The summer is going good.

I wish I had time to blog every day and tell you stories of campers and fun and life change.  I wish I could post a picture a day so you could see everything I love about camp.  I wish I could video every camper telling their story so you could hear it from them.  As long as I'm wishing, I wish you could all come visit and see just what it is that makes camp so wonderful!

In the meantime I found these 15 minutes to upload some pics.  I promise to post more from summer camp in the fall. :-)

I love this picture - it makes me smile.  What a great new experience!  To be clear, I am definitely not trying to touch a chicken myself - or sit on the ground in a chicken coop, really boys ?! - but I love that they are loving it. :-)

Khaniysile kissing the Beechpoint mascot.

It's a well known (and teased) fact around camp that I am bad at building camp fires.  But since we've started using this indoor fire once a week I am suddenly self-sufficient! :-)

Jaelan and I at the park.

My friend Jess took this picture of Darrius.  I'm hoping this gets blown up and framed at camp!

Sugar sweet Tatiana at the park.

Morning devotions. :-)

Javion and Shamya - 2 happy campers headed home after a great week at camp!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and care for me during summer camp.  Please pray for the remaining 2 weeks and 240 campers we are expecting to join us.  Pray that the staff will have endurance and the campers will come with hearts soft towards God.

Also, I miss all of you......

Hooray for friends from home!

So, at the beginning of 2011 I decided that I was going to have out of town guests once a month for the whole year.  Unfortunately, not all of my out of town guests were in on that decision with me.

However, this summer Albert and Zerena Turner came to camp from Rupert, Idaho!  Albert is a summer staff cabin leader for 10 weeks and Zerena came out as an LIT (Leader in Training) to serve a missions trip on our teen volunteer staff.  I love having friends from home here to visit!  We spent a weekend in Chicago so that they could see my home (and sign the guest book!)  Here are a handful of pictures from the trip.

Albert with some of the campers at the park, Jaelan and Donald.  Albert is my favorite staff person to take to the park with me because he loves to run around with the kids!

Zerena with her campers, Destiny and Kayla.

First stop in the city:  Giordanos Famous Chicago Style Pizza.  See, the thing about Chicago deep dish pizza is that you really have to understand what you are getting yourself into.  Otherwise you think you are going to get pizza.  It's disappointing to find out you are really going to be eating casserole.  Just sayin. :-)

Second stop:  a dozen beauty supply stores so Zerena could by big (obnoxious) earrings and bright colored shoes.  This display here made me shudder.  Above the sample it says "TRY ME, YOU'LL LOVE IT".  Do you see those before and after photos??!!  That means people with those before lips have stuck their fingers into this lip balm?!  Awww, heck no! 

Third stop:  Ed Debevic's, a restaurant downtown where the staff are supposed to be rude.  Albert thought this was hysterical!  I enjoyed it as well ... until our waiter called me a princess.  Albert is busy planning how he can get hired to work here. ;-) 

One of the signs at Ed Debevics.... can you imagine??!!

Fourth stop:  Some shoe stores for Albert.  He decided to wait until the next weekend when some of the guys could help him pick out a pair.  I actually really like this shoe - it's like a pinstripe sneaker. :-)  Come on, Ilise!  COME VISIT ME!

Fifth Stop:  We swong by (hmm... I mean, that sounds right...) Demetrius' house to see Jabari, Jabri and Jireh, since the summer is too long to be without them.  Beth and Nick got to come here 2 summers ago, it was fun to bring more Turners over. :-)  Zerena is holding Jireh and Cierra and Cheyenne are standing.

I also got to take them to both my Michigan and Chicago churches.  I love that they have seen my apartment, my city, my churches, my camp.... it's good to have people from home!