Family Camp

Wow, that was such a great time that we all shared at Quaker Haven!!! I wanted to thank all of the adults who helped set that up. It was indeed worth it all! There is probably nothing I enjoy more than being with my friends, and it was so nice that we all got to be together for such a long period of time. It went by very fast, and I enjoyed every minute of it!! I can't wait until we go again next year!
I wanted to tell about my favorite activity that we did at camp. For those that didn't go, Bob taught Bible study on Saturday, and he used a very clever illustration. He had one person start off by holding onto a ball of red yarn. As we were all gathered around in a circle, that person was to pick someone else who really impacted their life. After you made your selection, you were to tell about how that person has helped you and impacted you. When all of this was completed, you were to hold on to the end of the yarn and throw the ball to the person that impacted you. Your selected person would then do the same to someone else, and by the time everyone had picked the one person that means alot to them, the yarn was going all different directions which made it look like a spider web. We were then instructed to pull the yarn real tight, and that symbolized the strength in the bond between you and the person you picked. As we pulled and grew closer together, Bob came around with a pair of scissors and cut each bond, one by one. That symbolized the fact that when someone doesn't do their part in a friendship/relationship, the bond begins to wither, and before you know it, you are disconnected. It's sad to think that such a strong bond can be broken like that. However, that is why we must all do our part to be friends with one another. We, (myself included), should always treat others as we would want to be treated. If we stay strong and do our part, nothing can separate the bond that we all have with one another. This bond I speak of is REAL. It's not something imaginary; IT IS THERE! I believe the main message in Bob's lesson was to love others and be a good, friendly Christian. There is nothing more pleasing to God than to witness His children love one another. It was truly a wonderful lesson; thank you, Bob!
There were many other wonderful moments that I could tell about. If you were to take out all of the fun, sports, jokes, games, and whatever else besides the love that was there, it would still be worth it all just to go there and experience the love that each individual has for one another. The love is strong, and the bonds are strong. It was also nice to be able to meet some new people that I now call my friends!!! It was also good to reunite with people I haven't seen in awhile and people I don't see very often! One person in particular that I was able to reunite with was Kaneesha. (Bob's daughter) I had not seen her for quite awhile, and she was also the person I picked during the yarn illustration! I have known her for a very long time, and we were able to talk about the days when the church was very small and when I was basically the only kid that was attending Hinkle regularly at that time. Ever since I can remember going to Hinkle, she has been my friend. The friendship that we shared was the reason behind me picking her to toss the ball of yarn to. Even though the church was very small, she made me feel very welcome there. We went on and on talking about memories that were made at Hinkle. It was nice to be able to discuss those memories and reconnect. I'm glad she made me her friend when I was very young! Because of God's healing power that covered Hinkle, all of us are now able to make more memories with more people!
Why don't we all try writing about our favorite memories from camp? I think it would be a great idea to share the moments that stood out to us the most! My reason for posting this is to thank those who helped make all of it possible. I know God ultimately is responsible to Hinkle's growth, but I felt like I should thank the people who allowed God to use them like this. It was truly a time to remember, and I think the main theme in all of it was to be a friend. Atleast, that's what I got out of the whole experience. Being a friend can mean much more than we might expect. I hope we can always be friends with one another. If we stay consistent in our growth with Christ, then the love that we all share will also grow. Well, thank you all for playing a part in making another memory.

(Unless I feel I am supposed to do it differently, I think I'm going to make the teens' Bible study lesson on friendships from a Christian perspective!)

Thank you all for being my friends!! :)