Challenge Day and Carnival

We are pumped up… PUMPED UP!!!

Screaming, yelling, jumping, running, etc. … whipped into a frenzy by design. Today is Challenge Day, a fact that will bring back all kinds of memories for old Greystone campers. Memories and smiles, for a lot of really great moments will take place before we go to sleep tonight.

It started yesterday at lunch where we announced Challenge day with a custom Greystone gift…. Greystone Team Socks. Huh? I have to admit that I don’t get it, but the girls were delighted with the gift, really cool knee socks with a team theme that are unique to this year (we had never before given away Challenge Day socks… thus a tradition is born). They wore them to breakfast and will wear them all day today for the competitions.

Every class meets as normal but has devised a way to work in good natured competition. We cheer for each other and anticipate what kind of competition can possibly come out of painting class… you would be amazed. The competition ends at 5th period and lunch will end with the big announcement of which team won the morning’s tally.

EP will be the famous Greystone Carnival. Carnival is a celebration, for the campers feel a great deal of accomplishment with the end of our first week. The first week of camp is a big deal for everyone (campers and counselors alike). MANY people were nervous about how this experience was going to play out— you really don’t know ahead of time for there are so many details that are outside of our control. With the end of the first week comes a collective sigh of relief: “This Is GREAT! I can do this… in fact, I like it here!”.

So we will give away some cool tie-dye T’s (they really are cool, “I don’t want to go home” text is from a Greystone song everyone loves), enjoy a really great NC BBQ picnic, play on inflatable rides, eat carnival food (yes, we have funnel cakes, shave ice, popcorn, grilled cheese, and cotton candy), play carnival games, and top it all off with a camp wide dance competition (one camper and one counselor are crowned dance queens of the carnival). It is a fun night, a worthy end to a fun week.

It is also a kick off for the Closing week! We take a rest on Sunday, then are locked and loaded for every minute for the rest of the session. Every EP is a big deal, every class is carefully planned to accomplish program goals. It goes by in a flash… then is over. Two weeks is a very fast paced session, a delightful topping to a very good summer for us.

There is a good chance of rain today (60%). It is overcast and about 75 degrees (very comfortable), not raining but definitely feeling like it might. Early this morning we got a BIG rain that woke up about half of the camp with the volume of rain that fell in the middle of the night. I don’t think it is going to rain very much for the rest of the day, just scattered showers that either hit us or don’t. Pray that they miss us for the Carnival this evening!

Breakfast today was a hit. French Toast (yes, we use home made bread), sausage, and maple syrup (real maple syrup). The Breakfast Club theme has moved to “Physical” growth. We always lead off with the BIG point: That God made us just the way HE wanted to… that we are “Fearfully and wonderfully made” in His image. From before time began, God knew that we would be born and we should be thankful for the bodies he gave us. Don’t have a negative self-image… Jesus Himself was not a handsome man (according to Isaiah). If looks didn’t matter to God Himself, don’t make them too big of a deal. Too many young girls are already struggling with negative self image issues. We want the girls to be joyfully confident in the bodies that they have been given. Great joke too… to you Greystone Girls will know it as David Vining’s joke “I can see Clearly now”. Very funny, ask about it next week!

Lunch today will be a big hit… Parmesean Chicken on a big salad. This is the favorite meal of the counselors, very flavorful and healthy. It is a good counter balance to the junk that we will feast on this evening.

Thank you for taking the time to read the blog… even during your weekend. It is an honor to serve.