Week 1

How did I become so blessed to be apart of such an amazing place? I seriously thought I'd have more time to write during the week, but it was a crazy first week so it didn't happen like I wanted, so here is the highlights of the week. Monday morning you could just feel the excitement at camp as staff awaited the arrival of our first week of campers. As campers arrived, the excitement only grew. If you've never experienced Camper Arrival at Camp Spearhead just let me give you a glimpse; a camper pulls onto camp and is directed to pull up under an awning where counselors gather and wait for campers to arrive. As campers get out of their car, you'd think you were at a red carpet event with counselors being the paparazzi, yelling greetings and reaching for hugs. The cool part about this event is that we are not trained to respond to campers in this manner. It just happens naturally. One of the many things I love about camp. Later in the afternoon we had our weekly pool party- a big highlight at camp. we stuff about 100 people into a pool that almost can't hold that many people and have a BLAST! It wasn't long into the party that i was thrown into my first "incident". I looked over at a lifeguard stand only to see a female camper sitting on the concrete trying to undress herself and two of her counselors trying to keep her clothes on. I run over to the situation and begin getting the information about the problem. Come to find out the poor woman's home failed to send a bathing suit for her and though her counselors were fine with her swimming in her clothes, she just didn't fully understand. To her in order to go swimming you take off your clothes... just common sense. I sat behind the camper and began talking to her calmly and sweetly. I wasn't sure she was hearing me since she was still yelling at her counselors. After what felt like 20 min (in reality it was probably only 5) I asked her counselors to let go of her. They looked at me like i was crazy but I asked them to trust me. They did and almost immediately the camper merely adjusted her waist band and put her shirt back on. She wanted nothing to do with her counselors so I asked them to walk away. I began talking with the woman and encouraged her to jump in so she did. It was so funny to watch her laugh over the fact that she was in the pool with her clothes on! She had a blast after that. I thank the Lord the event didn't get any worse than it did. Later in the week this camper found an empty wheelchair and deemed it hers. It was hysterical to watch her the rest of the week insisting on wheeling herself around everywhere but yet insisting on being independent. She didn't want any help from anyone. Randomly tough her counselors or I would find her getting out of the chair and dancing to some music or walking across a room to retrieve something she wanted. One morning her counselor asked me to check on her since she had been in the bathroom a while. I walked in and called her name but received no response. Called her several times and at no response I knew I would have to peak into the stall. I don't like doing that kind of thing because I like giving campers as much personal privacy as I can. But i had to know what was taking so long and why i wasn't getting a response.I looked in, and found the woman chugging milk!!! I about rolled on the floor from laughing so hard. She then stuffed the carton in the little trashcan in the stall and proceeded to exit the stall. It was so hilarious. I fell in love with her this week!

Tuesday went pretty well full day of programs from Tie-Dying to Dance Class to Clown Shows. 

Wednesday pretty much the same until that night when another camper became distressed and began threatening her counselors and cursing. I happened to be in the cabin making a nightly round to ensure all was well when she began. We eventually had to remove her from the cabin and to another building. In the end the camper, her counselor, and I spent the night in the Med Tech office on the hospital beds to make sure she had fully calmed down and that everyone would get some sleep. She didn't fall asleep until close to midnight, her counselor and I not too far behind that. Out of pure nature her counselor and I woke up every hour just to make sure all was still well. Let's just say I had 2 cups of coffee the next morning. But we never had an incident with that the rest of the week. 

Thursday dawned bright and beautiful. Everyone excited about the highlight of the evening: Talent Show. What a Talent Show it was. If you've never been to a Spearhead Talent Show, please let me encourage you to join us one Thursday night at 7:30. You won't regret it let me assure you. I love giving campers time on stage to do their own thing and hearing ear piercing cheers from their peers and loved ones. I love being apart of this place. Even through its ups and downs, this week was truly Paradise.