SUMMER CAMP 2016
TREASURE HUNTERS
"Treasure Hunters" is our Summer Camp Theme this year. Discovering the treasures in God's word.
Tika (right) Summer Camp Director and friends modeling our summer camp t-shirts.
The day begins with a time of worship and dance.
Followed by class time. Campers are divided into groups based on age.
Together with their counselors, they rotate around to classes such as:
Sports
Drama- older kids learning puppetry here.
Art- Campers traced their profile, and wrote descriptive words about themselves as a person as well as who they are in the eyes of God.
Crafts- The making of treasure boxes using pop sickle sticks
Wilderness Adventures- Fort building and camp fire making contests
Archery-Hunting dinosaurs was an addition this year.
Music
And of course Bible- Kids are marching around the wall of Jericho. Campers attend Bible class every day all 6 weeks. The other classes change up from week to week to keep things fresh and different for returning campers. We are half way through summer camp with three weeks remaining. Other classes to come are Gardening, Animal Adventures, and Wild and Wacky Science.
AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES
Water Activities
Beach & Pool
Train & Horse Rides
FIELD TRIPS
Week 1 we had a picture scavenger hunt at the local zoo. Campers found an animal based on the clue given and then took a picture that demonstrated a character trait of that particular animal. These campers posed in front of the monkey exhibit.
Week 2 we toured through some historical museums in downtown Nassau. Afterwards we cooled off in the water fountains.
Week 3 we had an all day beach day out on the west side of the island. Kids enjoyed another scavenger hunt along the trails, played beach games, and cooled off in the sea. With heat index registering 104 all week, being near water was a need!
NEW THIS YEAR! CAMP AT NIGHT
This year we have designated two Friday nights out of the 6 weeks to try something new. Camp at night. Children have the opportunity to register for an extended day into the evening to eat pizza, do some water games, glow in the dark games, and to finish the evening with a marshmallow roast and a closing challenge by the fire pit.
Limbo
Glow in the dark bowling
And a challenge by Nick (far right) to get to know this great God who has created each of us and who wants to have a relationship with me and you! That is the greatest treasure we could ever search for.
MY ROLE IN SUMMER CAMP
As Tika's assistant for summer camp, I have taken on a more administrative role. This is not a strength area of mine but nevertheless an area that I am being continually stretched in. Though this picture does not represent it well, the Monday morning registration process is quite involved. Lots of paperwork and logistics.
In addition to registration, scheduling, and logistics, I just finished teaching one week of Archery. Due to a number of factors, (the heat, short attention span of campers, 1/2 hour class times, and limited days to run the activity, my level of patience was tested! I enjoyed being able to draw out the many spiritual parallel with the game of Archery. Examples below:
4-6yr olds - to do their very best to hit the target. The connection was to do our very best to listen and obey. When doing that we are obeying God.
7-9 year olds- If the target represents Jesus, we are to keep our eyes focused on Jesus. Jesus is holy and perfect. The bulls eye represents that. It is hard for us to hit the bulls eye. Most of the time we miss the mark (we sin). We will never be perfect like Jesus. But for those of us who have asked for the forgiveness of sin we are striving to become more and more like Jesus every day just as we strive to get closer and closer to that bull eye.
Along with the principles above, the 10-13 year olds went deeper with topics like strength, good eyesight, right working equipment, and specific targets. A good archer requires upper body strength. In order for us to be strong in the Lord we need to gain strength through the reading of God's word and prayer every day. Good eyesight is important for an archer to hit the target. Likewise, we that know Jesus must have discernment in the things that we set our eyes upon. We also talked about how the arrow is useless without the bow. Similarly, without Jesus we cannot reach our desired destination to heaven. One day campers blew up balloons and wrote down specific sins. Then they shot at the balloons on the target. We were able to make the connection that just as you may have shot at and popped another person's balloon so we as christians are to support one another in helping each other overcome specific sin in our lives.
A number of times I've felt such oppression from the enemy when trying to share the gospel and or spiritual principles with kids while serving at the Adventure Learning Centre. At summer camp, it comes in the form of a bee buzzing in the ear of a child to disrupt and distract from their already short attention span. Or the sound of bull dozers next door, the nearby sounds of other tour groups and classes, or simply the spanking hot sun beating down on them! But equally as strong is the sense that the knowledge of Jesus and what he has done remains knowledge in the minds of these children with no deeper connection to the heart resulting in life change. Only God knows what the impact Archery and other classes may have had in a spiritual way these 3 weeks. PRAY for the campers that return from week to week as well as new campers that they would know Jesus in a deeper way than just the knowledge of him.
The last two weeks of summer camp I will be teaching Bible class. My lessons will focus on contrasting treasures that we store up on this earth that can never satisfy with what scripture says about storing up our treasures in Heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. Though the Bahamas is a third world country, many of our campers have the latest games, toys, technology and treasure those "tings"very much. My goal is to facilitate a different perspective but only God can change the hearts. Please PRAY that God would speak to the heart of these young ones in a deeper way and that campers new those weeks or that have been coming all summer would make a genuine decision to follow Jesus.
Teaching Bible is not new to me. Two years ago I was the summer camp Bible teacher and I also have been on a rotation at church for teaching the pre-school class. The month of June I taught Children's church. This may look like all fun and games, but at the pre-school level children must be engaged in a hands on way as they are learning. Can I get an AMEN from my fellow past early Childhood co-workers? In this lesson we were talking about the story of Naaman and his burden for the city walls to be built. The children learned about how God sent this man Naaman just at the right time to help with the needs in the city of giving directions and managing the project.
Leando was focused on building his wall tall. The picture on the right is his finished product!
Though we are not building the walls of a city, the walls on the new cabin down at camp are being built.
the buses have been undergoing major repairs at our busiest time of the year.....
I could go on and on. We are still in need of facilitators for the fall, and there is much work that needs to be done around the centre and camp. Though it can become discouraging to see things deteriorate and projects piling on top of each other, and full time staff tired and worn out, I am encouraged by the story of Naaman whom God sent at just the right time to help to lift the burden. With that being said, if you or anyone you know would be interested in giving a year of their life to serve for the school year and summer in a teaching role, maintenance, or camp kitchen cook we welcome and are praying that God would send you.
Thanks again for your continued interest and support in the ministry and in my life.
The Lord is my strength and shield,
Jen
