Midsummer

How is it that we are halfway through our summer?  It seems like the deeper we get into our summer, the faster the weeks go by!  

This past Saturday the entirety of the staff celebrated being halfway through the summer.  We came together and celebrated with a meal, worship, and communion.  It was a wonderful way for us to share our experiences thus far and celebrate all that has been accomplished, and there are plenty of things to be celebrated from our summer! 

It all started with training when we came together as one staff for the first time.  The Summer Staff spent the whole week learning about the different aspects of their jobs, encouraged each other through sessions that may have been difficult for some, worked hard to take notes and understand what the summer had in store for them, and began the process of learning how to work with their own staff members.  When it came time for the commissioning of the staff there was an energy in the room, an overall excitement to start jobs and see campers rolling through the gate.  

As the first camp week rolled around we welcomed the first group of YSM campers as well as, the Fish Camp campers.  Staff members and campers alike beamed with joy at the sight of each other.  It was the first opportunity for the first rotation of staffs to put their training into motion in a camp week.  

Then the next week, along with more YSM campers,  we welcomed the first AIM week with Major Home Repair and Kaleidoscope, and our first Neighbors Helping Neighbors camp week. At AIM the Major home repair began and over 20 Kaleidoscope kids participated in the workshops led by AIM participants.   They had craft and knitting workshops, and an Around the World workshop, then they also went to the horse ranch and visited an art studio and learned how to make art projects out of recycled materials.  

 In our NHN week we had 10 campers from Morton Memorial UMC and Tracy City UMC serving at Camp Baker Mountain.  They worked alongside their staff to complete minor home repair projects in the area.  It was incredible to see the community and staff come together throughout the week and serve as one unit.  

The following week we began the YSM Day Camp program.  The children this year got the opportunity to go the Sewanee Airport and see what it is like being a pilot.  During that week and the current week Day Campers have also had the opportunity to go hiking, make crafts, and meet Ruby the snake.  

This past week Summer Plus campers came in and participated in workshops such as cooking and baking, 2D drawing, sports, pinterest crafts, and screen printing.  At the same time, AIM MPTs continued making progress on the major home repair projects out in the community. 

Now we are in our 5th camp week and it is amazing to look back and see all that has been accomplished in and out of camp and all the ways God has been working through everyone involved.  Next we look forward to our last few camp weeks of the summer ready to see how else God is going to work in the lives of the families we work with, our campers, and the staff.