Bible camp on a shoestring

I'm spending this week at Lutheran Bible Camp, located at Victory Bible Camp about 100 miles north of Anchorage. This is my first time at this camp, though I worked as a camp counselor in college at a Bible camp in Iowa (Go EWALU!)

About 35 junior high kids are here this week, along with about 50 elementary-aged kids (that's a rough estimate). Kids and staff are from a number of Anchorage churches, with the majority being from Central, Good Shepherd in Wasilla and St. Mark's.

So we're a little short-staffed this year. We have a lower number of adult volunteers than usual and are down several staff and pastors who have previously led camp. In fact, there are only two pastors here right now (Martin Eldred from Joy and me... and he's leaving today after lunch.) So, I feel blessed to be able to be here and use my pastorly gifts and generally share God's love, hang out, etc. It's good to be at camp.

The kids really love this experience, though some of the older ones have commented things seem less organized this year (because they are!) Still, for many kids, this is THE pivotal faith experience and encounter with God they will name. Camp matters and I can see it in how they engage in the activities. It's pretty cool to hear a group of young people singing so loud in praise to God.

I'm truly bummed we don't have more kids here from Central. We have one in the Alpine (elementary) program and three in the Koinonia (jr high) program. In addition, five of the counselors are young people from Central's drop in center. I gues this is saying something about the DIC: those kids stick around and participate...and where are the rest of our High Schoolers? There's no judgement in this remark, I just wonder why more Central kids and counselors aren't here.

I think I might make this mandatory for Confirmation kids next year. In terms of value of faith experience, they might get more out of this one week than two years of classes. Just a thought.

Anyway, the weather was beautiful yesterday (Day 1) and the kids enjoyed horseback rides and swimming in the afternoon. Yes, outdoor swimming in Alaska in August. These kids are tough. I'm not getting in that water :)

I'd love your prayers this week...for our stretched-too-thin camp staff and our kids, that they might feel God's love this week. Oh, speaking of staff, big shout out to Sue Tonkins and Karen Emmel from Central, who stepped up to spend the whole week here at camp, to be nurse and craft person, respectively. And we can't wait to get Holly Emmel here...she'll be here tomorrow, after finally getting out of Seattle due to Alaska volcano delays. Is not Alaska grand?

More from camp later...