Base Camp 2017

Expectations.  We all have them about really most things.  Coming into this week, what did you expect Base Camp 2015: Joshua would be like?  Did you think it would be fun or boring as you were only coming because mom said that you had to?  Either way, we hope that what you experienced this week was better than you every could have expected.  We hope you had fun, learned a lot, made friends, and just had a blast talking about God.  I know that when staff got together at the end of each evening that our expectations were more than met.  We just had a terrific group of campers.  You all listened well, got into the drama, sang your hearts out, played hard, and with your thoughtful questions and answers, you showed us that you were really thinking about the things we were learning.  We hope that you will continue to think about them too!

So, speaking of expectations, what did your parents think of our Family Fun night?  Did you have to fill them in on some of the drama?  While we all knew what was going on, I am guessing that some of them wondered about it all.  Any thoughts about what Pastor Craig shared with us?  It is pretty important stuff.  I know we’ve hit on parts of it all this week, but Pastor Craig really touched on what God wants for us.

Right back to Adam and Eve, what God wanted was to have a relationship with them, to be able to fellowship.  I think He really did care about those things Pastor Craig mentioned – like the new fruit they discovered and what they named each of the animals.  God still wants that kind of fellowship with us today.  He wants to be part of every part of our lives.  Did you catch why God sent Adam and Eve away?  They were disobedient and sinned.  He still took care of them and gave them things like clothes, but it really couldn’t be the same.  God is holy and righteous.  He can’t tolerate sin, and it keeps us away from Him.  Even then God knew the only way we could be made right is through the sacrifice and blood of Christ Jesus.  It was way back with Adam and Eve that He set things in motion so that at just the perfect time, Christ Jesus would come and make things right.  All along the way, God continued to show His love, grace, and mercy.  Do you remember some of the ways He showed His faithfulness to His people, the Israelites, and even to foreigners like Rahab?  God would love us all to be made right with Him, but when He made us, He chose to give us free will.  He lets us choose to accept the ultimate sacrifice or not.  God doesn’t force us but would much rather have us as His children than be separated from Him by sin.  It can be a lot to think about.  If you have questions, all you need to do ask.

As you probably ‘expected’ from the flyer and announcements, our evening ended with food and fun.  Below are just some of the highlights.  It think sliding was a real blast for most of you!

I mentioned the other day that things don’t always go as planned.  I just didn’t think I would be experiencing it so literally Sunday night.  The goal is to recap some of our Base Camp events each night, but the storm left me without internet.  It is really hard to post without it!  As we go with the flow, we’ll try to hit a few highlights from two nights in one!  (From a different perspective, no internet meant more time to sleep!)

What do you think of the start of Base Camp 2015: Joshua?  Did anyone get zapped by the metal detectors as we headed in for singing time?  I saw a few leaders get beeped as they tried to carry things like metal keys through the detectors!  You would think that they would know better.

Singing and worship time is always such a fun way to start as well as end our evenings.  Do you have a favorite song?  Can you tell your family what verse we are learning as we sing?

Well, now we are two nights into learning about the agents of the International Intelligence Agency (IIA) and their counterparts of the Evil Spy People Network (ESPN).  Our secret agents seem to have their hands full with Katia and Boris Badguyinov, not to mention with their own Agent Nigel Hawkes.  Now that the IIA has used the truth serum on the spies, what do you think their next step will be?  Do you think you would ever like to take a truth serum?  I sure felt sorry for Boris when he confessed how mean his sister, Katia, can be to him.

Learning about these spies is really nothing compared to what we have been learning about Joshua and the Israelites.  Did you realize that there were real, live spies in the Bible?  Do you remember what happened when God brought His people to the Promised Land, and they sent spies to look at the land?

If you were in Mr. Dilly’s group, you probably learned that he can do quite a verbal impression of Rahab!  More importantly, though, we talked about how the Israelites let fear get in the way of taking what God had promised them.  All the spies except Joshua and Caleb came back and told the Israelites that there was NO WAY this was going to work.  Joshua and Caleb, though, remembered how God had already provided for them and trusted Him to do what He said He would.  They saw things differently.  Unfortunately, God was pretty frustrated with the Israelites, and there was a consequence to not believing.  Do you remember what it was?  Do think it was fair?  Sometimes when we get in trouble, we don’t think being disciplined is fair, and I bet the Israelites didn’t like it either.  The amazing thing Mr. Dilly reminded us about, though, is that OUR GOD is a GOD of second chances!  Just because we goof up, He doesn’t throw in the towel on us.  In fact, just like with the Israelites, He continues to care and provide for us even when we are being disciplined.  God doesn’t discipline just so He can be the boss.  God disciplines to teach us what we need to know.

Today our youngest campers picked up the story with Miss Shirley as they learned how the Israelites finally trusted God and went into the Promised Land.  They finally saw that God is bigger than any obstacle we might see with our own eyes.  He is bigger than all our fear!  I loved the picture Miss Shirley told us about when they went to cross the river.  Do you remember what went first?  The Arc of the Covenant because they were to remember to always follow God.  In the same way, they followed the Arc of the Covenant as they followed God’s directions and marched around Jericho.  If you were in Miss Shirley’s group, can you share with your family what you did to show this and tell them what happened next?

While there is so much more to tell, it is getting late, so I need to go to bed.  We’ll catch up on more tomorrow, but until then, here are a few more pictures!

 

 

I know I said it before, but Base Camp is one of the best times of the YEAR and starts tomorrow!  We are so excited and can’t wait for you to join us!  Whether you’re a camper or staff, you never know what to expect.  Some things go as planned while other times things need a little adjusting, but it doesn’t matter as long as we are learning what God has in store for us.  Do you know that it can be different things for different people?  Some of you probably already know a lot about Joshua.  Some others may just think of their cousin or friend when they hear the name Joshua.  No matter who you are, I am betting God has something new to show each of us (campers and staff alike!).  We just need to keep an open mind and heart.  Sometimes it is our willingness to listen and learn that makes all the difference.  I hope you’ll bring a willing heart when you come and that continue to ask your friends to join us.  Especially if they don’t know anyone else or don’t know much about the Bible, they may need to be asked more than once to give it a try.

Okay, so as we try to keep are mind and heart open, maybe seeing something we’ve never seen or realized was there before, I want you to take a look at this picture.  What do you think it is?

If I didn’t know the secret, my first guess would be some sort of maze, and maybe it is.  I honestly didn’t try to work my way through it!  There is actually a secret word in it.  Can you see it?  You may need to look at it in different ways to figure it out, but it says JESUS.  Now that I told you, is it easier to see?  Maybe just having a clue that a word was there helped you see it.  If you don’t see it, don’t worry.  Sometimes it takes a while to piece things together.  Of course, for our youngest campers, it would also help if we all could read.  You’ll get that down the road, though, too!

Speaking of things to get, have you figured out where CJ has been?  She actually just got home this morning and gave me a few more clues.  These will probably be the last so you may need to think about them all to put it together.

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No pictures for these clues:

4) This state is not connected to any other state but is connected to another country.

5) This place became our 49th state in 1959.

Whether we figure out where CJ has been or not, I hope it has been fun thinking about it.  I am really glad she is back.  I haven’t seen her in a long time!

Hope you get lots of rest tonight and geared up for the start of Base Camp 2015: Joshua!  See there!

A few days ago I challenged you to think of things which help you when something feels too big.  Were you able to share some of your thoughts with family or friends?  Did they tell you what helps them?  It can be very helpful hearing what helps others as well as remembering how you’ve done other things that felt too big.

Have you every heard of tying a piece of string on your finger so that you won’t forget something?  The problem is that the string might remind you not to forget something, but not tell you what that thing is!  We’ve come a long way since tying strings on fingers.  I think we are more likely to type reminders in our iPods and phones!

Remembering is something that God thinks is important too.  In Deuteronomy 4:9 God tells the Israelites “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen.  Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.”(NLT)  God knows how easy it is to forget things, even important things.  The Israelites knew the past with Noah and the Ark. They knew how God helped Abraham.  They knew they were only there because God rescued them from Pharoah.  He parted the Red Sea for them!  Still people are people, and it is easy to forget when something you face feels big again.  It’s even easy to forget why you aren’t suppose to do small things!  God wants us to know who He is and what He has done.  God wants us to know why He commands things.  God wants us to know that we are not alone.  When you’re alone, it is easy to be scared.  When you are with others, you can be encouraged and learn from one another.

Can you think of ways to encourage one another?  Things you can share to show others how you faced or learned something that was hard?  While the Israelites had BIG things to remember, little things count too.  Maybe, something you say will help someone else.  Is your little brother afraid of jumping in a pool?  Can you tell him what helped you to learn to do it?  Can you remind him that dad is going to be right there to catch him?

“Remember to Remember to Remember” was a point made at a camp I attended.  It seems like an awful lot remembering, but remembering is that important.  Remembering helps us know where we’ve been as well as what God has promised for the future.  This coming week we are going to learn more about the Israelites.  Even after God commands them to remember, do you think they do?

Speaking of remembering, here are some final photo clues to where CJ is.  All of these she has experienced in the last few weeks.

 

And, do you ever have to go to bed when it is dark out?  If you were with CJ, you wouldn’t have to!  This time of year the sun never sets there.

REMEMBER:  It’s not too late to invite your friends to join us for Base Camp 2015: Joshua!