PID Club Wrap Up

Partners in Discipleship (PID) is camp's year-round discipleship program.  Kids meet weekly 1:1 with mentors or in after school clubs where they receive 1:1 time from a leader.  I currently meet each week individually with 8 kids and have 1 after school club in the city.  We have high hopes that there will be 3 clubs running this fall.

During their 1:1 time, kids discuss the Bible lesson they completed at home, pray over requests, and quote memory verses.  Kids in PID earn points to help pay for them to return to camp the next summer.  The kids at the club do homework or play games together while they are waiting for their turn to meet with a leader.

At one of our last clubs I gave the kids my camera and told them to go take pictures.  This is what I got:

Isabella

Isaly and Niani are sisters and are coming to camp for the first time this summer!  I can't wait until the week that my club kids are here! :-)

Chelsea and I

Andy.  Andy has a friend his age that he calls once a week to do a Bible study with.  He told me that they were reading the story of Jonah and that they prayed for each other that they will always obey God.  This young man is going to be a pastor when he grows up.  I'm praying so.

Zoie doing skits.

Zoie and I praying at the end of her 1:1 Bible study time.

Alec and Nico.

Me and some of my Armitage kids.  Since they were in such a photogenic mood we took a handful of group pictures. :-)

Golf Marathon 2011

Camp Beechpoint's 2nd Annual Golf Marathon was held this May to raise scholarship funds for campers who may not have an opportunity to attend camp otherwise.  It's a fun day-long event full of golfers from around the area who raise sponsorship to participate.  The goal is to golf 100 holes in one day.  This year we had 15 golfers and raised $20,000 to help send kids to camp!  Praise God for His provision!

Last year I was unable to attend, so this was my first Golf Marathon.  I got to be a caddy, although my golfer, Jeremy, had to train me from scratch.  Apparently you can't drive on the short grass.  And you shouldn't park the golf cart ahead of the golfer.  And you're supposed to watch for where the ball lands (next time I need binoculars, I was surprisingly bad at this task).  Lucky for me I was put with a golfer who had been by himself for 72 holes and said to me on the first hole we did together "you can keep talking while I am golfing".   If he had known how many topics I could generate and how many questions I would have, he might not have been so eager to encourage conversation. :-)  Did you know that the caddy gets a cut of the winnings?  The Golf Marathon has a hole where you can win $10,000 for a hole in one.  I was cheering Jeremy on!

It was a truly beautiful afternoon to be golfing.

My friends Chris and Todd.  They had a riot of a day.  Next year I want to just follow them around and make a movie.

This made me chuckle.  I suppose 100 holes of golf would lend itself to some Tylenol at the snack station. 

Oh, I almost forgot.  I also loved the Golf Marathon because everyone had golf carts.  At camp, having a golf cart is a bit of a status symbol.  There are a handful of staff who have exclusive use of specific golf carts.  Then there are a larger handful of staff who share keys to 2 carts that can be used when they are available.  And then the summer staff are not allowed to drive golf carts.  I have graduated to the second level and keep my eye on Craig's List in hopes that if we get a large enough fleet I will make it into the first level. :-)  But at the Golf Marathon . . . everyone has a golf cart! :-)

White Sox Game - Take 2

This spring we again took our PID kids to a White Sox game.  I like this event because:

• the work is done ahead of time - we pre-purchase the tickets and then everyone just meets up at the game
• I get to have a bunch of my PID kids all in the same place at the same time
• they sell cotton candy
• I pass out the tickets so I always sit myself next to 2 people who will talk to me during the game

On the other hand, I dislike this event because:

• it costs $25 to park
• it takes a good long minute to get out of the parking traffic after the game.  (why not just take the train you ask?  because I wouldn't be safe walking back from the train station in my neighborhood in the dark)
• it's baseball.  and let's be honest... I'm just not that into sports.

Rachel and I... it was a chilly and foggy base ball game.  Is baseball one word or two?

Kenya and Aunt Jan.  I got to meet Kenya's dad at the game.  He came with her because it was his birthday!

Me, my friend Nakeisha, and one of my PID kids, Tavontay.  Turns out Nakeisha really cares about watching the game.  Looks like we won't be sitting together at this next year. ;-)

My pretty girl Kiyasia!  She convinced her auntie to bring her along to the game and shared my cotton candy with me. :-)

Jakarri and Tavaris.  I haven't seen Jakarri in like 6 months.  He got into the car with a grown man voice!  I can't believe that all my "babies" are growing up, these boys are 13 and 14.  :-)  Look at Kiyasia tryna peak around the corner to be in the picture, lol.

Camp is going great!

Here's the quickest camp update ever:  We are off to a great start!  The kids are great!  The weather is sometimes great.  The food is always great.  I love love love being the Bible teacher for the younger girls unit.  Please pray for more late registrations - we have space for additional campers in the next couple of weeks.

Generally you have to be 8 to come to camp - but for day camp you only have to be 6.  It give local and younger kids a chance to come out to camp... and our staff a first week to kinda ease into the pace of camp.  Charlie, Vanessa, Me, Kayla, Samantha, and Grace in the morning Bible teaching time called Power Hour!

Road trip to Chicago during staff training!

Albert Turner is here from Idaho as a cabin leader this summer.  We went to an event to raise scholarship funds for Beechpoint campers.  He is holding the magician's bunny and called me over to take his picture, lol.

Robert at the petting farm.  "Look!  This bunny LIKES me!"

Zerena Turner is here for 4 weeks in our teen Leaders in Training (LIT) program.  She dug this clam shell out of the lake for her kids to see.

My new buddy Jamahl.  He is super sweet and affectionate and we loved each other.  (Who can resist a kid with a moose shirt like that?!)  I miss him already. :-)