The Camp Experience Part 2

During lunch on our first day there, a bear came up to camp and was only a few feet away from where we were eating, so that was interesting! After separating into our cabins and having the opening assembly, we jumped into the river for a swim and it was FREEZING!!!! It was somewhat alright when in the water, but once I got out I couldn't feel anything!! So that sure was a shock, but a fun one! We saw a couple more bears with little cubs and some deer during the week, and that was really neat.

It rained off and on for the next few days, but the rain in Alaska isn't the same as the rain in Texas. It is a slow, steady drizzle that unless it is heavy, you can't really feel it or tell that it is raining, so it isn't too bad. We serenaded the boys on the second night while we were standing in the rain and they were cute because they came out in the rain and sang with us. We also ummm...were so very nice to go sing to them a few nights later and they were so sweet to come out again and sing with us...and then somehow they got hit with water balloons! ;-)

I went tubing down the rapids on Sunday and the first time that I went down was great, so I should have just stopped there! But I didn't...and the second time I went down I fell out of my tube and scraped and bruised my legs up pretty bad, and that wasn't a very fun experience, but now I have battle wounds! I had also totally biffed it on the way to staff meeting that morning because it was raining, and ruined my pants...but nobody saw me, but now you all know about it, so it really doesn't matter!

The other intern, Daniel had this great hairbrained idea to make a fire, heat rocks on it and then throw them into a crevice of the river to make a "hot tub". Needless to say after 30 minutes of attempting to start the fire with matches, toilet paper, and bug spray and then 3 hours of heating up the rocks and throwing them in the river...it was unsuccessful, but another part of the adventure, and yet another fun memory!

We also had 4 baptisms take place during the week, which was SO awesome!! Praise the Lord! The 4 who were baptized were: James, Ty, Michael (from Juneau) and Julia-so I would like you to keep them in your prayers! There were also a couple of other campers who were considering it, so also be praying about them and their decision. It is SO wonderful and such a blessing to experience and be a part of watching a new precious soul enter the Lord's family, especially 4 of them in one week!

All in all, it was an awesome and blessed week. I have never been to a camp where by the end of the week, I knew EVERY person's name in the whole camp! Another awesome aspect of that is on the last night we all got together and each person stood up and we encouraged them by giving them affirmations, and that was such a neat and blessed experience (even if it did take a LONG time!!) It was the most scripturally based camp I have ever been to, with some of the most wonderful, Christian and positive people I have ever been around. They were all truly living their lives for the Lord and aiming to serve and please Him, and the light of Christ truly shone through each one of them. I had a great cabin of girls and we had so much fun and I love them dearly and can't wait to be with them in heaven one day! We also had a great group from Juneau that came and it was great to get to know them and begin making memories with them. It was just so nice to get away from everything for awhile, be with God's people and marvel at His creation, and it was an excellent way to begin this summer, which I know is just going to continue to get even better, and I pray that God continues to use me for His glory and His seeds are sown!