Welcome to Camp!
Welcome to Camp!
Day one, about a month ago, I arrived with a bit of nerves, anxious to see what it means to work at camp. After a two-hour drive, and 45 minutes of traffic, I was greeted by gray and green A-frames, and the forest. Not a soul in sight. Rumor had it I would be living in the front house, so I parked my car in front of the first A-frame I saw, a lucky guess. I walked around camp a bit to find someone, anyone who might be staff, to no avail. Then I checked the chapel and Lauri happened to be in there trying to fix the broken curtains. Perfect, I had met my boss. Funny thing was, she didn’t know where the rest of the staff had gone off to either, until a car came rolling down the road filled with Starbucks, and staff. This was my team.
Imagine working with 7 of your most outgoing, extroverted, high-energy friends… welcome to camp! As an adult, this is my first camp experience, and as a big kid, I have not been to camp since the fifth grade. We have been here going on a month, and already are quite bonded as a staff, and as a camp family. The days are long, as I had expected, but ironically, when we are given time off maybe a few hours here or there in between training, none of us know what to do with it! It’s funny how quickly one’s body adjusts to a new lifestyle and the constant thread of activity.
We are a loud group (thank you Lauri for pointing that out today), but I think we all already knew that. If breakfast and activities were not loud enough, just wait till lunch! The laughter could likely be heard at the Mil Potrero turn off. Outdoor school will not be easily forgotten this year, the group that is musically—well, disinclined save for three, and physically very capable. Lauri thanks the economy for the vast talents of our group. We have had one school come so far, and they were aware of their status as our first student group. We performed quite well, and the kids had a great time, splinters and all. One thing I can absolutely speak to is the leadership of this team. We are a low drama, no shenanigans group, and we take care of each other. We are complimentary in class teaching, and discipline to one another, and the students were quite responsive. We have had in addition to the students, two work parties, and a few retreats. So far, only men’s groups and a youth group, but the year is very young.
My favorite days thus far have consisted of the work projects. I would like to build my own house one day, and maybe by June I will have acquired some of the important skills necessary. So far after just under a month, I have done demolition on a wood shed, painted some furniture, tiled a floor, deconstructed an organ (for re purposing) cut a whole lot of fire wood, and eaten far too many flies for my liking. Don’t worry; they will die off come winter (I’m actually looking forward to the cold days for this reason). That’s about it! Dinner time is approaching, and I’d hate to be late for some of Mama Lynn’s good cooking, so I’ll leave you with this thought, how many people does it take to turn Chuchupate into a nurse’s station?
- Amy
What I Feared
I’m not going to lie, I was a little worried about Outdoor School. Sure, I had done Summer Camp for several years and loved my time up on the mountain, but this was different. Way different. There was a smaller staff, teaching actual classes, living on site year round, all of that sounded crazy. And the snow, it was going to snow and be REALLY cold. All of this was going through my head as I drove up the dirt road to El Camino Pines.
I shouldn’t have worried. This is going to be an amazing year. I was worried that I wouldn’t get along with the small staff but that couldn’t be further from the truth. We already act like we’ve known each other for years. I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard and so often with another group of people. I was worried about the actual teaching but now I realize that maybe I learned a thing or two after taking all of those education classes in college. I thought living away from society for a year would drive me crazy, but we make our own fun around here. And while I still think it’s going to get WAY too cold up here when it snows, I have lots of blankets in my room. Though not a door… But that’s a whole other story.
What I feared might be a really hard and tough year is turning into one of the best years of my life. I couldn’t be happier.
Have you ever worried about something that turned out to be way better than you hoped?
- Daniel
My Dog
Growing up I always had a dog. Dogs were always a source of comfort and happiness when I was sad, stressed, bored, or lonely. They lifted me even higher when I was happy, energetic, or proud of something I had done. Dogs just make me generally feel good. The past six years I’ve gone without a dog of my own, having gone to an out-of-state school and living in intentional communities.
BUT all that changed recently. After a year of trying to convince Lauri, the camp Director, that having a dog would be a good idea, she caved! And so I acted before she had a chance to change her mind. Our new dog is Marcus (although he doesn’t really know that yet). We got him from the Humane Society of Riverside, near where I live. I was home one weekend and stopped by to see if they had a selection of the kind of dog we as a staff were looking for. We wanted something smaller, but not too small, friendly, and easy grooming…maybe something like a beagle, we thought. But when I walked down the hall of the shelter and looked into Marcus’ window, it was love at first sight. He knew he was cute, and worked it, but not in an arrogant way. He is the size we were looking for, but is a Lahsa Apso, so has hair all over the place, not easy grooming. I knew that he may not be the most practical choice of dog, but as he looked up at me with those big eyes, I knew in my gut that he was my dog; the one that would comfort me or make me laugh.
I came back with the staff a few days later and we made it official. Marcus now lives at the front house in camp, and is loving the forest. I’m sure there will be more blogs galore about his adventures, please come visit him and have your own!
- Erin, Executive Assistant, LRCC
What was your favorite pet? How important are pets in your life?
Jesus is my BFF
This summer I had lots of time working with kids ages 4-7. I absolutely LOVED the 6 and 7 year olds! It was so amazing to hear little kids proclaim that Jesus is their best friend, God is better than Santa, and that they would stop everything they were doing if Jesus walked up to them!! It is really cool to hear children proclaiming things like that!
I love that I have been able to have this experience and been able to love on God’s precious children this summer!
Matthew 18:3tells us that unless we have the faith of a child, we will not enter the Kingdom of God. It is so beautiful to see and hear the innocence of children. It reminds me that all I have to do is remember that God loves me and is better than anything in the world! I also need to remember that there is no reason I should not have full faith in the Lord of my life.
Jesus is my BFF and will never leave me and I want to drop everything I’m doing to follow Him when He calls.
{Much love from a girl who has been blessed by God’s children this summer}
~ Amanda, 2011 Summer Staff
Landed
Let me start by explaining my sister. There’s a 10 year gap and she completely keeps up with me intellectually. She is brilliant and amazing and I love every second that I spend getting to know her better. This said, she does not have many close friends her own age. For her last birthday, she invited many of my friends and was delighted when they showed up bearing gifts of books and tickets to museums. When she heard that I was going to be working at camp, she begged my mom to send her. My mom, being the accepting and adventurous woman that she is, decided the best idea would be to start with the mini week of Summer Camp and see how it went from there.
My sister got to camp and immediately noticed that she forgot her backpack and here I was thinking ‘Well we’re off to a bad start’. However, as soon as she met her cabin mates and began to acclimate, I noticed that she wasn’t even talking to me! My baby sister, the girl who is normally attached to my side when I’m staying at home, didn’t even seem to be aware that I was at the same camp! Like I said, she did not have the best luck with kids her own age, but every time I saw her, she was with her cabin mates, or she was with her family group, or she was excitedly explaining some form of academia she loved to a counselor. This alone would have made my summer more than completely worth the bug bites and the crazy schedule of being a camp counselor. The best part is yet to come though!
So then, after all the campers had left and my mom was back home with my little sister, I get a text from my mom. Apparently my sister didn’t stop talking about her time at camp the entire car ride home. Right after this, I head to our staff meeting. One of my fellow counselors, Kevin, said that one of his ‘high’s’ of the week was something my sister had said to him. He had been asking if he could call her “T” for short and she said “You’re the last one…” Of course he asked, “Um…what?” So she says, “You’re the last one to call me by my nickname. You know you’ve really landed in a place when everyone is calling you by a family nickname.”
Hearing this almost made me cry. This little girl that I had always worried about and fretted over and protected from bullies had found a place where she felt she had landed. I’m sure other campers feel this way and I know I definitely feel this way…but hearing that my baby sister felt this way really hit home for me.
So, for any parents who worry about sending their kids to Yolijwa or ECP or Beach Camp or Day Camp…please don’t. I know that every member of the staff will work hard to make sure that every child feels truly landed every single day just like my sister.
- Daryn Cazin, 2011 Summer Staff
Kari’s Kittens
During the first week of Day Camp at Christ Lutheran in Long Beach, I was in charge of leading a group of eight kids in kindergarten. On the first day of camp our group coined the name of Kari’s Kittens because of how much I enjoy cats. From there it just sky rocketed, they would all meow when I called them and would follow me around like they really were kittens. They all came up with pet names for themselves, which included fluffy, sparkles, arch, meteor, star, zebra, lighting, and kitty. Each day during Bible story time we would spend about 15 minutes playing kittens while I tied in the theme of the day. It was fun letting our imagination run wild while learning all about God.
- Kari Slattum, 2011 Summer Staff
Hobos Recipe
Hobos are a camp favorite. It’s the meal that we eat on our overnight hikes/camp outs during Summer Camp. We have heard many a story for years about campers wanting to make Hobos at home and for special occasions. Have you made Hobos at home?
Ingredients:
Foil
Butter
Hamburger (pre-cooked)
Carrots
Potatoes
Onion
Cheese
Seasoning Salt
Salt
Pepper
Your favorite Hot Sauce
- Cut potatoes into similar sized pieces. Repeat with carrots and onions. Helpful cooking tip: cut potatoes into smallest sizes to help with even cooking.
- Rip a large sheet of foil, place shiny side up and spread butter over foil. You can save some butter to cook with you hobo.
- Fill foil with precooked hamburger meat, carrots, potatoes and onion.
- Add seasoning to hobo, have to have Seasoning Salt.
- Fold over the foil, making a packet. The flatter the better, to help ensure more even cooking.
- Cook over campfire for 10-15 minutes, open hobo to check your potatoes to see if they are done. If potatoes are done to your liking add cheese refold and place back on fire for 2 minutes to melt cheese. If not refold and place back on fire. Helpful cooking tip: With a done hobo you will be able to hear sizzling and you will be able to smell the different aromas. If you are not able to tell if a hobo is done or not by ears and noise the first time, don’t give up, it takes some practice.
Let us know if you make them and how they come out!
Real Life – “Joy, Love and Service”
This Spring, we hosted a women’s group for a weekend. These were women who had never been to camp, women who had never experienced the mountains, women who served, women who loved, women who changed my life, women who experienced a weekend like no other. These women were angels sent from God! This is my story…
One weekend at El Camino Pines we had a group of 120 women from Real Life Church. In the past I have experienced their men’s group but never their women’s group. What I knew from this church was that they were servants and very friendly. I completely saw this in their actions and words. Throughout the weekend the ladies constantly smiled when they saw us, greeted us every meal with a, “Hello! How are you?” or “You are so wonderful. Thank you.”
Our staff was aware of the snow that was coming that weekend but we didn’t expect what was to come. Some of the ladies had concerns about the storm but we reassured them. On Saturday the snow started to fall down slowly but it looked thick. Once I saw that I knew that wasn’t the end of it. I woke up the next day, opened my blinds and saw the beginning of a blizzard that I will never forget. At breakfast I had made the announcement, “Good morning ladies. I want to let you know you are getting out today. You are our priority. We are here to serve you. You have no need to worry because we are here for you.” After I said that they all jumped up and cheered. It was beautiful to see! Immediately after breakfast the staff and I began the laborious task of shoveling and getting cars out. I was in charge of getting the ladies organized and assisting them with their luggage. The snow at this point was above my knees. It was outrageous! All of the ladies were asked to stay in the chapel as we were taking care of their cars. I am more of the hospitality type and less the shoveling type, so I stayed with the ladies and helped with luggage. At one point I was helping a group of ladies from Cabin 3 to the parking lot. They had several pieces of luggage and we used a luggage cart to carry all of it. As I was doing this I started to lose my strength and perseverance. I walked in the chapel and was greeted with love, smiles and words of encouragement from the ladies. They asked how they could help, if we needed anything or even if they could make me a sandwich. I was in awe of their willingness to serve. In my mind I was thinking, “No we are here to serve you.” But these ladies wanted to serve and help us. I continued to calm their fears and let them know we were doing our best to get them out. These ladies insisted that they could help. So I took a group of them out and we started to shovel and push cars out. It was beautiful to see them working together, laughing and encouraging one another. Their joyful hearts & spirits were exactly what I needed. I thank God for all of these ladies who inspired me to serve and never give up.
The women of Real Life Church were angels sent from God. Through this difficult time they helped us smile, feel loved and gave us the energy we needed. I thank each and every one of them for their servant hearts and joyful spirits. They changed my life and helped me never forget what it means to be a servant of God. I am blessed to have met them and thankful we got to experience that weekend together.
Have you ever had a time where you needed the help of others to get through a difficult time?
- Anthony
Capture the Flag: How to play
This game is played at camp and is a long time favorite.
The object of the game is to capture the other team’s flag and bring it back to your team’s side without being tagged.
The group will be divided into 2 teams. The 2 sides are divided by a row of orange cones down the center line. The bell will start and end the game. Players cannot cross the center line until the game begins.
Each team must hide their flag somewhere on their side. The flag must be visible from all sides and cannot be more than 5 feet above the ground. A maximum of 2 flag guards are allowed to protect the flag from being captured.
Flag guards must remain 20 feet away from the flag at all times unless a person from the other team crosses into the 20 foot zone. This makes it easier to capture the flag but makes it harder for the other team to find the flag.
Once a player crosses into the other team’s side, anyone from the other team can tag them and send them to jail. Players cannot be tagged on their own side. A tag is made when one hand touches any part of the body, including clothing. Taggers can only tag one person at a time. Taggers cannot push or shove to make the tag. If a player is tagged, the tagger must walk with them to jail.
To free someone from jail, a player must make it to the jail without being caught and tag someone from their team. If the player is successful, both players must walk back to their side before continuing the game. If the player is caught, they will join their teammates in jail. When taking a free walk back, players must raise one arm in the air to indicate they cannot be tagged again.
Jailbreaks may be called during the game. If a jailbreak is called everyone in jail is released and must walk back to their side before continuing the game.
If a player finds the other team’s flag and safely brings it across the center line without being tagged, the round is over and the team is awarded one point. If the player with the flag is tagged, the flag is dropped and the player is immediately taken to jail. The flag cannot be moved back to its original location or re-hidden.
The team that finishes with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.
If an injury occurs during the game, immediately notify an adult or go to the Chapel for first aid.
The boundaries of the game are the normal camp boundaries. Remember, the ravine is located behind cabins 5-10 and is very dangerous. Be very careful and always be aware of your location and surroundings.
Please be honest during the game. The game is not fun unless you are playing by the rules. If you are found to be cheating or are outside of the boundaries, you will sit out for the remainder of the game.
The most important rule of capture the flag is…HAVE FUN!
Golf Cart Adventures
When Outdoor Sch
ool is not in session and when winter retreats are over, there is a sort of lull that all of the staff come to love and hate. We love the down time. We’re able to catch up on all the things we’ve left in the lurch (our laundry, the state of cleanliness in our houses, etc.). But we also hate it. We’re the kind of people that need to be doing something. It’s how we’re wired. That’s why we work at camp! We love the action, the fast paced feel, and the level of intensity.
That’s why Katey and I made an adventure out of getting the mail. The mailboxes are located in an intersection just before the dirt road that leads to camp, affectionately call the “Y”. We’re often sent down to get the daily mail in a camp vehicle or the golf cart. Katey and I prefer the golf cart. Because when you drive that cart at full speed down the dirt road to the “Y” it’s even better than any roller coaster you can imagine! We scream and yell and laugh and smile. It’s the BEST ride of your life.
One day after a slow, mundane day in the office, Katey and I hopped in the golf cart to get the mail. We love every second of the adrenaline rush. And just when we think we can’t go any faster, the golf cart slowly putters, putters, and then stops in the dirt. Katey and I look at each other, and both know what just happened: we ran out of juice. The golf cart, she’s dead.
We walk to get the mail, and then try to push the 500-pound golf cart up the dirt road. Didn’t work out. We tried to restart it, nothing. We were stuck on the side of the road with a few magazines and bills. We needed some help. We had to call in reinforcements.
“You call them,” I say to Katey.
“I don’t want to call them! They’re gonna be mad!” she says back. Work was over for the day, and just another “camp happens” moment was the last thing we thought any of the other staff would want to deal with. But Katey called Erin. And David and Erin came to our rescue.
They came in the CRV with nothing but a rope and lots of worries. But Katey, the resident Rock Wall belier, took the rope and tied together such a knot from the CRV to the golf cart, that it made me think this wasn’t such a crazy idea. We double backed the rope and tied it again. Katey and I got in the golf cart, David and Erin in the CRV, and we all laughed and prayed.
Slowly, surely, and all of us cracking up like little kids, we pulled the golf cart back to camp. Every bump, every turn, every rock was a small adventure. And it was so much better than the ride down. Together we took a problem and turned it into one of my favorite moments at camp. Camp happens, and we laugh the whole time.
- Brigette
