When the time came for applications for this years camp, I was hesitant. I have been a camper for two years and this year I was eighteen and had to be a counsellor if I wanted to come to camp. I wanted badly to come and I wanted to be a counsellor but I wasn't sure if I was capable.
I sent an email to Mrs Fox: Hey Wendy! How are you going? I'm sure you must be very busy getting ready for camp. I can't wait. I hope I decide to come! lol It's just that I'll be a counsellor this year and thats kinda scary.
She replied: Hi Katlyn Yes, you are right - camp is looming up and things will just get busier from here on in. Oh, do please come as a counsellor - it's not that scary, especially since we would put you with someone who now knows the ropes a bit. It would be fun and the experience is invaluable so I shall expect to receive your application soon :)
And so I went... Allot happened between that email and camp but my excitement grew and grew during that period. My parents were heavily involved in this year's camp, the venue only being about 1 hour from our places and as the time drew nearer and nearer, all our family could talk about was Do and Dare.
Finally the 3rd of January arrived, the day before camp. I had so much to do in that day! My main project was to get my TAFE course finished and all my assignments handed in so that I could go to camp. At about 11pm, this was accomplished however the internet wasn't working to up-load them to hand them in so I had to go to bed without doing that.
Wednesday the 4th I was up early, packing. Past-the-knee skirts, a few T-shirts, my bible... the list went on. When I was finished, Mum and Dave (also a counsellor) were packing the car and I jumped online for a last glance at the email. Then we were off.
Our original plan was to go to town first and buy the ingredients necessary for the counsellor training cooking and then go down to Lake Ekala Nurra but once all our luggage and some bulk foods from our house was all loaded into the car, there was absolutely no room for anything else. So we went straight to Lake Ekala Nurra. When we arrived, Wendy and Emmanuel come to meet us and showed us to the kitchen where we unloaded all our stuff. After all the kitchen stuff was unloaded, Wendy, Kara and I walked over towards the dormitories where us girls were going to be staying. As we wandered along chatting, I felt an arm flung over my shoulder and there between us was Stephanie. Now I really felt like I was at camp!
Once the car was emptied of everything, Mum, Dave and I went back up to Port Macquarie, a short drive of about 30 minutes. Here they dropped me off at McDonalds :) to make good use of their free wireless internet by uploading my TAFE assignments and emailing a few people, then I joined them in Woolies to finish of that shopping.
After Woolies was Grower's Market. That was fun. Mum had a massive list and while she directed the staff at Grower's what bulk fruit and veggies she wanted, Dave and I ran around and grabbed items that she wanted just a little bit of. The car was chokers again by the time we headed south again.
When we got back, we went straight to the kitchen again to unload - again, then we looked around for friends. All most at once we spotted Josh! How wonderful it was to see him again! We chatted for a while and said hello to the Bundy Boys: James, Nathaneal and Ezra before heading back to the kitchen to help Mum cook tea and breaky for the next day.
At 5:30, Mr Fox lead out in some fun icebreaker games before we sat down to a yummy tea. Then Mrs Evert lead out in the evening meeting, the first of many counsellor training meetings.
By the time we switched out the lights, I was tired but very happy. At last I was at camp!
The days of training flew by like a cyclone. Thursday we began on something of a camp schedule and began activities like line call and exercises and the head counsellors also introduced us to Room Inspection principles.
I'm not really sure what we learnt on what day but I do know that we learnt allot in those few days. Friday, we spent time with our head counsellors, guys in one location and us girls had a very special 'girl chat' before we got ready for Sabbath. Friday night, we were told who our counsellor partners were and who our campers where. This was really exciting and it was a wonderful feeling to be able to take out the list and pray for each of our campers individually, by name.
Sabbath was a special time with more training and learning and then in the afternoon we took a progressive walk where we shared why we were at camp and what we hoped to accomplish while we were there. We also discussed some possible scenarios that we might come up against during camp and how we could solve them. Then we watched a funny yet very educational (for want of a better word) DVD call The Pineapple Story.
Sunday morning went past in a rush. We had lot of cleaning and organising to do and when the campers started arriving at 2pm, I only felt mildly ready... I knew I was gonna need allot of help from our Great Counsellor. Us counsellors waited excitedly, anxiously at the end of the long line of tables and watched as the campers slowly made our way towards us. One by one as they came through, either Leisa (my co-counsellor) or I would greet each girl and help them get their stuff and move into their room and settle in. Then we would take them back to wait for then next member of our unit to arrive.
The next seven days were a wonderful challenge and blessing for me. Being responsible for 8 lively, lovely young girls, each with their own character, personality and challenges, was a big job. I had to learn to be very patient and try to keep the faster ones back with the slower ones and the slower ones up with the faster ones. This week taught me to rely on God!
One of the most precious things was seeing our 8 girls become a group, become sisters. In just a few days, there were girls in our unit that were best friends who had never even heard of each other before. It was also rewarding to become friends with the girls ourselves. Getting 20 odd 'free hugs' two or three times a day and having them come and snuggle up to you at camp fire was just so special. It was a blessing to me, it made me feel useful and wanted.
During the day the girls and us would all separate and attend a few different classes and at the end of the day it was fun to share what classes we had been in and what we had made and done.
I think one of the most rewarding times however was testimony time on Sabbath Night. Watching and listening to kids share how God had blessed them and what commitments they were making was an awesome blessing and made my week feel worth-while.
I am so thankful to God that he allowed me to be used as his vessel to help these kids and yes Wendy, I'll be back!
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