trail blazers 2, part 2, july 27-august 1

I'm not going to lie (as Becca would say); this has been a RIDICULOUSLY fun week of camp.

We dressed like rainbows one night and hippies another, we wore our pajamas to breakfast with the most spectacular bed head possible, we lived an entire day in reverse, we brought back Customs Conflict, we heard great stories about Marty and Gerard, we played jug 'n jog and drip drip drop and the animal game and about a hundred other things. We ziplined and trail-rode and egg-dropped and paddled and so, so many other things. Here are a couple more photos so you can imagine you were here ...

trail blazers 2, part 1, july 27-august 1

it's trail blazers 2!

monday dinner was ninja night.
cabin eight represents (left), nicole is a red ninja (right)




also, we played jug 'n jog on monday night, because that's what we do.

bribing the designated medical personnel. (explorers&sparks 1, part 3, july 20-25)

So, one of the many roles filled by Camp Evergreen's Designated Medical Personnel (formerly known as the Camp Nurse) is that of cabin checker. Celeste, our DMP for the summer, regularly receives bribes from the cabins who really, really want to win cleanest cabin -- and it is an important contest, because the cleanest cabins get to go first in the food lines at meals and the cabin with the highest total score at the end of the week gets a prize.

Earlier this week, Cabin 10 left the above note for Celeste, with some super tasty breathmints attached to it by masking tape. It's hard to see in the picture, but there was also a big wet splotch on Celeste's name, because the poster had been left on a pair of soaking wet socks. Yum!

explorers&sparks 1, part 2, july 20-25

Trenton and Ben, our A/V technicians extraordinaire, have been taking sweet photos of all the ridiculously adorable Explorers (going into grades 3 and 4) and Sparkies (going into grades 1 and 2) who are at camp right now, and I have to share some of them with you now! When I was on the program team in 1999 and 2000, I would beg to be a cabin leader for Sparkie week because they are so very cute.

We're in the midst of a scorcher of a week; it's so hot here! We have a staffer driving around in the gator this afternoon delivering water to the thirsty souls at play and we've been bathing in sunscreen. But the heat doesn't stop the fun!

Heading to tuck


Selecting tuck is very serious business


Friends!


Wall climbing


And some canoeing racing relaxing splashing fun to combat the heat!

just prayed! (explorers&sparks 1, part 1, july 20-25)

This morning at Blue Cows*, one of our eight-year-old Explorer campers prayed the following prayer, which is amazing and funny and so very spot on ...

"God, please help us not to overdo it. We are littering too much and also help us not to wear down all the mountains or cut down all the trees or use up all the mountains for cement. But thank you that there were enough trees to make this camp and the activities so that we can do them and be here. And thank you that you made us to breathe. Help us to take care of your earth and help us not to overdo it. Amen."


* Blue Cows = morning chapel.

ignite 1, july 13-18

Ignite is junior high camp, and this is a belated post about last week's Ignite camp.

Randy Carter was our speaker and he was full of great stories about breaking a water bed (and how the Bible is God's instruction manual for our lives), barnyard noise making (and how God made each of us intentionally and wonderfully ... regardless of whether we possess the golden coins of smarts, athleticism and beauty), and the right and wrong ways to use a medical glove (and how God wants to make our paths straight).

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

Campers, do you have other memories to share? Send us a comment!

climbing wall

zip line (left), cargo net (right)

leap of faith


praying for dinner (left), nutty kids in engineering (right)

jug 'n jog and mustaches

trail blazers 1, july 6-11

Summer camp is underway! We've just said good-bye to 82 grade 5-6 kids who were here all week -- and it was a great week! We had fairly significant amount of rain, but definitely not enough to prevent us from having tonnes of fun. (And really, who can complain about rain when there's also drought within our province? We are thankful for God's provision.)

Our speaker this week was J Janzen, which was pretty cool for me because waaay back when, when I was a cabin leader, J worked here as the Assistant Program Director. J's an amazing story teller, and he talked about how God created each one of us with a purpose.

Highlights this week include Collectors' Choice in the Activity Centre, the Animal Game, ziplining and sneak out nights. And, of course, Jug 'n Jog. I haven't seen Jug 'n Jog in a while and was surprised to discover that we know play with a safe zone in the middle instead just one middle line. It's good to let things evolve though.

This morning at breakfast, I had a conversation with one of the funniest campers we have here this week (or ever). This probably doesn't really capture what a

Kerry: So, how are you liking your cabin leaders? Are you having fun?
Camper: Yeah, they're great, but I can see that Ben has really changed since last year.
Kerry: What do you mean by that?
Camper: Well, his voice has changed.

We also had a pretty sweet moment in chapel last night: Jenny invited the kids to pray if they wanted to, and she said, "if you want to pray, just stand up on your bench and pray real loud!" And so one boy quickly jumped up on his bench and just hollered super loud. Everyone was startled and a little confused, so Jenny walked over to him, and gently asked, "what are you doing?" The camper replied, "You said to stand up and cheer real loud!" He was a really good sport about it ... in fact, I can imagine him being back as staff in six years or so.

Jug 'n Jog

Alex is saying, "seriously, Kerry? do you have to take pictures right now? I'm trying to concentrate on this sweet game of Jug 'n Jog. I'm even wearing a special Jug 'n Jog jersey."
Bradley is saying, "Yes! I'm going to be blogged! Yes! I love Camp Evergreen! I love my life! I love Jug 'n Jog! I love it I love it I love it!"

Collectors' Choice - Hula Hooping Challenge

Chapel - Everybody Jump, Now!

Some Archery Action

Engineering
Every time I've seen the Engineering kids this week, they've been so excited about the projects Katie has for them. They were tossing eggs of the balcony of the lodge today -- the boys' egg survived its fall; the girls' egg did not.



Canoeing Fun
Even when the weather's less than hot, you still have to get some good splashing in! Traffic jams are also a critical part of the canoeing experience at Camp Evergreen.

family camp, july 3-5

I'm so behind in posting! We had our first family camp from July 3-5, and it was a good weekend! Our speaker was Russell Sanche, who works with YWAM Calgary. We had decent weather (or as several of our staff might say, "it was dece, the weather was dece." And everyone had a sweet time! We canoed and ziplined, we trail rode and coloured, we arched and ate. We also had a very special visit from Ethel and Lucy, who led a riotous and lengthy round of The Very Wed Game. That and Yodel 'n Hum are the only parts of the weekend I have pictures of (sorry!). See below!

Yodel 'n Hum

Erin, Jesse and Jasper leading Yodel 'n Hum at the Fire Ring 'of Fun.
Sawyer being his usual, adorable self.

The Very Wed Game
Lucy (left) and Ethel (right), posing in preparation for The Very Wed Game.
Our very good-humoured The Very Wed Game contestants (with special congratulations to Team Too Cool).

PS. If you want to join us for more of the same kind of fun, check out our August 28-30 Family Gathering.

flour fairies, QUAD buffs

Recently, we've received some really sweet donations. One of our Medicine Hat friends, John (who will be speaking at the August 28-30 Family Camp), has been sending loads and loads of whole wheat flour our way, delivered with love by Peter and Elfrieda. Thank you, all! Peter and Elfrieda's minivan was weighed down with about 1400lbs of flour in the delivery pictured below (plus many, many boxes of Triscuits, which the staff have been snacking on for the last several weeks).

We also had a multiple room trailer donated to us at the beginning of May -- our male spring staff lived in it during May and June and male support staff will be living in it throughout the summer. We've been so thankful for the extra beds it has afforded us! I have a couple pictures of the moving in process to post below. My favourite is the one of Dave, Rolf, Cody, Jyle and Vince discussing their next move while gesturing all at once. I love it. The trailer -- which Courtney has taken to calling the QUAD -- is now nestled in the trees between the lovely RV sites and the basketball/hockey pad.