Summer Staff Training Week

    This week at Camp Alandale (6/13-6/17), we were introduced to our summer staff. These people are those who are going to be staying up at camp for the entire summer, with one week off for vacation. It was an amazing adventure and as the staff got to know each other, bonded, ate lots of food, and focused on learning the duties they were to perform this summer. There was much to learn, and much work to be done. In between the work and the learning, there were also many moments where God's hand was seen working and shaping the summer staff for His will this summer.

    The summer staff was directed this week by both Robin and Karen Wood, and Mike and Lisa Towler. We received mountains of paperwork and a lot of good information on how to do the specific jobs we will be doing this summer. All of it helps camp run smoothly. Some of the tasks include leading kitchen craft, helping with hikes, teaching craft, and preparing meals for the campers to cook. There were ten summer staff people in all, with five of them being veterans, and the other five being brand new to staff. It was fun to see how the new people interacted with the older ones and how the veterans stepped right up to help guide the newer staff members. Throughout the weekend there was a pervading sense of unity, even from the first day.

    We did a lot of work projects around camp also to get it ready for the upcoming campers. These included helping to design and to paint the theme for this summer; The Chronicles of Victory - The Armor of God, on the murals in the amphitheater. One of the afternoons, a staff member, Dave spent all afternoon working on painting the face of a Aslan the lion on the side of the amphitheater. It looks absolutely amazing, and we know that with the counselors and our help, the campers will get to see that lion as a representation of Jesus. We also helped to move some unneeded equipment out of the dining room in the house, and worked to finish the skit sets in the amphitheater. Brian and Stephanie, a brother and sister, worked hard to come up with costumes and fun ideas for the skits in the summer. Many other jobs were done that all helped camp be as ready as it could be for summer.

    One awesome thing we did was a Prayer Walk. On the last day, we as a staff went around to specific places all over camp and prayed for each activity that was going to happen there. We prayed for strength, endurance, for healing, and for love for all who came onto the camp. We left the camp that weekend knowing without a doubt that God was going to move and He was going to do amazing things this summer.

    We really want to thank you for the many prayers that you sent up for us before and during the staff training week. We send you this encouragement to not stop praying, because God is a great God and has already started doing His heavenly will here at camp. Thank you so much for the prayer.

Summer Staff 2011

Lacey, Jonathon, Stephanie, Brian, Zach, Barry, Hannah, Abby, Dave, and Kayla