My Baby Girl Goes to Camp

Each year our kids participate in a youth group called Awana. They have an opportunity to have most of their way paid to camp in the summer if they finish a handbook.

So far my kids have finished a handbook a year or one and a half in a year if they didn't finish a handbook the previous year. In other words they are caught up with their studies and have been eligable to go to camp.

My son went once and decided it wasn't for him. My daughter went once and said she didn't want to go again, but changed her mind and went this year.

This year the camp was held further away than in past years. They are at the Cedar Springs facility just over an hour from our home.

There are horses, trails, a pool, a giant swing, putt putt golf, a huge chapel and multipurpose room and much more.

Here is my hubby getting ready to check my daughter and her friend, JM from our ocean trip, in for the camp. It was very HOT again! I felt bad for my daughter. She's feeling under the weather (nothing serious) and she had decided a few days before camp that she didn't want to go. What's a mom to do?

We cannot afford to send her, she earned the scholarship to go and I just couldn't let her chicken out and the church lose that money. It was hard to leave her there, but I know she'll be okay. She had two friends there, two other girls in her cabin that were in her cabin last year and three adult leaders from our church were there.

Here's my son chatting with a boy from our church who was attending the camp. He and his mom took us Letterboxing for the first time this year.

The counselor is checking JM and H (my daughter) in to their cabin. Their counselor has grown up in Awana and is now a high school graduate. She's brilliant at Bible Quizzing. This is how I know her. I've watched her Quiz for several years. A great influence for my H.

After this, H came out and pleaded with me to go home. I felt awful, but I talked to her a bit and she put on her "I'll do this, but I'm hating it" face. We walked around a little and her other friend, C, arrived. This is her friend since the first year of Awana when they were three years old. C laughs at all of H's jokes and helps her cheer up. C is very patient and caring. I'm glad she is in H's cabin. With JM and C, H will be fine. Friends are great.

Here's JM, C and H with C's dad behind them doing what dad's do. H is giving the thumbs up here so hopefully that means she's okay.

Here they are on their bunks. H looks okay, but she was almost tearing up here. She has her drawings with her and plans to spend some of her free time drawing.

Pray for all of the campers and the leadership. They will be at camp for eight days and seven nights. Please pray that these kids and counselors will be blessed and be a blessing to those around them. I pray that the Lord will be speaking to each one there and these kids will clearly hear His word for them.