July 21 2024
For Greystone girls, camp Sundays become the standard by which all future Sundays will be measured. Most will pale in comparison, particularly regarding our last Sunday of Main Camp. It will be a cloudy Sunday (the best kind, everyone agrees). Temperatures will be a comfortable 79 degrees as we enjoy the familiar laid-back routine. Our Great Day 5-K started promptly at 7:30, with about 50 runners competing. It is a very hard 5-K with two steep uphill sections, the most steep being my driveway, which is short, straight, and brutally hard at that late point of the course. Stumblers began shortly afterward, with virtually every camper enjoying a couple of laps on the River Trail and receiving their 2024 shirt.
The clouds that make today so comfortable will likely bring rain at some point later in the afternoon/evening, but we are OK with that. The forecast yesterday was far worse, and everything worked out fine (the best Watersports Day we have had in years, which made it better for the cooler temperatures and occasional sprinkles). Nothing can go wrong. Perhaps this is what Paul felt when he wrote “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Of course, it is easier at camp than in other places. We are genuinely close to The Lord after four weeks of such intense spiritual activity (5 group prayers a day, two devotions a day, and upbeat, happy people the only people we see). With these circumstances, we taste what faith feels like.
We ride a wave of satisfaction propelled by the memories of spectacular moments past and anticipation for the special events that will shortly come. It just makes us wonder how great the next thing will be. The Watershow was another such event. We started early and were welcomed to the pool bleachers with Nerd Clusters snacks, incredible decorations, and a diving exhibition to entertain us while we waited. The crowd quickly found their seats, everyone wearing rain jackets due to the light rain (it would spit rain for about 10 minutes, then stop, then start again… did this for about 40 minutes, clearing for the majority of the show). We watched the girls perform their synchronized swimming numbers with a sense of awe and nostalgia (the last time we saw such a thing was a year ago). The acts changed like clockwork, smoothly and without hesitation. The golden light of the setting sun poking through the breaking-up storm clouds was gorgeous.
We look forward to our last sermon with Andrew and will get one last Sunday Dress photo for our scrapbooks. The day will be very relaxed and lazy, with many writing long plane letters and having DMCs by the lake. Council Fire (Cue the Me-Me Bird story) may be impacted by rain (forecast calls for thunderstorms; we might meet in the FORT). Tomorrow is already on our mind; the Senior Play will be unique, then comes Closing Vespers, Banquet, Closing Day… it’s going to be a great week.
Thank you for checking on your girls, for caring about this place, for your prayers, and for your unfailing support. We are grateful.
PS… I must mention last night’s dinner because that is what I am thinking about most right now. We do not have steak that often at camp (you probably don’t have it that often at home), but it is delicious when we do. Last night’s steak was outstanding. The new ovens cook meat perfectly. Literally. Every time. Each thick ribeye was seared with a crust, cooked to a medium temperature, and held at the perfect temperature for serving while the crew cut each one into easy-to-serve slices (allowing us to pick the color we prefer). Good meat, simply seasoned with salt and pepper, cooked perfectly, is a treat. I was not expecting such a meal (we serve 90 tables family style, so expectations are rightfully lowered)… but I should have. The food at camp has been exceptional and always plays an important role in our anticipation of the day.
