June 14 2024
Writing a daily update is a lot of fun during the summer. It forces us to distill a thousand moments of joy and inspiration into a theme for the day. But even though it’s fun, it is also an impossible task to accomplish. My skill as a writer is not up to the task. My position as a 61-year-old man in a world defined by elementary school-age girls makes accurate insight a bit tricky. You are forgiven if you suspect that we are living in a dream world and our observations are just “spin” intended to make us look good. We are just trying to convey our opinion… but it is certainly biased.
We have rose-colored glasses but as believers we also think this perspective is the “real” one. A positive attitude is appropriate for most situations we Christians face, for we know that “all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28. A Sovereign God who is Omnicient and Omnipotent is a powerful argument for such a world view. Why are so many Christians so negative with their assessments of everything? They should be the most optimistic people in a room! Christ is risen! He Reigns, sitting on the right hand of The Father. Victory!
The Bubble is a place where such a world view is widely held and such a place makes for a very sweet community. We have now been together for two weeks so we know each other (having experienced the good and the bad moments every day holds) and have learned to be gracious and forgiving. We pray five times a day (3 meals, morning assembly, EP) and consider how two verses of scripture apply to real life every day (morning assembly and cabin devotion). We are having fun in classes, some of which are very challenging and might make us a little scared at first. And we are making new friends and developing deep connections that mark these friendships as special.
Our Bubble is loved by all (camper and counselor alike) and protected by all. It makes little things like a Talent Show particularly great. Last night, twenty five acts made for a really great variety show, but it was the personal response by the audience that made it remarkable. The support and encouragement of a HUGE audience is moving to see. The performers showed absolute confidence as they did their (sometimes hard to explain) acts (like squeezing yourself through the head of a tennis racquet). The performers were rushed by their friends after every act as they embraced, laughed, talked, and ran back to their places in the audience. By the time the show ended, it was dark outside, and we ran back to our cabins. It was a perfect EP for camp. The girls are still talking about it!
We love this place and we love this session. It is good because of your girls, thank you for sharing them with us. I really want you to understand why we love camp. I really want you to love camp too, and to love it for the right reasons.
Margaret told me of a conversation she had yesterday after checking in with a mom. The mom is an old Greystone Girl and absolutely LOVES camp. Her daughter (a young camper) loves camp as much as anyone who has ever been here. For mom, sharing her daughter with us is a comfort and a delight… for dad, not so much! He doesn’t “get camp”, the number of weeks is particularly hard to understand. Why can’t we do a one-week camp? It hurts his heart to have her gone for so long. is a HUGE sacrifice to agree to three weeks, and he knows the Main Camp question will eventually come up.
We understand how hard it is for “non campers” to appreciate camp. We understand that a camp experience is impossible to convey to someone in the “real world”… it is why most Greystone Girls just shrug when their friends ask why they are going back after 10 years of being gone all summer. “It’s hard to explain.” That might be the fact that I need to embrace… but the quest to explain continues. Thank you for your graciousness. Feel free to not read all the words!
- Breakfast Ham, Egg,breakfast sandwiches, fruit, yogurt
- Lunch Spiced Chicken Tacos, Chocolate and White Chocolate chip cookies
- Dinner Meat Loaf, mashed potatoes, green beans
- EP Rotating Group Night (Swimming, Ice Cream, or Gameshow)
Enjoy your weekend!
