THURSDAY!!!!! RAFTING!!!!

Hello all, my name is Aaron Devine, and I am a counselor for seven of the guys at camp this week. Today was a full day indeed! Waking up, I prepared for the day, and, arriving in front of the office, I was cordially greeted by 11 campers, all bright-eyed and rearing to go hiking. Actually I don't think that the sleep was out of their eyes until lunch:)

God blessed us with a beautiful day, and as we hiked over a ridge we were greeted by the sun shining boldly through the crisp air.

Breakfast, again was wonderful, and we were fully satisfied as chapel began. We praised the Lord, Jesus, and then we listened to a good message from Mr. B.

After chapel we went to skill builders, and as I am the teacher of Camp Craft, I can tell you what we did. For the last day I have been trying to set up a compass course in the woods near the Square Fire pit, and finally this morning, I had it finished. So, when our skill builder began, I handed the kids a compass and sent them off to find the treasure! (With an accompanying staff member of course) The treasure was marshmallows, which we cooked over a fire that the campers built.

After skill builders we rushed down to lunch and ate quickly and then loaded onto the bus and were on our way to the Madison River for an afternoon of floating. Much fun, sun, and water was shared by all. Let me tell you, a raft loaded with twenty people in a shallow river is hard to move! But the strapping staff members that manned the paddles were well up to the task.

We finished the trip, and made the drive back, with many laughs, at least on the bus. I can see why sports teams take buses on trips. A good trip in a loud bus just serves to unify a group in a way that few other things in this world do. Dinner was delicious, and after I cleaned our table of the water that mysteriously appears (I believe there is a natural spring in the middle of our table!) we were released to half an hour of free time before fireside begins.

We all thank God for the day, and for the opportunity of serving your children. Please drive safely tomorrow, and we'll see you then!

May God bless you with the knowledge of Himself.

Aaron Devine

This is a day that the Lord has made

Hey All,

Wednesday already!!! The week always goes fast when the days are filled with fun.

My name is Anna Kirtley and I am on program support. This means that I'm not a counselor (bummer) but it also means I get to observe and interact with the campers in a different way.

The morning was started by filling water guns for the alkaseltzer fight. Each kid received an alkaseltzer tab tied to their forehead. Then they all received water guns. The point of the game was to spray the other opponents alkaseltzer tab off while keeping yours from being sprayed. The winner was the last person with their tab still in place. I was proud of the kids in the contest; the weather was not hot like July usually is here in Montana.

While the kids were in chapel, I headed off to each cabin to inspect for cleanliness. Before the morning game all the kids have a time with their cabin mates and counselor to clean and dress up the cabin for inspection. The cleanest, and most creatively decorated cabin wins. Today, I chose the cabin that was the cleanest (of course) but also the one that showed creativity by writing verses on their name tags. They also had a lovely welcome sign made out of flowers outside of their cabin door. This special cabin was called "Cabin Deer".

During morning skill builders, I took a group of kids on an adventure in search of a geocache box. We all programed our G.P.S and headed out. Today was the longest and most strenuous of all the hikes we've taken. The kids did good! We were delighted to see that the huckleberries were ripe and big this time of year:)

Later on in the day, we all split up into activity areas. Some kids did paintball, while others went canoeing or hiking. The group I was with went hiking. We drove up Highlight Canyon with the canoers. After we dropped them off at Hyalite Lake, us hikers went further up the road and hiked up the Grotto Falls. It was so beautiful. We all had a good time; one of the campers said at the base of the Falls, "I could stay here forever".

After such a busy afternoon the dinner was well deserved, but it had to be eaten quickly seeing how we had a talent show scheduled for seven.

Most all the campers participated in the talent show. It is always a joy watching kids step out of their comfort zones and share some of their talents. We enjoyed skits, songs, interpretive dance...... It was a nice evening.

And once more all this fun was finished up by fireside.

Although sometimes it can seem overwhelming having so many kids in one place; it can also be so rewarding. It boggles my mind when I took at each one of them and see the unique characteristics and backgrounds that each of them have and to know that God holds each of them in His hand.

Well, sleep good; I know I will:)

YAA Great Race

Hello Everybody!
It's hard to believe that the second full day of camp is almost over already! Today started out with sunshine, which was definitely welcomed by all of the soggy campers and staff. Some of us celebrated by going on the optional early morning hike again. It was a muddy, but fun hike!

After breakfast, we got into our teams and had a bat and glove relay- but this game had nothing to do with baseball. Half the team spun around baseball bats and then ran dizzily across the field, and the other half of the team got to build strong lungs by blowing up a disposable glove using only their noses. It was fun to see all of your kids getting excited and being goofy together!

During chapel, Mr. B gave another compelling message about making Christ supreme in our lives- that He should be the center of every part of anything that we do.

For skill builders today, we got to practice what we learned yesterday while adding to our skill repertoire. I get to help with archery this week, and it was really fun to watch kids that had never held a bow before improve hugely today. It's possible that you might have some new archers in your family next week!

This afternoon, instead of activity areas, we played a game called The Great Race. We split into our teams, and each team got clues that directed us to a skill builder or other part of camp. Once we got there, we had a challenge to complete before we got the next clue. I really enjoyed watching people from other skill builders show off their new skills to their friends and counselors. The last clue led us down to the field, where there were water games and a huge slip and slide for us to go down. The slip and slide is always a favorite of many. In the end, I'm proud to say that my team, the Pandas, won the whole race. Nice work, team! We all had fun getting wet just in time for the sun to go under the clouds. After the race, anyone who could stand the cold stuck around and had fun with a water balloon fight. Throwing water balloons at new friends is always a good way to make some awesome camp memories!

After the water games, we had some extended free time to shower (hopefully) and get warmed up, and also to just hang out and get to know our cabin mates a little better. I know a few cabins are hard at work preparing for the talent show tomorrow night. I'm excited to see what your creative kids are coming up with!

Soon, it will be time to wrap up the day with another fireside time, then cabin devotions, and then it's time for some much needed sleep!

Thanks so much for letting us, as camp staff, have a part in your kids' lives this week! I'm having a blast getting to know each one of them, and I am excited for what the next few days hold. I'm sure you will be hearing lots of camp stories throughout the next few weeks and months, so get ready to wish that you could come to camp too!

In Christ,

Amy Heitz, counselor of the HERO cabin

Hey Everyone!!

My name is Keith Forkin, and I have the privilege of being a Counselor in Training, with Shawn, this week. I can already tell I have got some great guys in my cabin, and I am going to have some good times with these guys.

Well to start things off, it was Ah-mazing. The morning started off with a beautiful hike up the hill. When everyone got back we sang some songs, ate, and the games began: mattress surfing to be exact. For full details of that game you will have to ask your kids when they get home.

Then we moved on to chapel. This morning we talked about how not to waste our lives, and how to make choices that will please God. We referred back to the book of Ester and her braveness to save her people.

When chapel came to a close, skill builders began. Geo-caching, climbing wall, archery, camp craft, arts and craft, and riflery are the skill builders everyone had to choose from. I have the privilege of teaching riflery, and hopefully watching each and everyone of them improve throughout the week.

The bell rang and everyone headed to the dining hall for an absolutely amazing lunch, and then off for some T.I.E. (take it easy) time. But there were a few that decided to go on the eight mile History Rock Trail. This decision turned out to be a very soggy one, and muddy for a few who had troubles staying on their feet during the down-pour. Those who stayed at camp got to play some paintball, ride the zip line, play field games, and do some rock climbing, which turned out to be a little damp also.

When dinner rolled around the History Rock hikers showed up for some food before a spectacular game, and my personal favorite, Killer Ball. Now don't worry, no one actually dies, but everyone did get extremely soaked today. Killer Ball is an everyone vs everyone dodge ball game. Imagine, for me, about 50 middle schoolers, 15 counselors, and a lot of dodgeballs flying around, and there you have a game of Killer Ball. I don't think i have ever seen anyone win a game, but its still fun to try.

After the ingenues game was over it sounded like a good time to wrestle around in a mud puddle with all the dudes that felt like it, which turned out to be quite a few. Seeing as I was the only counselor, i was the main... maybe 'only' is a better word... target. I managed to escape with only a broken bill on my hat, but that's all right, it was all in good fun.

So now we are running off to fireside, and then into the cabins for a devotional before bed. Today was pretty awesome, and I am sure that all of your kids think so also!!

And that concludes the first day of camp!! What a day!!

Enjoying your children,

Keith Forkin
Counselor in Training

6th to 8th Grade Camp has Begun!!!

Its hard to think that the last camp of the summer has arrived. It has been a fun run, and we are certain to end on a high note. Its impossible to not have fun with this age group.

We started off camp with some icebreaker games and came up with cabin names. There was everything from "David's Mighty Men" to "Heroic Energetic Real Ostriches (HERO for short)". They were quite creative.

After going through some introductions, rules, and lowering our U.S. flag, we had an amazing dinner: chicken fajitas. Delicious! After having a meal like that, its only appropriate that we run around to get that full filling out. Right?

So, we proceeded to divide the cabins up into 6 competition teams. Throughout the week, we will have various competition games to determine a winning team by the end of the week. We first came up with yet another set up names. They seemed to get even more creative with these names. Maybe its because the best cheer was going to get points for it. Those point went to, "The Hillbilly Unicorns of Utter Despair." The cheer was amusing to say the least. I can't remember all the names at the moment, but just to name a few: "Gideon's Army," "Nuclear Narwhals," and "Fat Cats." Once we got that squared away, we got our newly-formed teams to play a little tug-o-war. They really have a competitive spirit.

After some free time, we ended our day with Fireside. Every night, we gather around our fire pit and have some fun. Our high school staff does a funny skit, followed by Joel leading us in some interactive worship songs and then its story time. Jerome and Harriet Jackson have been with us this whole story, and they share stories about different missionaries throughout the world. They get everybody on the edge of their sit.

Well, that is certainly the short version of what goes on at camp, but it is getting late. I don't want to be late for lights out, especially since I'm the one that scheduled it. I'm the Program Director at YAA, and it is a blast being able to program all the fun that your children will enjoy this week. Thank you for entrusting me and the YAA staff with your children. We look forward to the rest of the week and seeing you all this Friday.

God Bless,
David Denny

Day four: Wet watery wonder

Good evening to all, or as you may read this after the sun has risen, good morning. I am Aaron Devine, counselor of Taco Bell, otherwise known as cabin three. As I sit and listen to the thunder rumbling outside I have a short respite to reflect on the happenings of the day.

This is my first time being a camp counselor, and sometimes I think to myself that my twenty-two year old body is getting a little too old for hanging out with 40 eight-to-ten year olds for a week at a time. Just kidding:) This morning we started out with the ridge hike, and all thirteen of the kids who went had a bit of a drag in their step. I was sure proud to see how many are hanging in their!

So, today was a water day. And after we had the flag flying above our camp, we headed up to the water pit, for the morning team games. A large PVC pipe stretched across a span of water and the kids would scoot out to the middle from both sides and try to knock the other into the water. That's quite a wake-up call at eight in the morning!

After the pit, we returned, (some still dripping) to the dining hall for a wonderful breakfast of chocolate-chip pancakes and bacon. (Eating is always a joy here at camp)

A bit later on in the day we had skillbuilders, and I had the privilege of helping at the climbing wall. (The skillbuilder I usually teach is camp-craft and I teach that in the afternoon) John from my cabin belayed me. It was quite the thrill:)

After TIE time, we broke with the usual schedule and had "The Great Race" where each of the four teams got a clue and went to the specified skill-builder area to complete certain feats of skill and strength. There were arrows shot through milk jugs, fires built to burn strings, targets mercilessly hammered by twenty-two shells, and a certain rock-wall that was ascended.

After the kids made it through every skill-builder challenge, they were off to the playing field for water games, which involved large sling shots, water balloons, a hundred foot slip and slide, and of course a whole lot of water. The kids were really excited to be getting drenched on this scorcher of a day.

Tonight we have fireside approaching and more stories of the grace of God to be shared with us. After that, we will prepare for bed, do cabin devo's and once we have the kids quiet and ready for sleep, there will be a surprise party, where much fun will be had by all:)

Well, thank you for following camp, and I pray that safe travel is had by all tomorrow for the award ceremony and the bar-b-que.

May the God of all peace guard your hearts and minds.

Aaron Devine

Gotta Love Those 'Mallows

Hey everyone! It's the end of our third day of camp. Only one more full day to go! (And some surprises along with it.)

As always, my guys were practically jumping out of bed to get to the morning hike, which I'm sure is something you parents would love to do. ;) My whole cabin was practically empty...all gone except for one. But that's beside the point. I'll fast forward passed the return of the hikers and flag raising; all the way to our morning group game. Being a counselor, I got the opportunity to lie on my back while campers dumped water into a cup I was holding on my chin...and then passed that opportunity to Andy. It was a great time watching dizzy kids pour water over their counselors! Then we enjoyed a quick game of pair tag before breakfast...omeletes and fruit.

As my fellow CIT's have mentioned,getting ten 8 to 10 year old boys to clean a relatively small cabin in an hour is harder than you think. Once all the bunks were clean it was easier just to send them outside to work on the walkway, and boy what a walkway it was! We ended up winning the Grimmer Award (well, we tied with another cabin but y'know...)

Chapel was amazing. I hold fast to the belief that anything is amazing when you add fifty pieces of Dubble Bubble gum to it. ;) The campers had to make a sculpture of a super hero out of chewed bubble gum in three minutes. We ended up with a pink Hulk, Super Pickle, the Super Slug, ElasticGirl, and some sort of centaur-thingy. It was great fun and the kids had a blast.

My first skillbuilder of the day was climbing wall. We watched the kids shimmy all over that thing. They're all turning into first rate climbers and belayers (not to mention knot-tiers!)

Lunch was quick, and then on to TIE time. Not much to say here, except that getting ten 8 to 10 year old guys to be quiet is almost as hard as trying to get them to clean their cabin! They settled down eventually, and afterword we got a little bit of free time before skillbuilders.

Camp craft! The essential skills every kid needs to know to survive in the woods. Monday we learned how to use a compass and set up a tent (don't forget knots!); Tuesday we learned what makes good firewood and where to find it, and then built a fire (don't forget knots!); and today we applied all our knowledge. While Aaron took one of four teams on a compass course, the other three searched for firewood and built their fires, which turned out to be excellent for roasting marshmallows. Yum! Oh, and we tied knots. :)

Before dinner I enjoyed a game of ultimate kickball. Dinner itself was delicious barbecue chicken.

After dinner was a game (whew, lots of games in one day) of killer dodgeball, and then fireside. Jerome and Harriet had great stories to tell us about the missionary David Thompson. And then bed! All and all, we had a great third day of camp!

Christian Vosler

Counselor in Training

Cabin 2 (aka The Super Dudes)

Hey Hey!!

The second full day of Camp is comming to an end!! Everyone had an absolutly superb day running around camp!!

My whole cabin decided to start the early morning of 7:00 off with a hike. (If you cant tell i'm a 16 year old guy) Well after they dragged me out of bed we took off on a hike that turned out to be more of a run. Thats ok though, we all had a great cruising through the trees.

When we got back all of the kids got to play with a absolutly huge beach ball!!! the object of the game was to pull it to back over your line, with at least three other people trying to accomplish the same goal. They had a blast!! And i'll have to say it was funny to watch the concentration on their faces as they pulled as hard as they could.

After the game we went and enjoyed some breakfast, and after that I attemped to get my guys to clean the cabin. Ever tried to get eight 10 year old boys to clean, at the same time... with the tempetation on knocking on other peoples doors and run away against you? Its tough, but we got'er done, and won the Grimmer in the process!! I was stoked.

All the guys willingly ran down to chapel, (anything to get out of the cabin) and then got the chance to rub their face around in some katchup. You will have to ask them about that for full details.

So after everyone had a great time making a mess that i got to help clean up, i got to teach them how to shot with a .22 cal. rifle. It was a blast seeing the smile on their faces as they ran back to the benches with their targets after they had shot.

After all of the shooting fun we ran, (notice we do a lot more running than anything else) back down to the dinning hall for some amazing lunch, and then to the cabins for T.I.E. time. Again we run into the problem of trying to keep eight, 10 year old boys under our reins. It resulted in some fun games that didnt turn out as quiet as i had hoped.

When they were freed from their cabins again they had some free time, that led into the afternoon skill builders. Again I assisted in teaching multiple kids how to accuratly fire rifles, while others were shooting balloons with a bow and arrow, learning the proper ways to climb and belay up rock walls, learning to use a GPS to navigate their way around camp, and important skills that come with camping.

Then it was the boy's turn to take a whack at the zip line. Unfortunatly, I wasn't there but from the sounds of it everyone had a blast. Then we sat down in the dinning hall for the best time of the day, dinner!!!!

They all loved slurping the spagetti, and afterwards everyone went down to the field for a group game (capture the flag)!! As councelers we were limited to taking people to jail, and guarding the jail and the flag, but the kids were all over the place. What a blast!!!

So then we went off to fire side and heard some powerful stories from Gerome and Harriet, and our speaker, Pastor Ron, even had a few things to share. And now we are all off to bed for the night, which is hopefully earlier than it was last night!

What a day!

Keith Forkin

First Day of Camp!!!

Hey All,

Today was our first full day of camp!!!!
Many of us started the morning off with a mountain hike. The hike was refreshing and beautiful. The kids finished the 1.5 mile hike in excellent time!

After flag raising, we headed to the playing field and did a round of relay games. All of this activity gave the kids a good appetite for the yummy breakfast provided by our awesome kitchen crew.

Next, we cleaned our cabins and did our best to impress the cabin inspectors. The motivation for the cleanest cabins is being able to go first for meals.

Chapel was amazing. We sang lots of action songs that involved lots of jumping. Then we listened to our speaker talk about faith and how we have to trust God in order to be a super hero. Most importantly we learned about Jesus and how He is the best super hero. An illustration of how Jesus took our sins was shown when our speaker drank dirty toilet water (well, maybe it wasn't toilet water) so that we wouldn't have to drink it. The dirty water represented sin. Then he showed how Jesus washed us clean with clean water.

After chapel we had our first round of skill builders, these included rock climbing, archery, rifle range and more.

Following lunch, we all had some T.I.E. (Take It Easy) time. The kids hung out in their beds and wrote home, notes to each other, took naps, etc. This was a good calming down for the excitement that comes with being at camp.

Later on we had another set of skill builders. I got to teach the geocaching. After we all learned how the use the GPS, we searched for our treasure. The kids were excited to find candy!!! But don't worry, we didn't give them gobs and gobs; we didn't want them to ruin their appetite for dinner!!!!

The activity area was a huge hit. The girls enjoyed the zip line and the boys played games in the field. For many of the girls their favorite part of the day was the zip line.

Dinner was ham, potatoes, corn, rolls, and brownies. This is good food, not your regular camp food. The kids got well fueled up for the rest of the evening which included group game, free time, fireside, devotions, and finally.... bedtime.

The campers will hopefully get a good rest after their first full day of camp. Well, have a good evening yourself and thank you for giving us a week with your kids. Each of their smiles is appreciated.

Anna Kirtley

The Heat Has Come

Well it was certainly a hot one and quite a different start compared to last week. Last week we had three days of hard rain. Now it looks like there will be sun for quite some time. No complaints here.

Camp started out great with some icebreaker games and getting to know one another in each cabin. Along with that they came up with some funny cabin names... everything from "Mushy Marshmallow Girls" to "The Super Dudes."

I then explained some rules and the awards we give out to camp. The Ridge Runner Award is for any camper that goes on our morning hike every morning. The hike starts at 7AM and is a mile long. That may not seem very long, but it is tough when you see how steep it is. Once you get to the top, you get a wonderful view of the Cottonwood Canyon and parts of the Gallatin Valley. Anyone that does that hike every morning is certainly worthy of being a part of the Ridge Runners' Club.

Another Award is the Grimmer. Grimmer is a wooden statue of a bear that we hand out to whichever cabin is the cleanest. We have campers clean their cabin every morning after breakfast. Once we examine them, we declare a winner at lunch. The cabin that gets Grimmer gets to eat first. Its definitely an award I want. Your kids can get pretty creative with their clean ups.

The greatest award that YAA gives to a camper is the Soaring Camper Award. At YAA, we strive to direct people to Jesus Christ and develop them to reflect his character. So, it is only natural that we reward those that resemble a quality of Jesus. The Soaring Camper goes out to one girl and guy each camp session. Every camper and counselor vote to see which one they think was the best servant and had the best attitude throughout the week. I am always amazed to see the caliber of kids that come to this camp. It is not a easy decision, to say the least, to pick just two campers for this award. I look forward to seeing who the two are for this week.

After dinner, we split up into our 4 competition teams. Throughout the week, we will have competitions to eventually declare one team the winner. There are a wide variety of games. Everything from tug-o-war (which we did today) to the Great Race. The four teams this week (which your kids came up with the names) are "Mythbusters," "Rock Hard for Jesus," "Kamikaze Cats," and "Flying Frogs." Make sure you ask your kids about the cheers.

After running around, we settled around the fire pit for Fireside. At Fireside, we get to have some fun watching the high school service team do a funny skit and then do some crazy worship songs. We then get to hear some stories from Jerome and Harriet Jackson. The Jacksons have been sharing about missionaries all over the world. There are some amazing things that God is doing throughout the world. Everything from aviation mission groups to the famous Jim Elliot story, the Jacksons know it all. They get everyone on the edge of their seats.

Well, it is getting close to lights out here. I better be going. I am the Program Director at YAA. I get to plan all the fun that your campers are having this week, and I don't think there is a better job here. Thank you so much for entrusting us with your kids. I look forward to seeing you later this week.

God Bless,
David Denny

Floating the River and Surprise Party!!

Hey Everyone!

Today was an amazing day at camp! The campers started off the day with The Nasty Bag Challenge. They had to dig through a bag of miscellaneous foods from pickled pigs feet to chocolate milk and eat sixteen of the items of food in the bag! It was a great time and the campers will remember what they ate for a long time to come.

In the afternoon we all loaded up to go floating on the Madison River. We had three large rafts and a whole bunch of tubes. There were campers all along the Madison River having a blast! Seaweed Wars and Tube Tipping were some of the day's fun experiences. We all made it to the landing spot eventually, although by the time we got back, we were all ready for a great dinner.

After the campers were all in bed, we surprised them with a Superhero themed party! Different staff members burst into the camper's cabins and excitedly announced the party. The campers were thrilled and were ready and eager to stay up later than they were normally allowed to. At the party we had a giant forty-foot ice cream sunday which everybody got to enjoy! The party was a great time for everyone!

The campers had a great, eventful day and I know everyone will be greatful for a good night's rest. We'll see you tomorrow!

Isaac King

"Nothing but Blue Skies Do I See"

My name is Elijah Scheidler and I'm a youth pastor from Billings, Montana. I have to be honest: I wasn't planning on being a camp counselor this year but I got roped into it. Myself and two of my youth group guys volunteered to come up to camp to do the worship and told Jim that we were willing to help wherever needed. I was thinking of work-crew or kitchen-crew...but Jim had other ideas. He needed counselors, I said I was willing to help wherever, so counselor I am.

I've never done camp counseling before but I have to say I'm loving it. I've got a cabin full of junior-highers, an awesome CIT (counselor in training), and we're having the time of our lives. No shortage of craziness, antics, and lots of...well...smelly, disgusting things.

We're boys and that's what we do.

Today was a stellar day. It was the first full day of sun we've had and we took full advantage of it. After breakfast the group headed off to play game with waterguns and Alkasetzer tablets. Each student has a tablet hung on a string around their neck and then they try to shoot it off with the waterguns. It's such great fun!

Sadly, I didn't get to participate. I was off in the chapel getting ready for worship. Let me tell you: your kids go crazy in worship. We have a rocking awesome time! Tons of jumping, yelling, fist-pumping, actions, and singing at the top of our lungs. I was losing my voice by day two and I was using a microphone! By the time we wrap up worship getting the campers to sit down isn't too hard--we're all pretty sweaty and out of breath by then.

Jason brought up a really relevant topic in chapel today. He asked us all how many of us felt like heros. It wasn't a rhetorical question--he asked for a show of hands.

Nobody raised their hand.

I have to admit, I was wrestling a little with raising my hand. I figured if I did it may be interpreted as being prideful or something. Jason went off of this thought and did an awesome job of challenging all of us to walk in our identity as God's kids. It doesn't matter what we've done, or haven't done; it doesn't matter how we feel or what others may try to tell us; the truth is, we are sons and daughters of God through Christ Jesus. In Christ we are more than conquers.

Not just conquerors--more than conquerors. That's pretty heroic, wouldn't you say? The kids really dug it. It sunk in.

After chapel we all split up for skill builders. I've been helping Joni teach the kids some folf skills. [For those of you who may not know, folf is frizbee golf.] The kids in our group are rocking awesome! I've had a few of them doing so well I'm not sure if I could compete with them. (That'll teach you some humility, let me tell you.) I love being able to encourage them in their growing skill and then watch them gain confidence. All of the campers I've gone out with really gather around each other and encourage each other with their new-found skills. In the group I had today, all four boys deliberated for at least two minutes on the best way to play a particular hole--no argument or ridicule. Just excited and thoughtful input. It was great to watch.

After lunch we again split up but this time for fun activities. We had it all today: volleyball, dodgeball, soccer, climbing, hiking, paintball, canoeing, and a bunch of other stuff. Jerome even got in on the action. He went on the zipline twice! The first time he just sat down and kind of slid off the platform. He said that on his way down he thought, "That wasn't so bad! Come on you've got to push yourself." The next time he went up he clipped in, took a deep breath and took a running jump off the platform! The kids were so pumped when he told them about it at fireside this evening!

Just as we were about to lower the flag before dinner we had a little bit of an emergency. (Deep breath, dear parent: no one was injured.) One of my campers came up to me smiling and told me, "I used the bathroom before I went paintballing and it was overflowing when I left. When I got back just before I came down here I checked it and, guess what? It's still overflowing. Isn't that crazy?" Then he walked off.

You know, "crazy" might not be the word I would use. Not in the, "Tee-hee, that's funny" way but more of the, "That's crazy! I'll bet our cabin is probably flooded by now" way. All is well. It wasn't too bad. We've got some rafts and can row out to our beds. The top bunks aren't submerged.

Trial by fire--I think I'm a real camp-counselor now.

It's been an awesome week and we're coming into the final turn for the finish line. One more full day before we have to head for home. It feels like we've been here for a month. Not in a bad way at all. It's just that there's so much stuff packed into each day that it feels like five. I'm glad I volunteered to do music and got roped into taking on a cabin. It really has been a great experience. My guys are awesome and I'm really going to miss them once I head home.

Now all of the strange and sundry noises that are almost a constant while I try to sleep....

...that I won't miss.

Hello there,

My name is Shawn Stenlund and this is my fourth summer as a counselor. This morning started off with more rain. It seems to be a common theme this summer, but despite the rain we had a great time on our morning hike. Mud sliding is one of my favorite activities here at YAA this summer.

Next on our schedule after breakfast of course was another team challenge that we named the scrambled egg game. What a game it is when we get to break eggs over our friend's shoulders, and it is also quite an exciting time as we watched they took pool noodles and tried to break the eggs that were on their friends shoulders.

We then heard from our speaker Jason who came all the way from Cheyenne Wyoming. He spoke about Abraham finally receiving the son God promised only to be tested by being asked to sacrifice his one and only son. Because of God's mercy and Abraham's faith, God spared his son from being sacrificed. I don't think I am ready to trust God to that level. Abraham was quite the man of faith.

Skill builders are next on our schedule of things to do. I got to lead six of our campers into the woods to do some geocaching with the five GPS units that the camp owns. We found to boxes that both had candy hidden in them, the candy was quite amazing. They also are learning how to orient themselves in the woods which an invaluable skill in this area of the country.

I and my cabin became quite excited at lunch today when Grimmer, which is the award for cleanest cabin was handed out and we tied with one of the girl cabins. Very impressive for a group of junior high boys.

In the afternoon activity area time thirty or so campers and I set out to play paintball. We played center flag football, two flag football, capture the flag, and defend the road. All great games as far as paintball is concerned.

We just finished our group game for the evening which was called Wells Fargo. There are two banks one that you withdraw money from which is on your side of the playing field and the other bank is the one that you get to deposit the money into. You carry the money in tube socks. If you get more money than the other team in the allotted time you win.

Right now I am headed to the chapel where Jerome and Harriet are telling your kids about all of the missionary work being done around the world through M.A.F.. M.A.F. stands for Mission Aviation Fellowship and they are a group of pilots who are using their skills to transport needed material to missionaries all around the world.

Have a good night and thank you for sending your kids to camp.

Still raining, but having fun!

Hello Parents!

The first full day of camp was filled with lots of fun that even a whole bunch of rain couldn't put a damper on!

Our days at camp start with an optional early morning hike. Your hikers today got to experience a muddy run down the big hill in the rain, which helped them finish in one of the quickest times of the whole summer.

After the hike, we were all ready for a good breakfast, and, as an added bonus, the sun came out! Later in the morning, we played our first group game, called the Water Pit Challenge. We got to see our new friends slide on a PVC pipe and try to fight each other into a big pit of cold water. I'm sure your campers will have a few stories to tell about their battles!

After everyone was dry again, we got to hear our speaker, Jason, give a message about faith and how all heroes have to have faith in something. Also in chapel, we got to worship with Elijah and his group from Billings. They definitely added some intenisity to our chapel services!

During skill builders this morning, we split into groups to learn about different areas like crafts, camp craft, archery, riflery, along with a few others. I was in camp craft today, and we learned about purifying water, how to dig a poop hole, and also how to tie a few different kinds of knots, but most importantly, we learned that God is always with us, even when we are camping.

In the afternoon, we got to sign up for different activity areas, like canoing, field games, climbing, zipline, hiking, and others. We had fun getting to experience different activities and learning new skills.

After supper tonight, we played a game called Trench Ball. By itself, it would have been a fun game, but playing in the rain made it a ton more fun! Slipping and sliding while throwing balls at each other are key ingredient to a fun night at camp!

Once everyone was dry again, we got to have fireside inside the chapel again. Even though there was no campfire, we still enjoyed hearing from Harriet and Jerome as they told us about the missions efforts going on around the world.

Now, it's time for cabin devotions, and then it's off to bed so we can wake up rested and ready for a new day at camp tomorrow!

Thanks so much for letting us be a part of your kids' lives this week- I'm having a lot of fun getting to know each of them, and I'm looking forward to spending the rest of the week!

God bless,

Amy

Counselor for Cabin 6 aka The Gangsta Hippies

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Yet another wonderful camp at YAA has begun, and the theme for this afternoon is rain! It seems like every time we went outside to start doing a game it began to rain which forced us to go into the gym. Good thing too because one of those times it began to hail quite a bit. We still had a fun time getting to know one another and see what there is to do around camp.

One of the things we did was come up with some team and cabin names. The cabin names were quite an array. I don't think I'll ever understand all the ways a junior high mind can go. There were things as tongue twisting as the "Incredible Orange Atomic Monkey Brigade" to something as minimalistic as "The Cabin." I couldn't even remember all 9 of the cabin names or hardly spell them either.

The team names were a little easier to follow. There were only 6 this time: "14 musketeers," "Crazy Kumquats," "Coldstone," "Thundering Roadsters," "Clan of Macleo," and "Deaf Squad (in honor of how hard it was to hear when the hail was crashing on the aluminum roof)." Make sure to ask your kids about the team cheers.

Once we got the names figured out, we had a good old fashioned competition of tug-o-war. We even got a little 4-way tug going on as well. Its amazing how much they get into a game once you mention the word 'competition.' The games will progressively get a little crazier as the week goes on. It'll be good.

We finished our day with a fireside talk. We had a funny skit done by our high school service team which was followed by some worship songs led by our staff. Then our in-house missionary couple, Jermone and Harriet Jackson, and they started to talk about some of the amazing things that are going on the missionary field throughout the world. They always come every night with an amazing story.

Well, campers are starting to settle down in their cabins and lights will be out shortly. Aside from the rain, it has been another successful start at YAA. I am the Program Director at YAA and have a blast working with your kids. I look forward to the rest of the week and all the fun we have planned. Thank you so much for entrusting your children to us for a week. I hope they have plenty of stories to share with you when you pick them up.

Blessings,
David Denny

The End of a Fun Week

Hello Parents!

I can't believe the last full day of camp is almost over! This week has been filled with lots of sun and lots of fun, and today was no exception.

The day started with a hike again, which your amazing hikers finished in their record time. After a water game relay, your kids' counselors were wet, and everyone was hungry and ready for another good breakfast.

We had some fun and used some creativity during cabin cleanup this morning. I'm guessing that cabins looked more like your kids rooms at home than the past few days' cleaning did. I was impressed with everyone's creativity, though!

In chapel this morning, Pastor Kevin talked about what being a hero looks like. We learned that heroes set an example in speech, love, life, faith, and purity. Pastor Kevin once again gave a powerful, passionate message that left everyone feeling convicted and inspired to truly make Jesus our hero.

Instead of afternoon skill builders, we played a game called The Great Race, which was a cummulation of climbing, riflery, archery, and camp craft. Teams got clues, which lead us to the different areas where the campers that were in each skill builder got to show their team what they learned, while competing against the other teams. My personal favorite was camp craft, where your campers had to build a fire, then roast a marshmallow for everyone on their team. I loved watching your kids show off their skills to their friends and counselors. They were so proud of everything they had learned this week, and their excitement was contagious!

At the end of the Great Race, the hot sun met its match on the soccer field with water balloons, hoses, and a giant slip and slide. This was many camper's favorite part of the week. We all enjoyed getting soaked, and the fun afternoon was a perfect fit for the tiredness that is starting to set in. All of the screams and laughter were sure signs of lots of fun camp memories being made.

Now, we are getting ready to enjoy our last fireside. We have enjoyed Jerome and Harriet's stories this week, and David Thompson's courage has left us inspired. Fireside is one of my favorite parts of the day. I love seeing your kids' faces as we sing, laugh, and listen together after a full day of camp. The conversations that spark because of the stories are a sweet way to end the day, too.

After fireside, we will go back to our cabins for cabin devotions and to prepare for a long, peaceful, uninterrupted night of sleep. Do you here me laughing? Let's just say, your campers could be in for a special surprise tonight!

Thanks you so much for letting me, and all the other staff, be a part of your kids' lives this week! It has truly been a joy working with them and learning from them. You are all raising some pretty special kids, and I've had a blast getting to know them this week! Thanks so much!

God Bless,

Amy (Super Silly Stallions Counselor)

Fun in the Sun

Hey Parents!

Today has been an action packed, fun filled day; jammed with zipline, paintball, skill builders and more. To start off the day a large group of the kids gathered together for the morning hike, a challenge today because we set off to hike the steepest way up the hill. Each and every kid amazed me as I watched them start off struggling through the hike on the first day and then flying up the hill today like nobody's business. Hungry and ready for fun the kids gathered together in the field after flag raising playing a rather intense team battle of "steel the bacon" with an oversized beachball. This was followed by a mad dash to the dining hall to be ready for breakfast.

As you know, cabin cleanup is a morning tradition involving the kids competing to win Grimer. Today was a tie between the Super Sonic Sunshine Girls, and the Fast Food Guys. Chapel with Pastor Kevin stressed the idea that you to can be a hero with God on your side, but the road is not always easy and it involves many challenges along the way. We did this by looking at biblical heroes who stood up for their faith like Esther, Shadrack, Meshak, and Abednigo, and many others. Pastor Kevin's messages have been powerful, leading many kids to accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. This is a powerful experience for both the campers and the counselors.

The skill builders have been a ton of fun, your kids are amazing an I enjoy watching them dive into learning a new skill. Each camper comes back to the cabin excited about hitting a bull's-eye or climbing a new route of the wall. Helping to run the climbing wall has been encouraging watching the campers encourage eachother and try new things. Your kids are truly amazing and have taught me a ton of new things through their attitudes and light spirits.

Today the campers also got a chance to experience paintball. A bunch of hooded kids with black masks on running throught the woods was quite the site. I had a blast playing with them and seeing the excitement on their faces when they hit someone or where showing off their bruises. It was a ton of fun. The girls also got to take a chance on the zipline.

Fireside consisted of "Lift Jesus Hiya!", Days of Elija, and Every Move I Make. Gerome, our camp missionary, continued the story of David Thompson and his mission work in Gabon, Africa.

Well the sun is setting and the kids are moving to their devotionals in their cabins. Thank you som much for letting me take part in your kids lives for this week!

In Christ,

Jessica Hawthorne (Super Sonic Sunshine Girls Assistant Counselor)