One of Life's Best Experiences

With just three weeks to go in their 11-week commitment, our Summer Staff is beginning to reflect on life at Twin Rocks Friends Camp. At the dinner table this evening, one of our out-of-state college students shared:

I've never been to a place like Twin Rocks before! It's been one of the best experiences of my life!

She's mentioned her gratefulness for two things in particular:

• The community of staff she's enjoyed at the camp; and
  
• The opportunity to share about Christ with her cabin of 5th graders at Girls Camp.

Boys Camp Adventures

"If you haven't changed your underwear yet this week, today is the day."
- Don Staples, director of Boys Camp, addressing 111 4th-6th grade boys

I love Boys Camp! It's so much fun: Treasure hunts and "Night Owls," "Capture the Flag" and water fights, fishing and miniature golf and wave jumping. And it's the only camp where we feel the need to remind campers to shower and change clothes!

We just wrapped up Boys Camp last evening. It was a wonderful week. Here are some highlights for me:

• Verne and Ellen Martin spent the week with us. Verne was a camper at the first ever Twin Rocks Boys Camp - in 1941! Later, Verne served as Recreation Director at Boys Camp for 20-some years. This week he returned to Boys Camp for the first time in decades, serving as a "Camp Uncle" - providing backup to our cabin counselors. He hid treasures throughout camp and posted clues on how to find them in the camp dining hall. The kids loved it.
• At the end of the week, one camper from a troubled background told his cabin counselor: "I wish you were my Dad." It's difficult to hear of the tough home lives of some of these boys. And it's wonderful that our cabin counselors are able to clearly shine the love of Christ to them.
  
• Several kids in camp gave their lives to Christ this week! Gary Fawver, our Bible teacher, worked in conjunction with our cabin counselors to present kids with the opportunity to choose to follow Jesus. There's nothing more meaningful in life than submitting oneself to God, accepting God's love, basking in his care, and promising to follow him. And what a joy it is to see kids make this decision for themselves.
  

Lasting Impact

Yesterday afternoon a mom pulled aside a Twin Rocks staff member, and with tears in her eyes, expressed her gratitude for the "changed life" she's seen in her daughter since her return from Tween Camp last week. It's fun to hear stories like these. It's the reason we love camp.

Glory and Honor to God

This morning I closed my eyes and listened to the music:

Glory and honor to God,
Glory and honor to Jesus,
Glory and honor to God,
Glory and honor belong to Him.

It's Girls Camp at Twin Rocks this week -- 200 female voices singing beautifully in unison, praising the Lord together. It's pretty awesome.

Deann Thompson, one of the Girls Camp leaders, said that she can envision God sitting in an easy chair in heaven, basking in the beauty of these voices, rejoicing in the praise emanating from these dear children.

Thank you, Lord. This is what summer camp is all about!