Joy.

So camp was last week. This marked my tenth year of JOY camp, I counted, which makes me feel kind of old. Everything was much as it has been in previous summers- late registrations, last-minute scrambles to get transportation worked out, trying to minimize conflict with strategic camper grouping. And once I got there, with all the new names to learn, the heat, the countless mosquito bites, the homesick campers, the camper quarrels, the many chases after the upset runner- it was immensely refreshing.



Yes. Refreshing.

Why?

God does cool stuff at camp. And God does it through a community. Paige and Cherie came with me this year for the first time, and it was so nice to share this experience with them. We assisted the inpost coordinator, so we got to support each pair of counselors on a daily basis. We talked through individual camper troubles, spent time with groups, and encouraged counselors with devos in the morning. We watched as counselors patiently modeled for campers what good conflict resolution looks like, what it looks like to turn to God with problems, what it looks like to stay positive and work as part of a team. At no point was anyone a lone ranger.  Sometimes as an individual classroom teacher, or even sometimes as a solo VBS traveler, I forget this- that it is a powerful feeling to be part of a community, a support network, a group of people doing the same thing you're doing, ready and happy to step in to help at any time.

A first-time camper gets her hands dirty.

It was also refreshing because of things like this:

• The high school boy who saw a little girl struggling to take her broken chair down from the table. He took it down, fixed it, and made sure to sit in it before she did to make sure it was ok. 
• The junior staff member who offered a crying child her shirt sleeve as a hanky. 
• My first canoe experience, paddled by two girls who were also out on their first canoe experience. It was an excellent distraction from one girl's homesickness. 
• The next day, having that same homesick girl announce that she wanted to stay until the end- and then climb to the top of the rock wall. 
• The sight of campers going down to pray with counselors at outdoor chapel.
• Oh so many moments of just looking up through the trees and hearing the birds sing. 
• A counselor I'd had when I was a camper coming to give the Easter message, reminding us that the worst thing is not the last thing. 

Naps were also refreshing.