The blog update is finally here! I was sick with a high fever last weekend, so I wasn't able to update between camps. But I am now feeling better (thanks be to God!), so I would love to share about our first week of camp in Kaikoura.
There were two camps running simultaneously - Season (a senior camp for high school students) and Alight (a junior camp for older middle school students). Season was based in a lodge that is used for a Creation care studies program; Paul was working with this camp. Alight was based in the Marae, a building of the Maori community; I was working with this camp.
We drove to Kaikoura on Saturday to prepare for the camps. The week started rough. Paul drove back to Christchurch on Sunday morning to pick up campers, and in the midst of my interactions with the other leaders throughout the morning and afternoon, I was left feeling quite excluded and lonely. I definitely hit a low point Sunday before campers arrived, wondering how I was supposed to cultivate a space where campers could feel valued and welcome when I felt so devalued myself.
Ironically, I was in charge of leading a welcome service for campers that evening before dinner. The focus I decided upon for the service was laying down our worries and distractions as we enter into the week. I discussed how the wilderness gives us an opportunity to stop being attentive to things we are usually attentive to and to be attentive to new things. I then passed out slips of paper and had campers write down something that they wanted to stop being attentive to this week. They placed this slip of paper in a basket and picked up a new piece of paper, where they wrote something that they wanted to start being attentive to this week. As I entered into leading this activity, I knew that I had a choice to make. I could choose to be attentive to this identity as less than, left out, and lonely, or I could choose to be attentive to my identity as a beloved child of God. And I made my choice.
Thankfully, the week got much better from there. We had lots of fun with the campers and enjoyed watching them learn and grow.
On Monday, we went for a day hike at Mt. Fyfe, which was absolutely beautiful. Some of the campers said that it was the hardest physical task they have ever done. This was an eye-opening statement for me to hear, because I have realized that my definitions of physical and mental challenge have been stretched quite a bit from my own adventures. It was a reminder to come alongside campers as they encounter these challenges and to be aware of how my perspective may differ from theirs. I enjoyed walking beside campers as they accomplished this challenge and made it to the hut at our summit, where we were greeted by a good amount of snow to play in! There were snowball fights, snowmen, snow chairs, and many other creations. This was the first time that some of the campers had touched snow, and I felt blessed to be a part of it.
Tuesday morning consisted of sea kayaking, which was a first for me. We were in tandem boats, so I enjoyed experiencing the joys of the water with Teneka, a camper who had never been in a kayak before. In the afternoon, we went on another walk with a quite different aesthetic but equal beauty. As I was showering after our walk, I remembered that Robin and the girls were supposed to be in Kaikoura for the day. I wondered if they might be joining us for dinner (both camps ate together at the Marae). My question was answered when I was greeted with an extended hug from Moana, who came running out of the dining room to meet me as I was walking in. So that was a highlight of the week - seeing Robin and Moana and Ruby once again. Plus I got at least four hugs from Moana, which was much appreciated. It is amazing how quickly people can become family. I had only lived with them for 9 days prior to camp, but there was something so warm and familiar about eating with them once again.
That night, I was also talking with a camper named Daniel from the other camp. Daniel seemed disengaged from his group's conversation, so I sat next to him and started asking him questions to get to know him. Among other things, I learned that Daniel is working to teach himself Spanish. Later as I was talking with the leaders of his camp, they said that he had commented under his breath that evening, "I wish you guys would take as much interest in Spanish as you do in sign language" (one of the other campers has a hearing impairment and was teaching the group some sign language throughout the week). As I heard this, I thought, "I can fix that."
So Wednesday morning at breakfast, I went up to Daniel and asked "¿Quieres hablar en Español?" It took a moment for him to realize what I had asked, but he then responded quite excitedly that he indeed wanted to talk in Spanish during breakfast. So we moved to the end of the table and engaged in good Spanish conversation, and I occasionally would explain to him a new phrase or grammatical concept. And at lunch, we did it again. As I think about my purpose, my vocation, at camp that week and in life in general, I can't help but see that the ministry of making people feel valued is at the center of what I am trying to do. If I can create spaces where people feel valued and known and safe and wanted, that's where the magic can happen. That's where people can be open to encountering God and being stretched in their faith. That's where people can dare to live in community together and trust can be built. That's where people can challenge themselves in adventure activities and take risks to be vulnerable. And I can't help but hope that Daniel felt valued from my interactions with him. It was sad to see him go that afternoon, and he seemed sad as well. Connecting with Daniel was definitely a highlight of my week.
On Wednesday afternoon, Paul joined us (his camp finished on Wednesday, ours on Thursday) and we went mountain biking. Paul also incorporated a Bible study about the cycle of the Israelites' poor choices. After frontloading the study by explaining the story, we had the campers bike in a loop, unbeknownst to them at the time. This led to an interesting processing time after we finished biking. What kind of cycles of poor choices are we going in? How can we break them? Who can we ask for help? I enjoyed engaging campers in the exploration of these questions, and I appreciated seeing Paul's energy about teaching the campers about faith experientially.
That evening, we went for another walk with the campers and looked at the stars. Campers left Thursday after some cleaning and wrap-up. And we returned home.
Throughout the week, my mantra was "See yourself as a leader." This concept was drilled into me during my Outdoor Leadership and Teaching Methods course in May. Throughout the course, we were challenged to never take off the instructor hat. To always be leading, even when we were not the designated leader of the day, and to have a broad definition of leadership, one that includes simple things like drinking water and going to the bathroom (good self-leadership), taking initiative among our peers, and actively following. As I navigated how to be present throughout the week after the rough start of Sunday, I found myself looking for ways to be a leader, regardless of how small. This was growthful for me, and translates into other aspects of my life. What does it look like to be present today? What does it look like to take ownership here? And to see myself as the leader who can.
Well, those are my reflections on week one of camp. It was a fun-filled and God-filled week of exploring Creation, connecting with campers, and asking good questions.
More to come about this past week in the near future.
And some pictures of Kaikoura...
There were two camps running simultaneously - Season (a senior camp for high school students) and Alight (a junior camp for older middle school students). Season was based in a lodge that is used for a Creation care studies program; Paul was working with this camp. Alight was based in the Marae, a building of the Maori community; I was working with this camp.
We drove to Kaikoura on Saturday to prepare for the camps. The week started rough. Paul drove back to Christchurch on Sunday morning to pick up campers, and in the midst of my interactions with the other leaders throughout the morning and afternoon, I was left feeling quite excluded and lonely. I definitely hit a low point Sunday before campers arrived, wondering how I was supposed to cultivate a space where campers could feel valued and welcome when I felt so devalued myself.
Ironically, I was in charge of leading a welcome service for campers that evening before dinner. The focus I decided upon for the service was laying down our worries and distractions as we enter into the week. I discussed how the wilderness gives us an opportunity to stop being attentive to things we are usually attentive to and to be attentive to new things. I then passed out slips of paper and had campers write down something that they wanted to stop being attentive to this week. They placed this slip of paper in a basket and picked up a new piece of paper, where they wrote something that they wanted to start being attentive to this week. As I entered into leading this activity, I knew that I had a choice to make. I could choose to be attentive to this identity as less than, left out, and lonely, or I could choose to be attentive to my identity as a beloved child of God. And I made my choice.
Thankfully, the week got much better from there. We had lots of fun with the campers and enjoyed watching them learn and grow.
On Monday, we went for a day hike at Mt. Fyfe, which was absolutely beautiful. Some of the campers said that it was the hardest physical task they have ever done. This was an eye-opening statement for me to hear, because I have realized that my definitions of physical and mental challenge have been stretched quite a bit from my own adventures. It was a reminder to come alongside campers as they encounter these challenges and to be aware of how my perspective may differ from theirs. I enjoyed walking beside campers as they accomplished this challenge and made it to the hut at our summit, where we were greeted by a good amount of snow to play in! There were snowball fights, snowmen, snow chairs, and many other creations. This was the first time that some of the campers had touched snow, and I felt blessed to be a part of it.
Tuesday morning consisted of sea kayaking, which was a first for me. We were in tandem boats, so I enjoyed experiencing the joys of the water with Teneka, a camper who had never been in a kayak before. In the afternoon, we went on another walk with a quite different aesthetic but equal beauty. As I was showering after our walk, I remembered that Robin and the girls were supposed to be in Kaikoura for the day. I wondered if they might be joining us for dinner (both camps ate together at the Marae). My question was answered when I was greeted with an extended hug from Moana, who came running out of the dining room to meet me as I was walking in. So that was a highlight of the week - seeing Robin and Moana and Ruby once again. Plus I got at least four hugs from Moana, which was much appreciated. It is amazing how quickly people can become family. I had only lived with them for 9 days prior to camp, but there was something so warm and familiar about eating with them once again.
That night, I was also talking with a camper named Daniel from the other camp. Daniel seemed disengaged from his group's conversation, so I sat next to him and started asking him questions to get to know him. Among other things, I learned that Daniel is working to teach himself Spanish. Later as I was talking with the leaders of his camp, they said that he had commented under his breath that evening, "I wish you guys would take as much interest in Spanish as you do in sign language" (one of the other campers has a hearing impairment and was teaching the group some sign language throughout the week). As I heard this, I thought, "I can fix that."
So Wednesday morning at breakfast, I went up to Daniel and asked "¿Quieres hablar en Español?" It took a moment for him to realize what I had asked, but he then responded quite excitedly that he indeed wanted to talk in Spanish during breakfast. So we moved to the end of the table and engaged in good Spanish conversation, and I occasionally would explain to him a new phrase or grammatical concept. And at lunch, we did it again. As I think about my purpose, my vocation, at camp that week and in life in general, I can't help but see that the ministry of making people feel valued is at the center of what I am trying to do. If I can create spaces where people feel valued and known and safe and wanted, that's where the magic can happen. That's where people can be open to encountering God and being stretched in their faith. That's where people can dare to live in community together and trust can be built. That's where people can challenge themselves in adventure activities and take risks to be vulnerable. And I can't help but hope that Daniel felt valued from my interactions with him. It was sad to see him go that afternoon, and he seemed sad as well. Connecting with Daniel was definitely a highlight of my week.
On Wednesday afternoon, Paul joined us (his camp finished on Wednesday, ours on Thursday) and we went mountain biking. Paul also incorporated a Bible study about the cycle of the Israelites' poor choices. After frontloading the study by explaining the story, we had the campers bike in a loop, unbeknownst to them at the time. This led to an interesting processing time after we finished biking. What kind of cycles of poor choices are we going in? How can we break them? Who can we ask for help? I enjoyed engaging campers in the exploration of these questions, and I appreciated seeing Paul's energy about teaching the campers about faith experientially.
That evening, we went for another walk with the campers and looked at the stars. Campers left Thursday after some cleaning and wrap-up. And we returned home.
Throughout the week, my mantra was "See yourself as a leader." This concept was drilled into me during my Outdoor Leadership and Teaching Methods course in May. Throughout the course, we were challenged to never take off the instructor hat. To always be leading, even when we were not the designated leader of the day, and to have a broad definition of leadership, one that includes simple things like drinking water and going to the bathroom (good self-leadership), taking initiative among our peers, and actively following. As I navigated how to be present throughout the week after the rough start of Sunday, I found myself looking for ways to be a leader, regardless of how small. This was growthful for me, and translates into other aspects of my life. What does it look like to be present today? What does it look like to take ownership here? And to see myself as the leader who can.
Well, those are my reflections on week one of camp. It was a fun-filled and God-filled week of exploring Creation, connecting with campers, and asking good questions.
More to come about this past week in the near future.
And some pictures of Kaikoura...
Kaikoura - where the mountains meet the ocean
A seal taking a rest
View from the Marae
Sunrise at the lodge
Our view from the summit of our hike
Sunrise at the Marae
Moana greeted us with crowns when we returned home
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