Phew! First full day of camp. Done.
It's getting better -- a lot of us are new, and that helps a whole lot. Most of the people are really nice, too ... it will be a joy to spend my summer with them!
Let's see... woke up at 7:20 for breakfast at 8. Slept really well, too. And woke up to 240 mini muffins.
We ate muffins all day.
We had this crazy man come in to train us today. Had a crazy man yesterday, too, but he actually was really good at leading team building stuff. I usually hate those sorts of things, but these were really fun.. and being the "new kid," I actually got to know people through them. We did an awkward touching game yesterday where people called out body parts that we had to match together.. that sort of thing. I'm not really a touchy person, but hey -- why not. I also got blindfolded and led to jump off a treestump by one of the counselors. Somehow it became a bonding moment, and we're now "BFFs" (sorry, Dorny...). It's a special friendship.
Training was actually helpful... as we get more into disability training it all gets more interesting. We keep learning about the campers' lives through stories, too... I have these vivid characters in my mind. I can't wait to meet them.
Lots of counselor bonding time -- after lunch, Chuck (the founder of the camp... this absolutely adorable older man who cares more for those campers than I thought imaginable...) had us do manual labor... and I got to help build a dam! Even better -- I got in the water after seeing a poisonous snake. Dam building was really fun. Turned into trying to skip rocks... the guys are all really good, but I failed miserably.
I've already made a fool out of myself quite a few times, too... I was introducing myself to some of the counselors and I went to kneel on a bench but I underestimated how far away it was and ended up toppling over. Classy, right? I keep spilling stuff, too.. so I change a bazillion times a day.
Moving around feels great... trudging through the stream in chacos (they're actually amazingly comfortable.. I'm going to be living in them this summer) was fun, and the weather has been really nice -- with the exception of the first afternoon, not too hot.
Ended up getting into a really deep theological discussion/debate with two BJU students in a field while we were stargazing... they found out I was Catholic and we just started sending questions back and forth. It was respectful and classy... I think we all got some stuff out of it. I reassured them that no, I don't believe that Jesus and Mary Mag got hitched, nor do I think that I can hate Jesus and do good stuff and still get into Heaven just because of what I do.
After a lot of debate, I think I helped them to see that we pretty much agree on the faith and works stuff -- Catholics don't believe that your works determine your salvation.. rather, they are outward expressions of your faith. If your heart is in the right place, your life will reflect that order. We just say the same thing in very different ways.
I also learned that you can, in fact, be born at BJU (in the hospital), then go to school all your life there, and then even teach there if you're so brave. Literally, you can be born and raised at BJ.
It was so good to have one of those adrenaline-rushing-heart-pumping conversations where both sides could grow... the otehr counselors think I'm a bit nuts, but that's how I roll. I love one on one conversations... I get to know people better in small groups. BJU actually reminded me a little bit of the discipline of the religious life... without the sacraments, of course. And the students' emphasis on their families and the authority of their parents... it's reall inspiring. So good came out of all of it.
"Jesus, thank you for today -- may my heart be filled with Your Love and overflow with Your kindness. Be with me as I struggle to put aside any of my stupid insecruities... let me focus rather on the security of Your eternal friendship! AMEN"
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