cabin.  (But camper G started Wednesday in a positive mood – praise God.)
•  Pray for camper J to get enough rest and be motivated to participate with the group.
• Pray that camper K would put others before himself and respect and obey his counselor more quickly.
• Pray that camper T would not be apathetic, but instead enjoy his time at camp.
• Pray that camper D (and others) would be able to focus during devotions and chapel time, and would increase his understanding of the word of God.
• Counselors J and B ask for prayer for energy, sleep, wisdom, and the ability to teach clearly.
•  Pray for continued positive attitudes in the cabins.  Sometimes this doesn’t last.
• Pray that camper J would seek unity with the rest of his cabin, and they would continue to unite around a common goal.
• Pray for wisdom and patience for all the counselors as they deal with issues, and for enough rest.
• Finally, please keep praying with us for chances to share the gospel with campers – revival!

Tuesdays Report from BIG Camp and TOT-LOT

Big Camp Report

We had a good first day of camp Monday.  We have a full camp this week with 38 boys and 49 girls.  About 2/3 of them have been to camp before this year.  They arrived around noon, and we welcomed them and immediately took them to lunch.  After that, we all met at the chapel for introductions to the week, and campers were assigned to cabins and counselors.  Once they were settled into their cabins, there was swim time at the pool and cabin time with counselors.  One cabin went to the lake before dinner and had a great time on the Battle Barge.

 

After dinner was the Great Race.  The rec staff set up 8 stations where campers took on different challenges.  There was a giant slingshot that they used to shoot water balloons at human targets hundreds of feet away.  There was a challenge of placing an oreo cookie on the forehead and getting it to their mouth without using their hands.  There was a challenge to shoot cups off a ledge with PVC pipe blowguns and Nerf darts.  You can imagine the fun!

 Prayer requests: 

• One of our counselors, Miranda, has been ill, and others been filling in for her.  Please pray for her recovery and stamina.
• In one cabin, there are a couple of girls who are not getting along.  Please pray for grace for their counselors and for peace in the cabin.
• Praise:  One experienced staffer said this is the best first day of Pre-Teen camp she has ever seen.
• Finally, please continue to pray with us for revival for these campers.

 Tot Lot Report

Tot Lot is also going well, although we did have to send one camper home because of behavior issues.  Many 'big sibs' reported that their campers got along very well.   There were a couple of campers who struggled initially (homesickness, wanting to be assigned to a different big sib, etc.), but by the end of the day, they had worked through those struggles. 

 Prayer requests:

• Two campers whose initials are both D are not connecting well with the others in their groups yet.  Not behavior problems – more of being withdrawn and not interacting.  Pray that they open up and enjoy new relationships.
• Pray for stamina for big sibs, who are on duty nearly 24 hours.
• Pray for the camper who was sent home.  It’s sad that she will not be able to experience the rest of camp.  She was really looking forward to the first craft time, and she didn’t get to stay long enough to do that.

Week 4 Begins - Pray for Revival at Camp this Week!

Sunday evening our staff directors, Tom Seagraves and Nancy Todd, asked us camp staff to pray for a week of revival here at camp. 

Deeply sharing from his own personal experience and challenges in the last year, Tom described how God gave him a glimpse of His purpose for some of the hard things.  For example, He reminded Tom of times when God put him in a situation where he was able to share the gospel with people he normally would not have had opportunity to reach.  But in order to see these glimpses, Tom needed a revival in his own prayer life. 

 Tom then directed our attention to Jeremiah 32:17.  “Ah Lord God!  Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm!  Nothing is too difficult for you.”  If nothing is too difficult for Him, then we should not be afraid to pray for revival.  Tom said that God had impressed on his heart to pray for revival at camp this week.  Then Nancy shared that God had used different means to put the same thing on her heart – revival at camp this week.   

Later this morning, 90+ campers, pre-teen boys & girls, will arrive for 5 days at Camp CUMCITO.  Will you pray with us for a big thing that’s not too difficult for our God?  Will you pray for revival for these campers?

An Update from Family Camp

The theme this week has been 'The Hunger Games'. There have been games based on your hunger and thirst for God. They have had some good, deep discussions.

The clients were given wooden 2x4 pieces cut into blocks and they were told to write their burdens on this block at the beginning of the week. They have had to carry this block with their burdens written on it with them everywhere they go and they were told to try and figure out how to get rid it of. Summer Staff, volunteers and staff have offered to take their burden blocks away from them in exchange for extra pool time, an extra snack at canteen or extra free time. But at the end of the day the clients are given their burden blocks back and it is bigger than it was before! So they thought they were getting rid of it but it was not the right way of getting rid of it.

Tonight they are having a bonfire with a Cross set up at the fire and they will be throwing their burden blocks in the fire tonight. So be in prayer for this evening's lesson to touch each heart.