Oh, The Memories

Last week, we had the chance to take 25 of our 3rd thru 5th graders to Camp KidJam in Toccoa, GA. As I think back over the week, even now, I can’t help but chuckle at some of the things that happened at camp. As the kids and leaders reminisced about the week, it made me think back to our mission: “Guide each child to experience Christ’s love personally so they will always understand what is really important.” That mission is derived in part from the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. When the son reached his absolutely lowest point, he sat among the pigs and remembered his father’s house. At UpStreet, we want our children to have such a memorable experience that when they are at their lowest point, that they will remember the Father’s love and know there is a place where they can experience that love and acceptance.

Last week, our campers had the chance to experience God’s love in a memorable way as they listened to some of the stories that Jesus told, including the story of the prodigal son. During each session, they were encouraged to “Take it in, Live it out.” Throughout the week of energetic sessions, fun tracks, and team competitions, our children created memories as they learned to let Jesus words penetrate their hearts and impact their lives.

Our small group leaders sent along a few memories from camp:

My favorite moments were learning the dances with the campers and singing and dancing for the Lord. The campers continued singing the worship songs through Upstreet the following Sunday at church.

I was surprised by how deeply some of my 3rd grade campers thought in regards to the complexity of life and God. One camper asked me why God needs to test people's faith by letting bad things happen. This is a question most young children do not ponder... it is fascinating that they are searching for answers to some age-old questions at such a young age.

One night at dinner, one of our 6th graders was hit by another camper. Although the hit was intended to be playful, it ended up being a lot harder and hurt. Despite the other camper not apologizing, our student made the wise choice to forgive the other person. How awesome is that!

Each day, the children had the opportunity to buy snacks. One day, one of our 4th graders thought that the snack shop had given her too much change and wanted to return it.
Although our children had a great time during the large group sessions and during small groups, there was still a bit of time for fun as well.

One night, we were going to paint our fingernails green to show team spirit for the green team. Somehow that evolved into several of the boys painting their nails a variety of colors. Some even added a little extra pizazz with the flower appliqués.

The 3rd and 4th grade girls played Chubby Bunny one night. Miss Morgan definitely holds the record with 7 marshmallows. I (Wyndi) almost beat her, but the gag reflex kicked in on the 7th marshmallow. No worries, parents, the camp nurse was rooming right next door!

Some of our boys had to attend breakfast in their pajamas after getting locked out of their rooms. I’m sure they won’t be forgetting that adventure any time soon!

All in all, Camp KidJam gave some of our children the opportunity to experience God’s love in a memorable way, which after all is our mission! ~Wyndi Beck, Family Ministry Director