God is Good

I have spent this past week in the depths of the woods in tiny cabins with 7 girls and 4 boys at BunkHouse. Campers arrived early Sunday afternoon to a cool breeze with a rainy sky not far behind.  The week passed without an strange events or happenings other than the normal surprise storm. Wednesday afternoon Andrew (my co-counselor) and I packed our kids up and hiked them far into the woods where the trees are more green and every sound is amplified. The thunder grew louder and louder and almost instantaneously Andrew and I looked at each other both of us thinking the same thing. FIRE. As the storm approached with long rolling thunder coming toward us, we made the decision for one of us to run ahead in hopes of having a fire before the torrential down pour came.  I bolted off into the trees quickly disappearing from my groups sight grabbing whatever hemlock I could as I ran. I reached the entrance to the path of our campsite I could hear the thunder racing toward me, the wind picking up I ran. I ran through mud,  through deep large puddles, and over fallen branches and trees praying that I could at least get my kids fed before the rain came.  Once I reached our site I immediately started the fire within a few minutes and it started to rain. It rained and rained and rained. I had fire but I needed to keep it going. I eventually collected enough wood to keep the fire hot and big enough as it rained down on me.  I sat blowing and tending to its every need waiting for my kids to appear from the dark and gloomy path.  Once they arrived, we all collected wood. Curiosity seemed to get the better of some of my campers as they crossed over a small barely trickling stream hunting for sticks to be used as firewood.  Little did they know of the giant patch of poison ivy awaiting them on the other side (now we all have at least a little bit of poison ivy).  After many more handfuls of sticks and wood we all sat down to dinner and ate joyously over the delicious meal God helped us to cook.

You would think that this story would end here wouldn’t you… it doesn’t.

Later on that night Andrew and I were given the heads up of a massive storm with high winds heading in our direction.  After our devotion, Andrew pulled me aside and told me what he had learned.  I looked at him and all I could think of was my kids are going to freak and I’m exhausted.  We made the decision to stay put with fear that if we moved our kids now it might come while we were in transit.  Almost in tears, I helped Andrew make an exist plan. He was to stay behind, grab what he could and Emily (our support staff) and I were to leave everything, take the kids and hike to Wildness as fast as we could. We prayed for Gods protection before we departed to rejoin our group for song. We sat in our shelter waiting… waiting … waiting. We had nothing but a building with a tin roof and three walls protecting us. The rain picked up we looked at each other and thought it’s coming, it’s coming. I sat and prayed until after the warning had pasted at 11 pm.  The storm never came. 

Snakes, Bees, and Bugs Oh My!

Five snakes four bee stings sunburn one scratch and an infinite amount of bug bites… the joys of camp life.  I am currently sitting at the laundry mat in Black Mountain washing my stinky clothes and reflecting on the past weeks work.  I arrived at camp late afternoon last Tuesday and started working on Wednesday.  Currently most of my activities have consisted of cleaning up Camp Grier.  Cleaning up camp means being covered in grease (left over from last summer) up to our elbows from washing the cookout pots and pans, hiking The Firetower twice to clear the trail, carrying wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of mulch half way across camp to put around buildings and make things look “pretty” (ok that’s a bit of exaggeration), having a competition to see who can finish first while running around with bleach and spraying mattresses down, acid washing the pool after a long day in the sun only to paint it the next and walk back into main camp looking like a smurf. I can probably continue this list for an entire page.  However, I won’t bore you with it.  I’ve enjoyed spending time with my friends and taking care of camp. Something about doing the dirty work makes me appreciate what we have at camp even more.  One thing is for sure my appreciation for the pool has grown tremendously and I will be most excited to swim in it this summer.  In thinking about it we as a staff that come early to clean not only prepare camp for the summer but also give it the kind of love it needs to make it into the fall as well.  Some of the work we do may seem trivial but in taking care of what camp has it will last.  Besides, for me it marks the beginning of being able to give kids the greatest week of their lives in a place most have never been… the woods.

Tomorrow the masses arrive and what most would call chaos (though Grieriets would call it fun) will begin.  I look forward to new friendships and yet another year on staff at Camp Grier.  

A New Adventure

With the daunting task of school behind me, I am now left sitting alone in nothing but silent reverie.  The yearning desire to climbing mountains and walk their ridgelines will always persist but perhaps it is time to unearth a different adventure… an adventure of experiences, travels, of different mountains, and a new meandering path.  I plan to return one day to the lands that call my name and sing the tune of my heart but for now I am stuck.  I am wedged between a very hot greenless flat dwelling and a burning desire for something more beautiful exhilarating and dangerous.  I’ve safely crossed raging rivers using bridges and sturdy trees for years… its changing. I am at the end of my towering resilient bridge.  Left with tottering rocks to play a perilous balancing act.  Will I fall in the uncontrollable swift waters or will the next rock hold strong? No doubt I will fall but I also know there will be rocks that have withstood the endless battering waters of time and hold as I stand upon it.  The trick is finding the ones that wobble just enough for you to keep your balance but allow for an excited giggle of relief.