Back From Camp, Extra Crispy
Well CJ, Mia, and I are back from camp. Mia wasn’t supposed to be attending until next year, but the past week’s dean threw us a bone, and my 5 year old got to hang out with the big kids.
Camp was always my favorite part of the summer. Going back as an adult, I’ve come to realize this particular camp is not so grand. There’s not an abundance of facilities. There’s no lake with canoes, no tennis courts, no olympics vs the ‘evil camp across the way’ like all the 80s movies we watched. But it’s all we needed then, and all my kids need today. The staff is great, and they really care about the safety and growth of the children. There’s a solid spiritual message being taught. I for one, will be taking my kids back every summer… unless they have to close the doors.
And that’s a problem. Every year they have to scrimp and save, beg and borrow, to stay open. They sometimes lack volunteers. There’s this idea of, “I’ve dropped my kids off – they’re your problem now”. Truth be told, a week at camp costs a LOT more than when I was a kid, but if some of their supporting Churches would see them as a real mission field (which it is) and start funneling as much money their way as they do towards the vacation style mission trips abroad, campers would probably see a decrease in cost and a bump in facilities.
We need to put our money AND time where our mouth is.
And here’s a tip once you’re there: When spraying down every kid within sight with sunscreen, hand the bottle to a friend and have them spray you too. I might as well have helped build houses in Haiti this week, my arms look like Tandoori Chicken.
You can help Camp Rudolph by volunteering for a week to be a teacher or cabin parent -OR- you can help support their mission to build homes for people in need this year, by sending a check to:
Camp Rudolph
19320 Darling Dr, Yale, VA 23897
(434) 535-8147