Camp Ghormley

Scrolling thru my un-published blogs I saw this one and thought I should post it..finally. Enjoy. :)

********************************************************

Summer Camp. Camp Ghormley. SC08. The highlight of every youth staffers' summer. This year was no exception. This was the first time that Josh was able to attend, and what an amazing year to go.

Each year has been just THAT much better. Better messages. Better worship. Better staff. Better games. Better food. Better weather.

The ever transforming four days started off with the most organized check in process you'll ever witness. SO many parents kept jokingly ask "what happened to the good old days when you'd just pile all the duffel's and sleeping bags and load up and go?" Oh no. Not this year. SC08 had greeters, luggage tags, segregated lines, hand stamps, bus assignments and even luggage delivery. All the campers bags were delivered to the appropriate cabins when they arrived at camp. Oh yes my friends.....OCD heaven. It was amazing.


Three buses, a few staff vehicles, two church vans, and one Uhaul later--we left off ON TIME and started up the mountain. We always make one stop on the 3.5 hour trek in Packwood for a much needed potty stop, snacks and fresh air. Since the poor gas station quick mart only allows fifteen students in at a time, it's not a very "quick" stop. And you'll usually find most of the staffers trying to limit the amount of Monster, Red Bull and other caffeine drinks the jr. high boys buy....can you imagine?? Their limit is usually two a day. SICK.

Once we arrive up at Camp Ghormley Meadows and head right to Evergreen Hall for cabin assignments and announcements. Then it's dinner time. Always great food. Always loud. ALWAYS sweaty hot.

SC07 was the most amazing camp of my life. (Sorry Firwood 97) But it was one of the first times our students didn't see age, gender, grade or click--we just were. High School guys were cheering on Middle School guys. High fives happened all over the place. Cabins were RACING to help out. Relay members were waiting for their teammates to finish. It still moves me to tears thinking about the last leg of the relay...it was tough to figure out who was first and who was last because everyone was just cheering, hugging and screaming. It was amazing. Ah. Chills.

This year was really similar to that. We again had an Olympics theme; each cabin was a different country complete with flags, country cheers/chants, rivalries and some sort of uniform, outfit or face paint. Every day there are team games. Awesome games. Christy Briggs, a fellow staffer, was the brains behind all of the team games and she's amazing. Crazy organized, bossy and AMAZING. SC08 was history making because this was the first time we took an additional 7 staffers to be ONLY Rec Staff. What a difference that made because it took the pressure off of the Cabin Leaders of having to play both roles--so Cabin Leaders had WAY more time to be intentional with the students.

The messages were so challenging this year. And the worship music was unreal. To watch these students of ours be totally sold out for Christ and just being themselves is the BEST thing EVER. The culture has changed and it's amazing. I wish everyone could experience camp the way our students do.

I was so proud of myself this year for being MUCH more bold with my students than I have in the past. Authentic. But bold and intentional. Making sure I knew exactly where my girls were in their walks before we left that mountain.


Josh was INCREDIBLE. I knew he would be....but he blew my socks off. By the end of camp he had a few boys following him around asking him all kinds of questions about his job, his cars, his video games, his walk....everything. It was the neatest thing. Josh has some really amazing stories to tell--so ask him when you see him. God did some unbelievable things in and thru Josh at SC08. God is so good. And SO faithful.


Josh's cabin was the ONLY cabin to win 2 gold medals. They won for Skill as well as in Sportsmanship. Which is NOT an easy category for jr. high boys....they like to win and HATE to lose. So it's not easy for those boys to be cheery no matter what and be gold medal winning sportsmen.


A major goal of SC08, aside from having a rockin time with the 189 souls accounted for, was to save the lost and baptize them when we got home. I'm so CRAZY stoked to tell you that over 24 students were baptized the Sunday after we got home. What a life changing Sunday that was for both Josh and I. To witness students give their life to Christ. Turn and obey Him. Be baptized publicly...and know that God used us. US. Little old Josh and Dena Dunn. We played a part in God's incredible story. WOW. What a humbling experience.

(my 'Jamaican' Girls. Rachael, Hope, me, Tommi, Kyla and Rachael)

Thank you to EVERYONE who played a major part in SC08. Two in particular:


Aunt/Mom/Grandma Jenny--who bravely watched ALL three kids AND the dog...we could NEVER have gone without you. What special memories you created with the kids. Thank you a million times over.


My mommy--the ultimate prayer warrior...what peace it brings to my heart every camp knowing that you are saturating me and my girls in prayer. Thank you for "getting it."


and Thank you to all of you who actually finished reading this blog. You rock. :)

Lauren Oquist, Kristina Ashby, me, Curtis Thibalt and Josh Timmer. My "family"...minus a few members. (Josh and Jake.)