A Different Kind of Summer, Part III

A God of Wonders

We all breathed a collective sigh of relief when we heard what the theme for Middle School camp was (listed above) – a far contrast to The Upside of Down.

In my last post, I recapped the first two Middle School camps. Today I’d love to tell you about Middle School #3, my experience cabin leading at Day Camps, time with friends, and even a few personal stories.

The Final Middle School Camp.

Our last Middle School camp was by far the smallest. We only had half the number of campers as we did the previous weeks, which was honestly nice. It was far less tiring on us as Staff and allowed the cabin leaders to zone in on their campers. That said, it still felt weird.

My main jobs for the week were lifeguarding, cleaning, and helping out wherever I was needed. It was a fun time. I have a newfound love for cleaning after the summer.

As Middle School wound to a close, we also said goodbye to several Staff members. Some are there for July and August, and some only came for July. It was sad to see people I’d spent a month getting to know head home. But overall, July ended on a great note.

As August began, we prepared to transition from the high-intensity atmosphere of High School and Middle School camps to Day Camps, Family Camps, and even Seniors Camps. Due to a vacation my family is going on (more info later on), Day Camps was my only scheduled serving week.

Somehow my week between MS3 and Day Camps may have been even wilder than my week at camp. Let me explain.

Storytime with Sam.

MS3 ended last Tuesday, and Day Camps only began the following Tuesday (this week). Naturally, my parents and I chose to plan a bunch of get-togethers with friends and family during my time off from camp. This I knew beforehand.

What I didn’t know was what would happen on the drive back from camp. As I was putting my bag in the trunk of a friend’s car, I tried to readjust it and then…searing pain on my right middle finger. Some kinda insect stung me.

We immediately ran it under cold water and bathed it in ice, but on the drive home, it began to swell, and swell, and swell. The summer heat sure didn’t help.

On top of this, another Staff member’s car broke down. They were driving normally when all of a sudden they swerved to the shoulder right in front of us. My friend pulled over and we immediately got out to help.

To make it extra exciting, in the process of using my ultra-beefy hand to fumble with the door handle, my phone decided to faceplant on the gravel. That’s why you get a screen protector.

Anyway, turns out the engine of their car was experiencing issues. As we tried to help, the entire camp cavalcade pulled over on the side of the road, including the camp director and maintenance guy. It was 100% a Godsend that it happened when it did, and we were blessed to be able to figure the issues out.

So we proceeded home. By the time we got back, my hand was probably five times its normal size, and I couldn’t even ball my fist. It was like I was wearing a fat suit for my hand. Fortunately, after some medication and several days, the swelling diminished.

Needless to say, it was a ride that I won’t soon forget.

The In-Between.

The day after I got back, we drove to the United States to visit my Aunt and Uncle, who have a campsite there. It was nice to sit back, read, and spend time with family for a day.

The following day I spent the evening at a football game with a friend. The next day, I went back to the States with family friends for a day trip. It was a lot of driving, but also very fun. The day after that I met up with a friend from my former writing community, The Young Writer’s Workshop.

We also celebrated both of my Grandpas’ birthdays. The two of them have been blessed with 80+ years during which they’ve served the Lord wholeheartedly. Plus they’ve seen their kids, grandkids, and even great-grandkids grow up following the Lord.

I was also able to fit in time to rest, pray, hang out with my family, and work on my blog (obviously). But all too quickly the week went by, and it was time for my last round of serving at camp for the summer.

Day Camps.

This was our camp’s first year of running one-day camps, so we had no idea what to expect. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday campers would be bused up. They’d stay for the morning and afternoon before heading home around 4:30pm.

Yes, it was kinda crazy, but it was great. We haven’t run camps for elementary school kids in 5 years, and it was really special to see them back at camp. It took me back to my days of being a camper while in grade 4.

I was blessed with the opportunity to group lead a bunch of incredible dudes. The days went like this: campers arrived, we got settled, chapel, lunch, skills, swimming, pack up, get on the bus and go home. It was a lot of fun, and I hope we do it again next year. Hearing how much the campers loved camp was a major highlight of the summer.

I’m also now fondly known as “Sus” by my entire group, since on the first day I thought it would be funny to cross out the first two letters in Jesus while making a craft (it was a joke, I promise). Now I will forever be “the sus guy”. At least the kids now know how to spell Jesus. “You just spell ‘sus’ and add the letters ‘Je’ at the beginning,” one of them told me.

Anyway, that’s sus…

What’s Next?

Day Camps marked my final week of serving at camp. I will go back for the Staff Debrief meeting next weekend, but for now I’ve reached the end of camp. It’s been an amazing summer, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

I’m excited for this coming week though. Because I’ve been at camp all summer, I sadly haven’t been able to spend a lot of time with my family. But this week my mom’s entire extended family is going on vacation together. We’ve been to the same lake every year for almost a decade now, and it has continually been a high point of the summer. I’m looking forward to interacting with my parents, brother, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

After that, I’m joining my church’s week-long Worship & Production training course, where I’ll learn about the tech that helps our church run. That also promises to be a cool week.

However, summer isn’t all about what’s next. It’s about living in the present. It may sound exciting when I lay out what the next two weeks are gonna look like, but you and me alike need to remember to value what’s happening right now. Please join me in my mission to live each day like it matters, because it’s all too easy to only focus on the future. But if I want to live a life that glorifies God, I need to look at what’s right in front of me, or else I’ll miss the opportunity.

Until next time, God bless, and go out there and make a difference (:

-Samuel James

“God works all things together for the good of those who love Him.”