Balancing act

Working in good old York, Nebraska this week.  Absolutely wonderful so far.  My host parents are fantastic, the counselor I'm working with is doing a great job, and the kids are pretty much the ideal campers.

Of course, this happens to be a 4-day session instead of the typical 5-day session.  I am so bummed that this  is the one that is cut short.

So far, the biggest pain of my summer has been my online class.  I have been using camp as my required internship and there is a class that must be taken along with it.  It has been a lot more work than I expected.  It has been really hard to find the balance between sacrificing the quality of work I put into my internship (camp) and sacrificing the quality of work I put into the class.  With the way camp works, it hasn't really been possible to put everything I have into both.  I have always chosen the internship over the class, which seems like it should be the most important part anyway, but my professor thinks otherwise.  

To sacrifice pouring my whole self into camp would be the real failure to me.  Read any post I have about camp and you will know that this place means more to me than words can explain.
I finally get to spend a few days on site next week, and I had to tell my boss to put me on work crew, when there is nothing I would rather do than counsel.  My final portfolio is due next week and if I am counseling, I won't have the time I need to finish my papers.
In the mean time, I'll be giving my all to the kiddos.  After all, that's why I'm here.

Week 3: Country livin'

Last week, I was in Cook, Nebraska.  Living the country life.  I did day camp at Cook last year, so it was really nice to go somewhere familiar.  The counselor I brought with me was great, our coordinator was wonderful, and our host families were incredible.
I loved living the country life.  It is so peaceful and beautiful and the people are all so friendly.  I've always known I could never be a "bigger than Omaha" city-girl, but I never thought I would want to be a "middle of nowhere" country-girl.
The couple I stayed with are those people you learn so much from just by being in their presence.  They're the ones who don't even know they are making a big impact on your life.  Dean took us to the farm, showed us where he grew up and told us stories from way back when.  He taught Lynnea and I how to drive a tractor and we fed the baby calves.  He also took us to work at a food bank one night.  That was a wonderful experience.  I never realized there was such a need in these teeny-tiny towns.  The food bank is open on the third Thursday of each month and they give several boxes to each family.  We served 231 people that night.  I saw some of my campers there getting food, and it was really good for me to see where they come from.  Yet another experience that makes me feel blessed beyond belief.

Hollis

My first week of day camp coordinating took me all the way to Hollis Renewal Center in Bonner Springs, Kansas.  This place is known for being basically the best day camp ever, so I was pretty excited to be sent down there.
The kids at this camp were incredibly wonderful.  Every single one.  The coordinator here always extends the invitation past the churches and into the inner city (Kansas City) transitional homes and development centers.  Many of the kids came from great families who were really involved with their churches, but the other half came from centers in KC.  At least three of the kids in my group came from a center, and I was told that they live in the most drug and crime filled neighborhood in KC.  Broke. my. heart.

Hollis has trails, worship sites and campfires, so it really wasn't that far off from my home at camp.
Instead of living with host families, we lived in a little cabin in the woods.    

I always know that I am going to miss the kids when I go home, but these kids I cannot get out of my head.  It makes me so sad knowing what they have to go home to each day.  I wanted to bring them back to Carol Joy and let them live there all summer long.
Perfect first week of my real job.

The Springs

Even though I am a day camp coordinator this summer, I had the privilege to stay on site Week 1 and work at The Springs.  (aka my favorite) It was wonderful.  

That week, I felt joy that I had not felt since being there last summer.  Camp Carol Joy stole my heart two years ago, and it's safe to say I'm a goner.
Week 1 was incredible.  I had one camper who cried and cried the first two days.  He just plain hated the outdoors and did not want to do anything but sit in air conditioning and go home.  Throughout the week, I got him to try new things.  This kid ended up loving the high ropes course, swimming, adventure hiking, and adventure canoeing.  His parents did not believe me when I told him the things he had done.  The best part is, he totally loved every minute of it.  He thanked me countless times for taking him adventure hiking. 

Awesome, awesome things happened on this hike.  This is when my group really bonded.  I had a camper who got really frustrated and upset about being hot, tired, sweaty and dirty.  During this adventure hike, she had to walk across a short log over a tiny stream.  She missed her step and went straight in the mud.  Let me tell you, I was waiting for a meltdown.  We all were.  Instead, she started giggling.  Pretty soon, my whole group was crying from laughing so hard.  

As we kept hiking, we saw a friendo (friendship bracelet to you non-camp people) hanging from a tree.  I didn't think anything of it, but one of my girls asked if it was a prayer tree.  When I told her it was not made for that purpose, she asked if we could change that.  So my little village of middle schoolers gathered around, everyone holding onto the friendo and they each prayed.  Holy moly.  I melted.  God is so great.

And then, another smartie said "You know, it's kind of like we are discovering God's Kingdom out here."  The theme for our summer is just that--"Discovering God's Kingdom".  These moments when the campers make connections like this just put me completely in awe of God.  

I could not have asked for a better way to kick off my summer than to spend the week at camp with these incredible kiddos.

Big day.

June 2nd was a triply exciting day.

 
Paisley turned 2. (Pictures to come :) )

I was the personal attendant for one of my very first friends.  We go all the way back to preschool.  The wedding was absolutely beautiful.  It was in an old church at Stuhr Museum.  Words cannot describe how great of a day this was.  Seeing Michelle so happy, seeing my old youth director, and meeting new people made for a wonderful day.

This last one is from the Nebraska Synod Assembly.  I was incredibly honored to be nominated and elected as the Young Adult At Large from Nebraska for the ELCA Churchwide Assembly.  Heading to Pennsylvania next fall!  So incredibly blessed and thankful for this amazing opportunity.  

It's Camp Season!

It's the most wonderful time of the year.  It's camp season!  Since my summer is full of new adventures this time around, I'll have a wee bit more time to document it.

This summer I am a day camp coordinator.  I go to a new church each week and lead NLOM's day camp program and bring some lovely counselors with me.

Here are some pictures starting in May.  

 Morning run

Breakfast Club

I'll document weekly once I get caught up!  This is the first week I've had real internet access. 

These pictures are from staff training in May.  A lovely two weeks of learning, leading, worshiping, and bonding.