mysterium tremendum

I want to begin by answering a question that was posited to myself and the other interns: Where have we seen God this summer?Some answers were similar: other people, the natural world. One person said a frog, that was pretty specific.

One place that I've seen God is planes.For those of you who know me, you know how much I like to fly. I'm not a big fan of turbulence, and when the air gets a bit too rough, I'm reminded of the fact that I'm in a big sky bus and that humans are not supposed to fly. To top it off, O'Hare is the airport I fly out of most, and O'Hare is a huge and complicated hot mess of an airport, and Chicago's nickname of the "Windy City" doesn't really help with the whole, "I don't do turbulence" thing.

Yet I still fly. I flown with school groups to Ireland and Romania, and by myself to Amsterdam and Ghana, not to mention the twenty or so plane rides that I'll be taking this summer.

So how could I possibly see God in a vessel that sometimes terrifies me?

Theologian and philospher Rudolf Otto writes in The Idea of the Holy that the numinous, a sort of divine power, can evoke mysterium tremendum in us, a feeling of extreme terror and fascination. I think Otto's terminology best describes what overwhelms me when I'm 34,000 ft above the ground. You see, I'd normally close my eyes and "try to sleep" for a majority of my flights, when in reality, I'm trying to remind myself that this turbulence is not happening.

Closing Thoughts

This summer was both challenging and rewarding.It was such a blessing to be given the platform to share about what it's like to live under Occupation in Palestine.

I felt like it was one of the most influential things I could do for my country-- to voice the plea and cry of justice and freedom of the Palestinian people to the world (specifically in Nebraska, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Florida, and Washington)Kamp Kaleo- My guinea pigs. Thanks for being so patient with me. You guys helped me kick off the summer so well.

Camp Tawakoni-Camp Wakondaho- You all embodied the Palestinian struggle. I was amazed at how everyday someone wouldI hope that the relationship with DPF and Global Ministries and the YWCA of Palestine continues past just this summer and stretches to future projects as well.

Going Home

The camp that I went to last week was Craig Springs in Virginia which just happens to be my home camp. I can not express how excited I was to be able to go back after not counseling a camp at Craig for six years. Going back really felt like a home coming for me. Growing up I knew once I saw those mountains and lost all signal from my phone, it was the beginning of an amazing week where I can truly become closer to God without all the distractions that the outside world provides. I really feel like Craig is a different world up on that mountain surrounded by beauty.

In Virginia they do triple camps which means that they do all three age groups at once just as Arizona did. The main difference between Arizona and Virginia's triple camp is that Virginia had more interactions between the different age groups. The things that the age groups did together were good morning Craig Springs, free time, the hike, stargazing, evening activity, meals, and evening worship.  Then of course each age group had their own time as a group as well as time for crafts. Then there was a time when the oldest age group and the youngest had time together where the older are mentors and go and do fun things with the younger.

I spent most of my time with the high school age group (senior high) but I did go and do things with the younger groups. The workshop that I did with the juniors (elementary age) was my workshop on bullying. They did a really good with this and tied it into the theme for the day which was about speaking up. The workshop that I did with the senior high was my poverty workshop. The kids really got the point of this workshop and made some great points during the discussion and how it tied into the theme for the day about abundance.

The workshop I did with the junior high (middle school age) was my workshop on disabilities. I was really excited about doing this workshop because this was the first time I was able to do it. This workshop was one that took 24 hours to do and required that there would be people that had no clue what was going on which is possible to do at a triple camp. The first hour that we met the campers made signs that said that they were different and we had a decorating competition for the prettiest, the most religious, the funniest, and the most abstract. The kids had a lot of fun doing this but afterwards they were informed that they had to wear the signs for the next 24 hours and could not tell people what was going on. The signs proved to be a hindrance as they tried to go through the day. It proved to be a challenge as they went through the low ropes course. People also asked them questions about why they were wearing signs. The next day I rejoined the group and we had a discussion on their experience and was really able to dive into disabilities and the importance of treating them like people who bring their own unique prospective to the world. We discussed the importance of having things set up in a way for people to be able to live independently. The discussion went really well and had a real impact. Later in the week when the theme was speaking up, some of the junior high campers spoke up about what I said to the rest of the camp. Normally you don't get to see the impact you have but I felt it then.

Later that week I was able to do another thing with this age group. I was asked by the coordinator to come up and tell them ghost stories before they went to bed. I was able to tell them three different stories. The first one is an old family story that happened at Craig. The second was the ghost story from Christmount. The last was the story of old man Craig which went deeper into the history of the camp. To end the story time off, I sang the campers a lullaby to send them off to bed.

Most of the nights I also led stargazing with the campers. Now most of the week it was cloudy so we improvised a bit. The director and I picked out a few constellations that was up during the night and put them up on the ceiling of one of the buildings. That way they can see what it looks like and I could give a bit of information on it. I would also tell some mythology that went with the constellations. I also taught a bit about the big bang theory and Jupiter. On the last night it was finally clear and I was able to point out all that I talked about in the real night sky as well as some other things like the moon and Mars. During the week I stressed how science and religion could work together and not be opposing forces like so many people set them up to be.

I love the evening activities that we have at Craig. One of the nights we played life size battle ship and then went into a shaving cream battle. All the campers were covered in shaving cream and had so much fun with it. I know that my hair afterwards looked like a giant white poof. Another night we had the dance which was a lot of fun with everyone doing group dances together. Then of course we had the talent show with Granny being back and hosting. Being able to see Granny brought me back to my childhood of doing talent shows at camp and she was as funny as ever. On one of the other nights we played Romans and Christians which has always been a huge tradition at Craig. During the worship that went with this game I was asked to speak on what Craig means to me. Being able to do this meant a lot to me but I will admit it was really hard for me too. My older sister passed away a few years ago and that was the first time I had played the game at Craig since that happened. This game and Craig meant a lot to her, so much that her ashes are spread where Roman and Christians worship always takes place. I ended up talking about how Craig is a family that is there for you no matter what because they were that for me.

I felt like this week went really well. I was able to reconnect with a lot of old friends and laugh so much. It was wonderful having late night talks with the other counselors. It was hilarious to be able to see how into cabin clean up the senior high boys got and to see them gallivant around camp. Then going back and doing things I use to do as a camper like going star tripping. This camp brought back so many memories and was healing in many different ways. I loved being able to go home up on the mountain.

Unfortunately my camp for this week got cancelled but since I was in Virginia I was able to go home for a week and reflect about my experience this summer before I go back to Moon Beach for my final week to reconnect with the other two Peace Interns. I am really looking forward to seeing Sarah and Grace again and to hear about all of their adventures from the summer.

Conference Time

This summer I didn't only go to camps but I had the privilege to be able to go to National Convocation in Birmingham. This week was really busy but for a different reasons than I am for when I am at camps. The conference was only for half of the week so I spent the first half of the week at Moon Beach in Wisconsin.

While I was at Moon Beach I was relaxing a bit more than what was normal for me this summer. It was good to be able to unwind before continuing the summer. However the time spent there was not all fun and play for me because I was able to lead one of the vespers during the evening. The worship that I did at this camp was a Saint Thomas Mass. This type of vespers is a self guided worship with prayer stations. This means people can go to all or just one station, wherever God leads them to go. The stations that were set up for this Saint Thomas Mass were reading, coloring, letters to God, sand, and labyrinth. I think the worship went rather well.

After spending a few days at Moon Beach I went to the conference. I met so many people who invited me in just like I was family. On the first day I went to the Civil Rights Museum. I learned so much while walking through but I feel like that is a museum that you really need to go to multiple times to really get the full experience and absorb everything that it has to offer, there is just that much information. I would go back to this museum in a heartbeat. The thing that had the biggest impact on me was when in the museum when they were talking about the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing they had a picture window facing that church. It hit hard seeing the church right across the street, it is a good reminder that this stuff did happen and there is still a lot to do.

Every night there was a worship that I loved. The worship was really high energy and called for justice and inclusion which is wonderful. One of my favorite part of the worship was all the gospel music that we sang. Gospel music has a special place in my heart because while I attended Agnes Scott College I was part of Joyful Noise which was a gospel choir on campus. This choir was a big part of my college experience and made we want to join other groups in the future. So when I heard the music that they were singing, I was super excited because I knew the songs and joined in with just as much confidence. It gave me joy to make a joyful noise to the lord.

I also got to go to other things at the conference such as a bible study, listening to some rising stars in ministry, and workshops. The workshop that I attended was about doing justice and God's call for us to do so. We talked about how we can do this and not just justice between people but also justice to nature and all other living things on this Earth. I feel like this workshop was really eye opening and I was very glad that I choose to come to this one. The only improvements I would suggest would convey is to put it in a bigger room because this was a popular workshop and give it more time because I feel like we only hit the surface of the subject. I think these are good problem to have because it means that people are interested and really want to make a difference in the world. It makes my heart smile that this was the case and that the whole conference had this vibe.

Peace-Interning is Pretty Rad

Hello everyone! Updates and some reflection for my past two camp weeks, which have been wonderful.

Tawakoni in August, KS. and Loch Leven in Southern California- Starkly different in area, but much the same in community. Both places have reminded me of the importance in conversation and relationship. Even though the summer isn't over, I already feel that I've gotten more from this summer than I've given. I feel an incredible amount of growth in myself. I have been renewed in feeling drawn to meaningful conversations with people and how much we can take from them. I have gotten to meet amazing people with big hearts and deep thoughts. I have led workshops with kids who are ready to learn, listen, and share their opinions. I have experienced incredible hospitality; people going out of their way to give me an awesome traveling experience. I've gotten a new found confidence in the direction of my life. I have been more independent and ready for new things than ever before. I have new empowerment, confidence, and courage just from this experience. Plus I get to see the beauty of God in nature in a new place every week.

All of this has been an absolute gift to me and I hope that the kids have taken at least something from my workshops so far. I take solace in the belief that knowledge always facilitates action. Sometimes it can be overwhelming to wonder what to do with knowledge of social injustices. How do we really make a difference, in reality? Here is a list of things I think are important and would love to hear feedback from others!

1. Learn- knowing that we don't know it all and there is always something new to learn

2. Get Involved locally-Identify a couple things you are passionate about and get involved in your own community through service and local non-profits

3. Get involved politically- keep up with policies that affect the issues you are passionate about. Get involved in advocacy, vote, and contact your reps

4. Reach out- make relationships and connections with people who have different experiences than your own. Relationship and community changes the world.

 That's all for my thoughts tonight. Off to my Oregon camp tomorrow.

Small but Mighty

This past week I was at Cane Ridge West in Montana. This camp ground was named after the Cane Ridge in Kentucky which I would  love to go visit someday. The camp in Montana is probably the smallest camp I will do this summer with the total number only counting up to eight people. Despite the size of the camp nothing was lacking, These eight campers were very close-net group ready to plunge head first into anything.

The workshop that I did with group was my poverty workshop because it really went well with their theme of the day which was about there being enough. We tackled the topic that some people do not have enough and what can be done about it. This group had a lot of good thoughts in the discussion on the topic. I think they did very well with this and learned a lot. I feel like I also learned a lot from them too during the discussion.

The place that I felt the most spirituality was around the campfire at night. They had a campfire every night, Like California, where they would sing songs and do worship. One of the directors would cook fresh vegetables over the fire for all of us to have to eat. One night we even tried a different type of s'more in which you take a strawberry covered with marshmallow fluff and put that on a stick to cook over the fire. When it was done we drizzled chocolate on it. Another fruit we used was a banana that we cut open and filled with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips. We wrapped the banana in aluminum and stuck it next to the fire to cook. Both the strawberry and banana s'more was amazing and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to mix it up a bit. As we were singing, worshiping, and eating, I would look up to the stars. The sky was so clear there that I was able to see the Milkyway. I loved to be able to point out the different constellations and I felt like God was opening up the universe for us right there and then.

This camp was in the Rocky Mountains right next to a mountain river. The camp did not have a pool but instead we swam in a calm, deep spot in the river. It was so much fun watching the campers jump off the bank into the deep part of the river. The campers did not only swim in the river but they also took tubes up stream and ride down to the swimming hole. This was a lot of fun and beautiful as we watched the side of the mountains as we floated by. Some parts of the river were very relaxing while others were exciting and a bit of an adventure to ride down. On the hike up one of the directors caught a snake for all of us to hold which was super cool. The snake tried to go up my arm a few times which was really cool. I really enjoyed being able to do this.

During the week we also went on a hike right there at the Continental Divide. The Continental divide is the spot that if it rains there, half the water will go to the Atlantic Ocean and the other half would go to the Pacific Ocean. On the trial there were tons of lovely wild flowers in full bloom. It was very magical to look at. On the way up the campers acted out the scripture for the day, sang songs, and did a few prayers as they took pictures of all the different flowers that they saw.

This group also loved playing games together as a group. When there was free time there weren't any different groups doing different things but everyone playing things like Eagle Eye, Nuckum Ball, and Annie I Over. They also enjoyed playing Bocce Ball, Capture the Flag, Volleyball, Mastodon Ball, Mafia, Ghost in the Graveyard, Ninja, If it is, Sardines, and Werewolf. There were so many inside jokes that came from the werewolf game that I am pretty sure that I will not be able to hear the words mash potatoes without laughing anymore. One evening we even did an escape room game which turned out to be a great team building activity for the campers. The campers had to solve a lot of different puzzles to when the game. Everyone at this camp loves to have fun and be together which was wonderful. I learned so many new games which I am ready to share with the other camps that I am going to.

I really enjoyed my time in Montana, surrounded by the peaceful mountains and the daily adventure. I loved the community, the campers, and the small but wonderful co-staff. I am pretty sure the campers got tired of me and the male counselor singing show tunes all week. Everyone had a lot of fun and learned a lot from this week.

Community is Key

This past week I was in the mountains of Northern California surrounded by a forest of pines working with High School campers. The camp was called the Community of the Great Commission and that name could not be closer to the truth. Every single second that I spent there I felt part of the community. Everyone was really open to one another and it really felt like a family, ready to welcome anyone into their arms.

I had a cabin of eight girls and they kept me on my toes but they were great. Each of the girls had their own shining personality that they let come through at camp. My cabin was never boring with the singing going on till lights out or me trying to catch a moth to take it back outside so no one would freak out. we had a great time and they were very good about lights out. The girls knew how many camps I have been to so they were more concerned with me getting sleep then them staying up talking. That just shows how sweet they were.

My family group was amazing. We were able to have deep discussions about what it means to be a neighbor. These kids really tackled the issues that are gong on in the world and what it means to them. We also talked a lot about self care and that to be a good neighbor, you also need to take care of yourself too. We weren't serious all the time though. I have no idea the amount of werewolf games we played this week. It kind of became our groups thing to just howl sometimes like a wolf. There were a lot of people in the family group that told me this was the best family group they have ever been in. Hearing that made me smile and tear up so much.

During free time I would sit down with some of the campers and play a game called Baldur's Gate. It was a lot of fun being able to geek out with the kids as we followed different plots that the game could take. I feel like I was able to get to know some of the kids that were not in my cabin or family group quite well by doing this. Another thing that was quite a lot of fun was the talent show. There were so many goofy acts that I could not help but smile.

This week I did two workshops. I did my LGBTQ+ one like I do every week. I also did the poverty workshop as well. The discussions that were produced by both workshops were amazing. The campers really thought deeply about the issues that I was presenting in front of them. There were a few of the campers that said that these workshops were their favorite thing that they signed up for. I feel like they really listened and got a lot out of what we were doing.

We had a campfire every night. At the campfire we would sing songs and have worship. Every single night as we sat around the fire I would get up and teach the campers a new silly song. I have to say this was probably one of my favorite things. I love teaching and leading camp songs but I haven't gotten the chance to do it a lot this summer. It was so much fun sharing what I have learned from years of going to camp with these campers through song and hear them all week going around singing them. I would be sitting in the dining hall and all of a sudden hear " I just want to be a sheep, ba ba ba ba." It made me smile so much that they were enjoying what I was sharing.

On the last night as part of the senior worship we were able to stargaze. As we were stargazing I was able to share what I know about the night sky with the campers. I feel like they really enjoyed seeing the beauty of the night and gain some understanding of what it is. So many of the campers came up to me and asked if I could come back next year and that I made their week at camp. I feel like I have made such an impact at this camp and it is something I will never forget. This east coast girl would not mind going back to the west coast to attend this camp again.

Our Bubbles

I haven't posted since my first camp in Florida, so updates: I spent the past two weeks at the Christian Conference Center in Iowa and then at my beloved home camp, Tall Oaks Camp and Conference, in Linwood, Kansas. The Iowa camp was clearly so connected and has been built to be a camp of self reflection and deep connection with God and others. My home camp, Tall Oaks, was as beautiful and full of love as always.However, in all honesty, I have read Jasmine and Sarah's (the other interns) posts and have felt a little defeated in comparison. I very much feel like I'm not doing enough and that my role as a peace intern hasn't been used to it's full potential. Don't get me wrong, the directors and fellow counselors at all my camps have been wonderful, inviting, and in full recognition of my role.

However, in my interest group workshops, in which campers have the choice to sign up for other things that may not be so heavy or difficult to talk about, I feel that I've gotten to have very few conversations. One day I even had a workshop to do and no one signed up to attend it- which was pretty disappointing. I feel a bit overwhelmed by the tragedies of the world right now and then to feel like my small role as a conversation starter, educator, and peace advocate isn't even really there- it feels a bit like I'm failing.

BUT I have to stop and remind myself of things like this: In my small group at Tall Oaks, we were doing an activity where we make a list of problems we think affect high schoolers today, around the world, not just in our own neighborhoods. I noted that the first time we went around the circle, each camper mentioned something they may see in themselves or their friends- mental health issues, bullying, loneliness, stress of school, stress of finding jobs- which are ALL really important issues. I stopped after each person had mentioned something and acknowledged the importance of these and then encouraged them to think outside their own circles to people who may experience different obstacles than we do. I started and mentioned high school kids we may not even realize are hungry or homeless. After that little push to think outside themselves and their groups of peers, the campers in my small group made a really amazing list and had some great conversation about high school age kids around the world-- immigration, community violence, poverty. Then, I started to think about that it is much, much easier to think about ourselves and our close family and peers before thinking about "the other" and I wondered how people get to this point of contemplating the consequences of our actions on the people outside our circles if we are so focused on our little bubble of the world. I realized that for myself, it was probably a repetition of counselors, teachers, adults I looked up to, and then later on peers, pushing me to look beyond myself and into the world. Even though it doesn't feel like much and it didn't come with much resistance, a simple push to stretch our thinking beyond that small "bubble" of the world is a huge push toward wanting to learn about social justice.

That's all for now. 5 more beautiful new camps to go to with lots of beautiful new people to meet and lots of bubble bursting to happen.

I Can See Canada From Here

This past week I was at a High School camp at Dunkirk Camp and Conference Center in Dunkirk, New York. This is a beautiful camp on a cliff overlooking Lake Erie. The sunsets are some of the most beautiful that I have ever seen and at night you can look over the lake and see lights shining from Canada. That was a new experience for me because I have never stood in one country and be able to see another that close.

This camp had tons of campers which was really nice to see. They all had such kind hearts and had a real interest in social justice issues. They had two times almost every day in which they could sign up for things to do. One of those times was the normal interest group time in which the campers picked some fun things to do. In other camps this is normally the time that I would do my workshops but I didn't at this camp. The other time that the campers got to sign up to do something was called issue groups. This was the time my workshops were placed. I stood to the side watching campers sign up for my workshop with excitement. I have never had this many people in a workshop that they had to sign up for and it made me so happy. I had anywhere from 15 to 20 campers in my workshops. The other issue groups also talked about about so really important things such as relationships, college, and the relationship between science and religion just to name a few.

During the week I lead three different workshops within the issue group time. The first one that I did was the LGBTQ+ one that I have been doing at all the other camps. The second one I modified my poverty simulation to fit within the time. This workshop was written to be a full camp activity to explore class and help understand what people in poverty have to deal with. I was really excited about this workshop because it is the first time I got to do it this summer. The last workshop that I lead was the one on bullying that I have done with some of the younger kids in Arizona but I did modify it a bit so that it was more age appropriate for these campers. All of the workshops went really well. All of the campers were very active in the conversation and were bringing up such amazing points. The conversation got so deep in the LGBTQ+ one that I didn't even have time to get through some points that I was able to make in the previous times I have run it.

There were two days that the issue group time was taken up by an activities that the whole camp participated in. The first one was giving back to the camp by working on projects on the ground that needs to be done such as painting and weeding. The other full group thing was a talk about drugs which I think that is really important for this age group. The way that they did it, I think, really reached the campers. The way that the talk was done was that the teenagers fighting their drug addiction shared their stories and answered questions. These are people that are their age and that the campers can relate to. I think that both of these are important to let them grow into healthy adults.

This camp was a lot of fun and were very big into skits. They had one night that they were given a story, a genre, a prop, and a character that has to be included. The skits were so funny and it got the campers to meet people they might not have known before. Then for the talent show each Planet Group (family group) had to create a skit to preform in the talent show. At this camp the talent show is the biggest event at the camp and everyone really get into it. One of the skits was literally giving out awards to each cabin and to each counselor. I got the best dancer award which I find a little funny because I am not a good dancer but I did teach them a energizer which might be the reason I got that. All the kids also had a wonderful time at the dance. I loved what they do to close the dance which is that everyone sways within a circle to piano man. The campers are in the outer circle and in the counselors are in the inner circle. About half way through the song the graduates are brought into the middle of the inner circle as a way of honoring them. I thought that this was a touching and wonderful thing to do. My favorite interest group that I joined was the making fairy houses in the woods. The houses were so cute and I think would be great for other camps to do on some hiking trails.

One of the most meaningful moments in camp was when we hiked down down to the beach on the lake. We had a wonderful worship down there where we wrote down something we were struggling with onto a rock and then we threw it into the lake. Another meaningful moment was the senior worship which was focused on hope, I am pretty sure there was not a dry eye in the place. I also found that my planet group was meaningful because we had a lot of really deep conversations. We had activities planned but didn't use them because our conversations, which is the important part, were just going so well. The campers had some really good insight that I learned a lot from. This camp was a joy to be at and I loved being welcomed into this community like I have been there for years. 

A Land Flowing with Milo's Sweet Tea and Zaxby's

I don't know where Milo's Sweet Tea has been all my life, but let me tell you, it's a delight when paired with homemade lasagna  after arriving at camp after a late night flight into Montgomery.

Week 2 of my summer was at Camp Christian in Gordon, Georgia. Not only was it my first time flying into Atlanta, but my first time experiencing the legendary Atlanta traffic. I will say, as someone who mostly flies out of O'Hare, I prefer Atlanta more. Not by much, but slightly more. I also got to have Zaxby's and Zax sauce, and I raved so much about Zax sauce to my campers, it became a running joke, especially during one skit where campers imitate counselors.

Camp traditions are a large part of Camp Christian: serenades and senior candles, cabin clean up shenanigans, affirmation posters, senior banquet, and much more. Many counselors were former campers themselves, which is not uncommon for camps, of course, and it was clear how dear the traditions were to campers and counselors alike.

It was also exciting to meet Rev. David  Kenley, a DPF intern from 1979. For those who didn't know, early DPF interns would take Greyhound buses from camp to camp, rather than flying.One of my best discussions during my week at Camp Christian occurred during small group. One of the curriculum days focuses on speaking out, and I brought up a question to my small group. Many of the campers I've met this summer have seen the Netflix show "13 Reasons Why." The discussion grew to discussing pop artist Selena Gomez, who is a producer of the show. One question that I posed to my small group is, what role do celebrities have in using their platform to address social issues? This lead to a wide variety of comments, ranging from discussing musicians writing and singing songs with political messages from celebrities who post messages and images on their social media accounts.

During Camp Christian's senior night, each camper and counselor receives a superlative. Counselors brainstorm superlatives, or "Dixie Cup Awards," for their small group members, and seniors present superlatives to counselors. My superlative was "Passion for Perspective," with the following caption: "To the person who is always willing to listen to everyone, you strive to ensure every voice is valued and heard and you inspire others to do so in return."  One of the seniors from my small group gave me my superlative, and when I returned to my seat, David commented that it sounded like I was doing the right thing that week.

Week 3 was spent in Wetupka, Alabama at Camp Chandler. Camp Chandler's theme was "Choose Justice." I once again was able to offer suggestions on how to edit the privilege walk. Co-directors Robin and Beth both had a great idea for the walk: each camper was given a card with the narrative of a character, similar to cards given at the Holocaust Museum in DC or Titantic exhibits at museums. Each camper learns a bit about that person's narrative, and then completes the walk as that person. These cards were used for several activities throughout the week, so campers grew attached to their person and their unique narrative.

One of the days focused on justice in terms of money, and another day focused on food justice. I was able to lead an activity with the whole camp that incorperated both topics, campers' cards and their results of the privilege walk. I created giant flyers for four different stores: a convenience store, a chain grocery store, a co-op, and a bakery. I asked campers to buy food for five days for the person on their card and their person's family situation. In addition, there would be a birthday in the week, so they had to buy something to celebrate a birthday.

Campers toward the front half of the privilege walk had a higher budget and could shop at any of the four stores, but campers toward the back had a lower budget, and were only allowed to shop at the grocery store and convenience store. Campers at the very, very front and very, very back had extremely high and low budgets, respectively.Campers toward the front of the line did not worry about budgets and were able to buy cakes at the bakery, but campers toward the back of the line were only able to shop at the convenience store and buy ramen and a pop for the birthday celebration (by the way, campers commented that they knew I was from Illinois because I said pop instead of Coke). During the debrief, we talked about food access and food deserts. A great example that campers brought up was the prevelance of Dollar Generals in small, rural towns, and how fresh food access is hard in more rural areas. I also discussed a non-profit back in Peoria, IL, Gifts in the Moment, or Gitm. My freshmen seminar volunteered with Gitm and their "Uber for food" program, so I explained how Gitm is striving to make fresh food available to wider varieties of people. More about their programs can be found here: https://www.gitmfoundation.org/goodfoodrecovery

One of the biggest joys that I've experienced this summer is seeing how campers with different opinions can come together in a discussion and have a discussion about difficult and controversial topics. At Camp Chandler, one of my favorite moments was having a camper request an interest group about feminism and  seeing that camper and other campers speak passionately about being feminists. There were dissenting opinions, but the campers were still accepting and thoughtful about each person while still having moments of disagreement. The amount of maturity and poise that those campers showed warmed my heart, cliche as that sounds.

On the last day of small group, myself and each small group leader wrote campers' names on a small mirror, and added three or four words on each mirror that describe that person. We then presented the mirrors to each camper, and campers affirmed each other and added words to their mirrors. That way, when campers need to remind themselves of their worth and importance, all they have to do is look in their mirror and remember all of the unique gifts that they bring to everyone. It was a really emotional group, and seeing campers light up as their peers affirmed them was heartwarming. In addition, as a small group leader,  I was invited to give a speech about the two seniors in my group. No doubt was I nervous - what could I say about two campers that I've known for five days, campers that have been coming to this camp for a decade or more. Yet I somehow found the words, and both campers were teary eyed after my speech, just after I was teary eyed after theirs.

Before campers left on Friday, I was surprised with an affirmation card of my own. There were several wonderful comments, but one spoke volumes to me. One camper wrote on my affirmation card, "You have the useful skill of talking TO people and not AT them, which is a skill that is becoming more rare by the day. The world could use more people like you." This camper has not always agreed with what I've presented in my interest groups, but this camper consistantly signed up for my interest group and was active in discussion. I know not every camper will agree with the messages that I present, but what I'm hoping is that I can continue to serve as a role model by acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly.SarahThe lake at Camp ChristianAt Camp Chandler, campers and counselors added their thumbprints to a different board each day that coordinated with the theme. Here is the final product.The lake at Camp Chandler  PS Today is the last day of camp at Kum Ba Ya in Kentucky, but I'm going to enjoy myself this last day, because we didn't have the power for a solid fifteen hours yesterday and the day before, so I'm going to just hang out in the lodge here and eat my Pop Tarts. Thanks for understanding, and stay tuned.

Stars, Sailing, and Spirit

This week brought me to the banks of Dawson's Creek (yes, the one from the TV show) to a CYF camp at Camp Caroline. This camp is in North Carolina and I was super excited to be able to go to it because I have heard so much about it from different campers I had a Christmount over the years. Their stories lived up to real life for sure. From the moment I got off the plane and started to head towards camp, I was met with such a welcoming attitude. I could not ask for more from this group of people. There were times that I was able to have some deep conversations from the other counselors and gain some important insight from their experiences.

This camp was one the biggest CYF camps I have ever attended with the total count, including the counselors, was over 90 people. I was very happy to see that I even knew some people from my time up at Christmount. The main focus of this week was fear and how to deal with our fear. We dove into it from a personal and spiritual side which I think was a wonderful way of doing it. The keynotes really made you think deeply about the subject and about further than just yourself. There was a peace component already built into the keynotes which made me very happy.

I did my LGBTQ+ workshop again this week for an interest group and we had a really good discussion. The insight that these kids have makes me feel confident about our future, that we are heading down a path of acceptance of everyone no matter who they are. I learned so much about these campers through the littlest things and even though they didn't have me do as much peace work as the other camps did, I feel like I still taught and shared a lot. I feel like also learned a lot from them too.

The new thing that I tried this week was sailing. I have never been to a camp that had water deep enough to be able to sail a small boat. That changed for sure this week. I grew up being on the water but I had never been able to be on anything with a sail while it was not docked. Not only did I get the chance to be on it but I even got the chance to be able to do the sailing myself. This experience was just so much fun and I would love to do it again someday. It was also a joy to be able to see so many of the campers so confident in the water and in their handling of kayaks, canoes, and small sail boats.

I had quite a few God moments during this week. I had God moments while I was in stitches due to the amount of laughing I was doing. Also I had them late at night laying down talking to the girls in my cabin about the most random things or being out at the pier looking up and talking about the stars. I think my favorite God moment is when one of the campers who knew about my love of frogs caught a small tree frog and he brought it across the camp grounds for me to hold. That was just one of the small things that I was not expecting but made me smile so much. I found a nice tree for that frog to live in so he would be safe once I saw that he was wanting to be put down again.

I spent most nights on the pier on the creek with the campers looking up at the stars. There were so many of the campers just coming up to me with questions about the night sky. I was able to explain about stars, black holes, and a multitude of other astronomy topics. I loved being able to share my knowledge about space with them. I showed them the dippers and explained how they are part of bigger constellations. I showed them how to easily find the north star at the tail end of the little dipper. Then I pointed out the constellation Scorpius as well as Jupiter and Venus. I think the thing that got the most people excited was when I was able to get a telescope on the moon and the kids were able to see it up close for the first time. The joy and the spark that I saw in their eyes and heard in their voices was so heart warming. I saw God in every one of them.

Overall this week was an amazing experience that I will treasure. The spirit that I felt throughout the week was great from the freshman just starting to come to CYF for the first time to the seniors as they say their tearful goodbye to their time as a camper. The growth was an amazing thing to be able to witness. I really enjoyed my time here.

Peace,
Jasmine

Desert to Sand Hills

Hey Y'all!

These past two weeks I have been to the camps in both Arizona and Nebraska. The two camps could not have been anymore different from each other but they were both very moving and spiritual in their own way. Something that they both had in common is how compassionate and caring everyone involved was about camp. I had some really good and deep discussions with the campers and I believe that they have really learned something from the experience. I really enjoyed my time at both of these camps and would recommend going to anyone.

Arizona was a triple camp in the Desert Mountains. Being from Virginia, I had never seen the desert before so this was a whole new experience environment wise for me. However me being from Virginia, I have grown up with triple camps so that part was familiar. For those who do not know, a triple camp has all three age groups (Elementary- High). They do have some separations between the ages but they are all there on the grounds together. There were some differences between a Virginia triple and an Arizona triple but those were easy adjustments for me.

Since I was at a triple camp, I ended up being a floater between all three age groups. It was nice being able to see how each of these groups functions and get to know a wide range of campers. It challenged me to make sure that my workshops could also be done with a younger crowd and not just with the High Schoolers that I will be working with for most of the summer. I think this is important for my first camp because it made me think even deeper in what I wanted to do with the campers. I did a workshop on bullying with the CCF (Elementary) and Chi Rho (Middle) groups that went really well. They learned not to bully someone especially because they are different from you. They also learned to stand up for others and themselves even when it can be scary. With the CYF (High) I ended up doing one interest group workshop having to do with the LGBTQ+ community and what it means to be an ally, as well as another that had to do with making encouragement rocks. I also did two of the keynotes for this group, one on standing up and the other on doing justice. With all three of these things, I feel like they got a lot out of it.

There were a lot of really fun moments at the Arizona camp. One of my favorite things was that I got to be Ms. Whatamess for the CCF and give them the results of the cabin inspections. I got to dress up in a crazy costume and try to convince them that it wasn’t actually me the whole week. I loved being able to join each group for their evening activities. I loved being a part of the scavenger hunts, messy games, and much more. All the vespers were moving and I loved to see the growth in the campers throughout the week as they became a community and strengthen their connection with God.

Nebraska was a CYF camp located in the sand hills by a lovely river and lagoon. Unlike the camp in Arizona which was a DOC camp, this camp was both DOC and UCC. The main difference I found in regards to that is the amount of times that I had communion during the week, but other than that it functioned very similarly to other camps I have been to. In this camp I was in a cabin as well as a leader in a family group which helped me really connect with these campers and know the things that they are going through. These campers, just like the ones in Arizona are amazing individuals who can really think deeply about the topics spading a wide range. During the week I did my interest group about the LGBTQ+ community and had really deep discussion on this topic. The insight that these campers shared in the discussions was absolutely wonderful. I was able to do this with the majority of the campers in this camp and I feel like they all got something out of it. Throughout the week, it felt like I could not even go a moment without seeing some sort of growth and understanding from this group. It was moving to be able to be a part of this spiritual place. In a way it was also a bit magical feeling because during vespers every night, we would be surrounded by more fireflies than I have ever seen at one time in my life. I could really feel God there.

I had some new experiences at this camp, one of which was going tanking. For those of you who don’t know (I didn’t before this week), tanking is when you ride in a cow tank down a river. A cow tank kind of looks like a bit of a deeper kiddie pool with benches for sitting built in for the riders. I had so much fun doing this and laughed the whole way with the people I was riding with. We also went to a fort together, so I was able to learn a bit of history while I was there. One of my favorite things was the bag skits. During this the campers select bags that they have no idea what is in it and they have to create and preform a skit. They are also able to bid on special items that they can also use. I laughed so much while watching the skits. The money raised from the auction and various other things throughout the week went to Hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. This camp is one of the most mission focused camps that I have ever seen and it warms my heart.

This camp loves doing tie dye and I enjoyed joining right in. The community that was formed is very tight and loving, no one was ever left out. I enjoyed being able to teach them new games and energizers that they have never seen. I enjoyed this camp so much. The connections I formed at both of these camps will last a lifetime. I am looking forward to many more camps like these during the summer.

Peace,
Jasmine