Some may be wondering what a typical day at Echo Ranch Bible Camp looks like, so I’ll try to break it down really quickly. Meals are typically around 8, 12, and 5:30, and all the time in between is packed with activities that can include canoeing, archery, pedal carts, riding horses, sleeping, ziplining, laser tag, buying goodies at the camp store… Basically, all the fun things ever. Counselors (cabin leaders) have the opportunity to meet together every morning for a devotional and feelings-sharing time while their babies play a game outside. There are chapel sessions in both the morning and the evening, where speakers share the messages on God, sin, Jesus, salvation, and community.
After chapel, counselors lead a devotional with their campers, going over the message and answering their (many) questions about God. Those are always my favorite times. I like to drag a mattress off of one of the bunks and put it on the floor of my cabin, in front of all the kids in their bunks. Together, we break down all kinds of theological conundrums, like Well, if God created everything, then who made Him? What is the Holy Spirit? How do we know the Bible is true? Have people ever seen angels? Why did Jesus die for us if He never did anything wrong? How can God be three different things and one thing at the same time? What will the end of the world be like (and then all the follow-up questions in all their varieties…) How do you get to Heaven? (One girl was super confused about songs about staircases to Heaven and highways to Hell…) I. love. it. There is nothing as beautiful as the faith of a child growing right in front of you. Especially for the kids who have never heard the stories, clichés, and “Sunday School answers” before. Especially for those who walk into the week with apathetic ears and out of it with hearts on fire for the first message that ever brought them hope in life. That’s what we’re here for. What I’m here for. What God made us to do.
Equally as rewarding is the time I’ve gotten to spend bonding with the girl counselors. A few times a week, I wander around camp to check in with them, inviting them to share the celebrations and woes and all the feelings that come with counseling 8-10 kiddos a week. Sometimes they share other struggles, stories from their past, their dreams for the future, what God is teaching them. Sometimes I share about my own junk, and sometimes we laugh about how screwed up we all really are, but at least we’re not alone.
A few other things we’ve laughed about over the past few weeks…
- During Bronco (11- and 12-year-olds) Camp, one boy accidentally wet his pants. When all the other boys in his cabin started laughing at him, one of his counselors ran to the bath house, sprayed water all over his pants, ran back to the cabin, and said, “Look, I accidentally peed my pants too!” The boys looked at him, incredulous. “Really?! Are you serious?” The counselor responded, “Yeah, you’re not cool unless you’ve peed your pants!” At that, four more of the boys let theirs run.
- They don’t get many thunderstorms here in Juneau (it has something to do with the mountains or valleys or whatever). We’ve gotten two or three over the last couple of weeks, which have been the first that some of the kids have ever experienced. It might as well have been the Apocalypse. One of the counselors and I stood on the porch of one of the cabins, watching our campers around in the rain like chickens with their heads cut off and scream bloody murder every time they heard a thunder clap. Exclamations included things like, ‘I heard the lightning! I saw the thunder! I thought I was going to die!’
- Every comment from Colt (7- to 9-year-olds) campers (babies) this week. “I don’t want to dream about unicorns!” “You know what I forgot to bring? My magical tree that grows pink crystals!” And then the wrath that ensued when I asked their counselors if all their babies were present. Oops.
As we head into the second half of the camp season, please be praying for us, that we will keep going strong. Many of the staff and counselors are exhausted, sick, and feeling burned out. Pray for our camp speakers, that they would relay the Truth of the Gospel effectively, and that God would open up the hearts of the campers to receive it. Pray for the campers, that they would commit to following Jesus, and that they would not lose heart when they return home, regardless of what life looks like for them there.
I love and appreciate you all. Please let me know if there is any way I can pray for you.
This post is adapted from an e-mail update I send out to friends and family who are interested in my missions experiences. If you would like to be added to that list, just e-mail me at reagan.taylor88@gmail.com to let me know.
