Week 2

This week most everything was pretty much the same in the structure of camp but with different and even new campers. Two of our new campers this week were two young girls with autism. Their counselors were amazing and took both girls in and loved them both with all of their hearts. I'm so proud of how those counselors handled their week. One girl, Lindsey was very very sweet and happy all the time and very energetic. The other, Lauren, was more the "typical" autistic girl you kinda expect to see. Repetitive in her speech, if she didn't like something you said be prepared for a slap or hit, or even bite. Her counselors walked away from the week with a few scratches and maybe a couple of hits that left their heads spinning a little. But still, nothing could shake their love for her and their drive to want to help her.  On Tuesday we took them up to the Challenge course we have at camp. It consists of two zip lines, rock climbing tower and another tower to climb up to get to the zip lines. We had no idea if one or either of these girls would even attempt to climb, but it was worth a try. I went up with Lindsey to take pictures and see how she did; she began to climb what we call the "Taco Net"... (Because it’s a net that looks like a taco shell). With the patient kind soft voice of her counselor directly behind her and my reassurance from the outside of the taco net Lindsey began to climb. Five steps forward two steps back. Five steps forward, two steps back. I continually encouraged and coached from the ground as she climbed and as she listened to her counselor. I cried as I took pictures, knowing this was not exactly what I had expected. Though Lindsey is generally very obedient, I wasn't sure she'd do what we were asking her to do. Unfortunately I was not there to witness Lauren climb, but when it came time for her to climb; she took to the net like a spider to a web. She climbed the net in no time hooked up to zip line and was back down in no time, all the while continuing to talk about going to see "Mousie"... the mouse at Chuck E Cheese her favorite place on the planet. I was amazed to hear how far she had gone and done.

The next day I was hanging out with another one of the girl cabins. Their activity for the afternoon was riding bobcats- outdoor terrain vehicles. (Favorites at camp) I hopped on with one of their campers and off we went into the woods. We went up and down hills hit a few bumps but we were enjoying every minute of the ride. On the way back the camper I was with began saying things like; “Let’s just get through this rough patch and everything will be alright.” She wasn’t scared, just stating facts. I listened to her and began really thinking through what she had said. How often do we hit “rough patches” in our lives and yet do not look at them as if they will soon be over- we just have to get through them. At times we walk around with a “woe is me” attitude because life isn’t how we wanted it to be. Yet here is one of my campers putting me to shame because she has a better outlook than I do. Let’s just say I’m improving my attitude from day to day now.

Thursday night a camper was praying over our meal, and said “Thank you for Camp Spearhead and for a place for people to come if they don’t have a family or feel like they don’t have one. Amen.” This was said by my sweet friend Dhiren. Dhiren is one of my all-time buddies at camp. He calls me his “Narly Cool BFF.” He gives the best hugs I’ve ever received in my life. They are literally suffocating, but I tell you what, they are so nice when you just need a pick me up. I love having him at camp and I love his outlook about camp. He just lost his mom last November and his dad has also passed away. His life over the last few months has been rough I’m sure. But it doesn’t stop his positive attitude and great bear hugs. I can tell when I talked to him that he still hurts about his mother’s death but what an encouragement he was to me when he thanked God for a camp like Camp Spearhead.

Every day, my co-lead, Eddie and I do what’s called Cabin Clean Up. We go around and score each cabin on cleanliness but also on creativity. I had the biggest laugh on Thursday morning when I walked in a cabin to find myself on a scavenger hunt. The theme for the scavenger hunt went along with the theme our Administrators gave us during staff training week- Always being 212 degrees. Water boils at 212 and we are encouraged to keep enough energy going to be 212 at all times-giving it all we have. If you’re at 211, you’re not quite there yet, but at 212 so many things can happen at the boiling point. So I was sent on a scavenger hunt through this “212 cabin” at the end of the scavenger hunt, this is what I found:

On the back the door this is what they said. 

Needless to say, they received full points that day.

Other cabins left me sweet notes throughout the week on mirrors or on the countertop to let me know they loved me. Checking cabins have become a very fun activity for me.

I realized over and over again this week why we are at camp. Why we do what we do. We push and encourage our campers beyond what we expect possible- such as helping them climb towers, be there for them if they need a place that feels like family. This is why we do what we do. We love them so unconditionally and want to hand them the world. And I think in some small way we do. We let them win battles that sometimes they are never given the chance to even try to fight. I love my job. I love what I do. This is my summer in paradise.