Covenant Pines Bible Camp: Shalom

Well, the time has come to close out the summer...and what a blessed summer it has been. It's hard to believe that the summer has already flown by, and we are getting ready to close up camp and head out back to schools and jobs and 'real' life. Although, isn't camp real life in itself. Shalom does not only mean peace, it means 'to be as God always intended.' We, staffers, campers, and families, come to camp, to this beautiful place to experience God's goodness. And we do experience it, we are surrounded by it. But it is not only in his creation that we find this goodness, it is in the christian community that we get to experience in this place. No matter how short of a time we are here, we leave blessed from the experience that we have in this place in this community. Covenant Pines saw a glimpse of Shalom here this summer. We saw God in all his Glory as he gave us an idea of what he always intended for us. We saw it in the sunsets that took our breath away and got us excited and praising God for his beauty and the way he shows his love for us through that. We saw it in the staff as they learned how to work together to further God's kingdom, and we saw it in the campers as their eyes widened in wonder as they discovered all that God desires and has in-store for them, and their excitement as they surrendered to God's will and were able to tell the community they created here about their new attitude and life. God has blessed us this summer, and He has radically changed lives in ways we may never know. All Glory to Him forever. Thus I will close with this, May the deep peace of Christ sustian you and the strong arms of God strengthen you in every way. Shalom.

Wednesday and Thursday Senior High 2: In the middle

Wednesday after breakfast and cabin clean up was morning chapel, which is always a fun thing. The morning skits were still piratey, but had a little bit of sesame street fun thrown in there. Nemesis was still a nemesis by all means, but was more of an oscar the grouch character. It was good fun for the campers. After going to virtues, personald evotions and cabin time it was lunch. Wednesday lunch was at fireside lawn. Though the senoir high campers don't have a beach bash, we still have a cook out for them, as a fun time just to chill and eat hamburgers outside in the beauty of God's creation. From lunch till dinner was free time and though it seemed kind of long, the senior highers had no problem figuring out what to do with their time. After dinner was a little bit of a coffee shop time, and the campers got to hang out and listen to some music performed by two of our staff members and then they headed to chapel. In Chapel the speaker told us about the woman at the well and how glad she was at the Love of God despite the fact that he knew everything about her. And how God knows everything about us and loves us unconditionally, and that is why God sacrificed his son for us. At the end of chapel each of the campers was given a bottle of water, with which they could symbolize their new commitment to christ, or their refreshing commitment of the living water, or their continuing commitment, each of the three options included a prayer that the camper could say as they drank their water.

Then thursday rolled around and the campers got served breakfast in bed, which was nice for them to not have to get up and go to the dinning hall for their morning nutrition. Then it was the usual morning, cabin clean up, chapel (which was outside at the ampitheatre for a change of scenery and the skits were quite phenominal that day), virtues, personal devotions, cabin time and lunch. Then we played a game...Guerilla Warfare! Everybody was so excited as the campers got ambushed by the staff as they ran covered in mud through the ballfield and into the woods. The game proceeded with no injury and lots of fun, and then ended with a lot of very muddy people trying to clean off in the lake. It was free time for the rest of the afternoon and then after dinner a band came and played for us while the kids got to play in the water, and throw seaweed at eachother in harmless fun. Chapel followed and the speaker told us about our identity in christ, and how he made us exactly the way we are for a reason. The campers had a little bit more free time and then it was the drama and the campers learned about the similar characteristics between God and water. Then they went of to bed.

Tuesday Senoir High 2: Messy

The day started out bright and early for some, with a swim from the beach to the rope swing and back. The water was warmer thane xpected for most of the participants and a good start to the day. The day started for ther est of the campers at breakfast, which was biscuts and gravy. Once the campers had cleaned their cabins, they headed to chapel where they worshiped and then watched the morning skit (Which had little hints of star wars in it) and began following captain wood in eye, more n' more and leg up on their journey. Then the campers went to virtues. Virtues is a time where the campers learn more about one of four things, Self Control, Perserverance, Faith, and Love. By the end of the week all of the campers will have gone to all four of the virtues. After virtues was personal devotions time. The final activity of the morning was skills classes. Lunch was followed by a short k-bar and then an intense game of whip n' strip! The campers as well as the staff were so excited. Everybody played their hardest and by the time free time rolled around, we were all excited to relax a little bit. Dinner was next and consisted of some very tasty fajitas. Immediately after dinner was poweder puff football. It was a great game, all of the girls played their hearts out and it was fun for the campers to cheer on their peers. A short free time followed poweder puff and then it was time for chapel! After worship and the staff testimony, the speaker began. Tonight she told us about how life is messy, you cannot avoid mess in your life, but God' love for us so so great that he is willing to clean up that mess, and even look at us while we are in the midst of the mess and love us so very deeply despite the mess that we have found ourselves in. Fugivite was the 'last' event of the evening, then the campers headed back to their cabins for some devos. Oh but wait, there's more. A surprise game of midnight whip n' strip, three teams of campers and one game of staff, closed out the day on a very fun note!

Monday Senior High 2: Loud

Woo Hoo for Senior High 2! The staff were so excited for the campers to arrive this afternoon. When they finally did the energy never died down! The campers got off the bus and headed to the playground for introductions. Once they were split into their cabin groups they headed off to the sloppy jo lunch they all knew was awaiting them in the dinning hall. The campers enjoyed the lunch with their cabins and then headed to get their things, head to their cabins for the first time and get a little bit settled in. At 2:00 the siren was pulled and the camp met up on fireside lawn where we took the camp picture and heard about some safety rules. Once the campers were all educated on the ways to stay safe the fun part of the afternoon began, the orientation rotation. The boys headed out to the Low Ropes Course first to be challanged and over come obstacles as a cabin, and the girls did the orientation rotation first. Halfway through the afternoon they switched and the girls went to the low ropes course, and the boys went to the orientation rotation. By the time dinner rolled around everybody had taken the swim test, had a tour of camp, met the nurse, and grew closer together as a cabin. Dinner was lasanga, and then mail call followed dinner and Egg Man came to visit. When that was over it was cabin time, and though the cabins had already spent most of the day together, they were still excited about it, because they got to participate in so many different activities around camp. There was a short free time where the coffee shop was open, and then it was chapel. Worship was incredible. The campers sang with their whole hearts that made a beaufiul sound louder than any other camp has been this summer that was so energizing. The speaker challanged the campers that night to be in search of the king this week, on whatever level we are at, to puruse the King and what He has instore for us. After chapel it was evident that God was going to move powerfully among camp this week.

Friday Trailblazers 3: Chaos

The day was a fun last full day. It started out with flag raising, breakfast and some very creative last day cabin clean up. Then morning chapel. It was a great day and on top of that the skit was a musical skit. Improving the skit to songs such as the brady bunch theme song, and multiple disney songs, the pirates found the treasure and were given the option of the treasure of the nemeis or the treasure that is the search for the king. After chapel was the final skill time. The kids had such a blast getting to participate in activites in camp that aren't always offered during free time. By the time lunch rolled around the kids were ready to eat! They enjoyed some tasty chicken sandwiches and a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. K-Bar was restful which was good because it was followed by tube mania. Everybody was covered in mud and it was truly a blast! Free time was next and after all of the kids that were covered in the mud got washed off in the lake they got to enjoy whatever free time activities they wanted to participate in. The final dinner was italian dunkers and the kids gobbled them us because they were just so tasty! The Staff Skit/Improv show followed, and after every few skits, it was 'Chaos' time and the campers got to participate in skits/games. It was so much fun for the campers to see their fellow trailblazers on stage doing funny stuff. Chapel followed, and the campers had a wonderful time jumping up and down singing their favorite songs such as I Will Not Forget You. Then they listened to a staff member's testimony, where he talked about going God's way because God's way is the best way and if we go our way, it will never turn out as good as God's way. Then they listen to the speaker tell us about the fact that we have to love our neighbors, and love and forgive our enemies. Then we went to the bonfire and heaerd about all of the wonderful things that the campers learned this week and we as a staff got to share in that excitement with them, which concluded the last night of Trailblazers 3 with the joy and glory of the Lord surrounding us all.

Thursday Trailblazers 3: ID

With a nice cool morning the campers were able to wear long sleeves to the flag pole for flag raising and cast off. They were sent to breakfast and were able to enjoy breakfast sandwiches for their morning nutrition. Once their breakfast had been eaten and their cabins cleaned they headed to ampichapel. (Which means chapel at the ampitheatre by the lake) Having chapel outside is always a fun change of scenery for the campers. We sang a lot of fun songs, and got to see the next part of the story of Captain Wood in Eye. The campers then went back to their cabins to do personal devotions. Cabin time was the final activity of the morning and the cabins went all around camp to participate in the chosen activity and hang out with eachother. Lunch of corn dogs was followed by k-bar where all of the campers rested up for the afternoon ahead of them. After k-bar was the big game. It was Safari today and the kids had a blast catching all of the animals, and the lost boys, and running away from the pirates. Free time was the rest of the afternoon. Since it was kind of chilly the beach wasn't too busy, but there were still a lot of campers there and of course the craft hall, climbing tower, canteen, etc were all busy as well. Dinner was chicken and mashed potatoes, and mail call consisted of egg man, in which one staff member and one campers got egged. It was quite a show for all to see. Right after dinner was chapel and the campers learned about their identity in Christ, and how the more that we draw closer to God, the more we are filled with him, the more we become who he created us to be. After chapel was an evening game of pirate patrol, and then the drama. Through the drama the campers learned about a lot of different attributes of God such as God is essential, he cleanses, he is love, and he is Powerful. After the drama and cabin devotions the kids, tired from the exciting day, climbed into bed.

Wednesday Trailblazers 3: Trust

The day started out wonderfully. The campers woke up, went to rlag raising/cast off, and then to breakfast for some breakfast dogs. Once they were full the cleaned up their tables and headed to their cabins to do some cabin clean up. Chapel followed, and the kids got to continue hearing the story of captain wood in eye and his crew, and their fight against the nemesis as they puruse the treasure of the 'isla de vida.' Personal devotions were followed skills time. The campers had a blast at skills classes again. They love learning new things, and improving at the gifts and talents that God gave them. Lunch was at the beach as the campers got to enjoy let in led by pirate lifeguards. Unfortunately, shortly after lunch it began to rain. So the Beach Bash that was planned had to be cancled. However, the campers still had a lot of fun because we got to play some awesome games in the gym and then, once it stopped raining, in the ballfield. Once again, free time was after the 'beach bash' and fortunately, it had stopped raining long enough for the beach and the tower to open on time, so the campers had all of the fun activities to choose from to participate in. Dinner was next followed by mail call where the kids got to test their knoweldge of camp through a game called zooma where the campers are shown places or activities at camp, except for the pictures are zoomed in really close so they have to guess what the picture is of. The campers loved it. Find the fire was the evening game. The campers had to run around camp to different fires and find the fire that the 'treasure' was hidden at before they got caught. Chapel was the final activity of the evening. After some worship and verse review the speaker began his talk. Tonight he spoke of trust as how we can completely trust Christ with everything...with our lives. He compared it to tandem sky diving, with the fact that you have to trust the person who is skydiving with you with everything, just like we need to trust Jesus with everything, even things we don't think are that big of a deal, we can trust God with. It is through that trusting him with everything that he saves us from our sin and gives us eternal life!

Tuesday Trailblazers 3: Fugitive

Excitement was in the air as the first full day of Trailblazers 3 began. The campers headed out to the flag pole for some flag raising, the pledge of alligance and Cast Off, which is a morning devotional thought for the campers to ponder on through the day. They then headed to the dinning hall, Oak Ridge, for let in and their morning nutrition. From there they went to their cabins to do cabin clean up. Some of the cabins got really into it and cleaned their cabins to perfection and had a good amount of creativity as well. Once the cabins were cleaned the campers headed up to chapel where they got to enjoy some awesome worship and a skit, where they continued on the journey with Captain Wood in Eye, Leg Up, and More n' More. Personal devotions led into skills time, which the campers had a blast participating in. Lunch was next and the kids were ready for it. So they ate up some tasty food and then headed back to k-bar (Kick Back And Relax) in their cabins so they could rest up for the afternoon. Once k-bar was over and all the kids had put on their running shoes and grabbed a sock, they headed to the ball field for an awesome game of whip n' strip! It was so great and the campers got so into it as they pulled people's socks, and got the cones to their corner of the field. The rest of the afternoon was free time. All of the campers were excited about participating in all of the activities around camp, including, but not limited to, the climbing tower, the craft hall, and swimming at the beach. Dinner of hot dogs, and mac and cheese replensihed their energy supply for the rest of the evening. Cabin time was after mail call and the campers had a blast hanging out with their cabins again, and then chapel followed. With lots of songs, including some oldies, the kids had a blast singing. Then the staff member gave his testimony and spoke of how we should act the same at school, at home, and at church, and wherever else we are. Then the speaker told us about how sin is missing the mark, and that we all do sometimes sin, but God always forgives us of our sins. After chapel was fugivite, where characters such as lifeguards, mr. tumnus and the white witch, and ursula from the Little Mermaid showed up and were caught by campers. When the game ended the campers headed back to their cabins for devotions and lights out.