Week Six

I just finished up the sixth week of camp and only have one more to go. It is crazy to think that the summer is coming to an end. It has been moving quicker than I ever thought. 

The schedule for this last week was the same as the previous weeks, but there were completely new campers. I had a group of ten girls and they all had hard stories. The week was definitely hard, but it was easier knowing that my time here is almost done. 

Their stories ranged from broken families to dealing with depression. It was hard to minister to them and was tiring, but there was so much growth and progress this week. 

Rafting at Noah's Ark through Brown's Canyon was amazing once again. It is the thing I will miss most about camp. 

Unfortunately, I didn't take any more pictures this week, but there will be more to come next week to celebrate the end. 

Fab Five

I just rounded out my fifth week of camp. Looking back, the group of campers I had were wonderful. I could tell that they were here to not only have fun, but also learn about Jesus.

This last week went so fast, but was so fun at the same time. It was completely exhausting, but like I said, the campers were amazing. The schedule was the same as in weeks previous, so I feel like I am really catching on to being a counselor.

One thing I struggled with in the last week is feeling like I'm not good enough. Kasey and I talked about this while we met up for mentoring and how normal it is. I am at the point where I am comfortable enough in my position, but I want to keep improving.

One super comforting passage came from Micah chapter six, verse eight. It says, "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" This is so comforting to me, because these are the only three directions specifically given. It can be summed up into the phrase, "love God and love people." As long as I am showing my campers love, it doesn't matter how "good" of a counselor I think I am; God loves me just the same.

On a much lighter note, I love exploring the local sights no matter where I go. Today, I went into town to do some laundry and had an opportunity to explore. One thing Bailey, Colorado, is known for is their Sasquatch sightings. There is a large group of people who believe that there is some sort of Sasquatch-like creature living in the mountains up here. There is even a store and museum dedicated to the creature.

My adventure to the Sasquatch Outpost was actually really fun. I got to talk to the locals and hear the legends of the beast. I don't know if I'm a full-on believer, but it made for some interesting stories. Talking to the locals is one of my favorite things and I hadn't had a chance to talk to any off of camp. Overall, the week was fun and this was just the icing on the cake.

Four the Win

This last week was the fourth week of camp. After the fourth week, camp has gotten to be more of a routine, but is still just as fun!

Saturday night, I hung out at camp and got to hammock. The sunset from the mountain I was on was incredible.

The Sunday before camp. some of the high school staff went and got coffee. We all love coffee and wanted to start the week right. We went into Evergreen, CO, to a coffee shop called Java Grove. It was great to get off camp and enjoy some caffeine before our campers arrived.

I only had four campers this last week, so I was able to have more intentional relationships with my campers. They were awesome and I was even able to have some new experiences.

The Fourth of July is my all-time favorite holiday and I was upset that I was going to miss it back home. Because of  how dry it has been at camp. we have been on fire ban. This meant that there were no fireworks this year. Instead, I rappelled down the side of a 150 ft cliff after I hiked at 4:30am. I also did an adventure activity called the breathtaker. As a staff, we decorated the dining hall with streamers and ate red, white, and blue candy, and we also dressed up in patriotic clothing, It was definitely different, but my campers made it fun.

We also whitewater rafted and did the night climb like normal. Something special that happened this week was a concert, The concert was put on by a group of high school students and was amazing!

God has really been showing me how faithful He is even during the ordinary times and routine of camp. Micah 5:4 really hit me hard this week. It says, "And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth."

The rest of the week went well and I was sad to see my campers leave today. For the weekend, the other girl counselor invited me to her house. Abbey and her family have been so welcoming! It's so nice to have a change and be in a home for a night.

The coming week should bring some more campers, but also some more fun!