MAD Camp 2010

Well, folks, I just finished up MAD Camp 2010 on Saturday.  I took a day to recover and do laundry yesterday, and today I'm back to work!

Camp was wonderful again this year.  It always is.  We did some special things this year, however.  First of all, we had a worship band join us for the week.  Indiana Wesleyan University sends out worship bands that go to different camps all summer as their ministry, and we were so lucky to have En Gedi leading us in worship!  They also lead a songwriting workshop which was awesome, and they were in charge of the Cabin Olympics - which they turned into the Intergalactic Cabin Olympics.  Hilarious.

Another special thing we did this year was dedicate an art project - a mosaic bench - to the memory of one of our friends and long-time camper, Sara Johnson, who we lost the first day of camp.  She was killed in a car accident on Sunday, July 18.  Her sister, Laini, was a camper that week, and her mother came by and picked her up for the night and spoke to the campers.  It was so shocking to hear the news, and it was so hard for us cabin leaders to deal with because we had to mourn the loss of our friend and also try to keep a happy-camp-counselor face for our campers for the week.  I'm so glad we dedicated the bench to her, though.  Sara LOVED camp.  It was her favorite place in the world, as it is for so many.  I bet she smiled when we decided to put her name on it!

Sara's funeral and visitation was Thursday.  Marly, Kendra, and I went during the first free-time, and the line was 2 hours long!  (We ended up missing all of first free-time, second workshops, and some of second free-time, too. oops...)  Sara certainly did touch a lot of people's lives!  It was a difficult visitation.  We saw her sisters, spoke to her mother, and were able to see Sara one last time.  I'm so glad we went. 

My cabin this year was awesome as usual.  My girls won 3rd place in the Intergalactic Cabin Olympics!  We were so proud!! :-)  I made them beauty queen sashes that said, "Miss Union 1" on them.  They loved them!  Marly's cabin wore masks, Kendra's cabin wore shower caps (hilarious), Ella and Lindsey's cabin wore pink curly ribbons in their hair, Lacy's cabin (the winners) wore camo bandannas, and Charity's cabin wore pipe cleaner antennas in their hair.  It was definitely the most festive year for the olympics!

I decorated my cabin in birthday theme.  I had a couple things hanging from the ceiling and happy birthday streamers.  My birthday was on Wednesday, so we had birthday all week in our cabin!  On Wednesday, I gave the girls birthday hats, and I had a GIANT birthday hat myself.  We invited the other girls' cabins for a dance party on Wednesday night.  Good times. :-)

Camp always seems to fly by so fast, but this year, I think it went normally.  Each day was memorable for one reason or another, and by the end of the week, everyone was pooped and tired and ready to go home.  I had two little homesick sisters on the first day, but they shaped up for the rest of the week.  But they were so excited to see their mom and dad on Saturday! 

Back to work!  I missed a staff meeting on Thursday... Hope I don't get in trouble!