Each Still Waters camp brings its own personality, and this past week’s camp was no exception. It can be summed up in one word, “energetic.”
Normally the first day of camp is filled with timidness, mixed in with nervous smiles. Not this time. From the moment these 13–15 year olds arrived, there was excitement in the air. Even though most of the campers had never been to camp before, they seemed relaxed and comfortable right from the start.
After just a few hours of getting to know each other, it felt like we were all old friends. By lunch on the first day, laughing and fellowship already filled the air. We knew that we were definitely in for an exciting camp!
It was tempting to call some of our Brothers and Sisters in Canada to see if they could hear the roar of the tent on Tuesday morning, when Brother Joseph asked them if they were ready to go. Paintball and go-karts were the main events, with jet skis, rifle, and archery trailing closely behind. It was non-stop fun all day long! Then came the most important time of the day - Quiet Time. As the young believers settled down into their spots for their first Quiet Time of the camp, and for many, their first Quiet Time of their lives, you knew that many lives were about to start a very special transformation.
After Quiet Time, one young man approached a chaperone and said, “I never understood why everyone says Quiet Time is their favorite time of the day, over everything else. But now I get it, I understand.”
Throughout the week, there would be many more things these young Brothers and Sisters would come to understand. Not only did they get to participate in some of the most exciting things they’ve ever done, they got to do it without the relentless, draining pull of the world constantly tugging on them. One young man said that he had heard a Brother who had never been to camp say, “You know, it isn’t all about fun and games.” Looking up and thinking about the comment, he replied, “You know, he’s right. It’s not.”
We had a wonderful time all week long, and want to thank our Lord Jesus for giving us so many blessings last week. It was a week we won’t soon forget.