Hey Camp Fam

Hey Camp Gilgal family! I’m writing to you on day 2 of a period of working from home as New York City is doing what it can to curb the spread of COVID-19. I’m sure that a lot of you are getting bonus days off of school and that some of you are figuring out online school and that your family is having extra “togetherness time” too.

PeachFuzz is obsessed with my computer keyboard, so writing things or working on projects is a little tricky (I’m typing this on my phone), but we’re also scheduling lots of extra hangouts and Bible studies over on Skype (check Facebook or Instagram for the schedule updates).

The easiest work for me to do from home right now is talking on the phone—so if you’re bored or worried or need help with homework CALL OR TEXT ME. Social distancing doesn’t need to mean social isolation. This is the time for all of our skills with our phones to really pay off! Use your instagrams to share Bible verses that are giving you life right now! Share favorite podcasts or Spotify playlists. Let’s encourage each other Camp Family!

Love, RedSox

Wrapping up junior camp

Hi Camp Gilgal family,

We’re sorry that posting has been a little light this junior camp! We’ve been having a great time with your campers and as I write this we are in our last Shabbat service and hearing from Beardo about the parsha. Before FOB all of the tribes met the point bar and were given invitations to the party tonight which is the culmination of our camp celebrations: Shabbat dinner, award ceremony, testimony campfire, and our party…all tonight! This has been an amazing year reflecting on what it means that the one who created everything wants to be the king of our hearts and lives. I hope that the words of Psalm 145:3-13 are a gift to your campers and your families that keeps on giving.

Thank you for letting us play a small part in the lives of your families, we are so grateful to have spent these days with your children.

Shabbat Shalom!

RedSox

Field Trip Day!!!

We can’t believe that it is Wednesday already! We’re at campfire right now after a day at the aquarium. We saw lots of amazing sea creatures including a tank of sting rays we could pet!

The tabernacle lessons have been focusing on the Kings of Israel and we are getting well established in our tribes.

Please pray that the good weather would continue and that the campers would continue to grow together and grow up in the Lord.

Blessings,

RedSox

Further dispatches from week 2

Last night we played Mission Impossible!!! The tribe of Benjamin (younger boys) led valiantly by Verde triumphed in this game of sneaking, scavenger hunting, and clue solving. MI is an all around favorite and we’re gearing up to play Capture the Degel today.

In tabernacle we’ve been moving through Joshua and we’re looking at chapters 10 and 11 today.

Today is our last normal day in the schedule. Most of the kids have finished their drums-they look great and I do apologize for the racket that this particular craft brings!

This morning is gloriously cool and clear after some intermittent rain yesterday. We’re having a great session of Junior Camp and can’t believe it is almost time to return your campers to you!

Woah, and just like that we’re in week 2

The first week of camp flew by! The first few days were super hot, then the weather changed and right in a row we had field trip day (baseball game with fireworks), Shabbat, Yom Sussim (horse day/Israeli day), laundry day (super chill day with long stretches of swim time, FOB, tribe time, and all camp activities), and now we get new activities today!

As I sit in Tabernacle singing with the worship team, made up of campers and staff and reflect on the week we’ve been through it is amazing how much we’ve seen the campers grow and how much we’ve seen the tribes come together. Tonight is sleep out night and I can’t wait to see what week 2 has in store for us!

Favorites from week 1:

Breakfast:waffles with whipped cream, strawberries, and chocolate shavings

Lunch: tacos

Dinner: Pizza and wings; any of the cooked vegetables

Dessert: Shabbat brownie sundaes

Field Trip!!!

Tonight we left camp and had a field trip to a minor league baseball game with fireworks afterwards. The home team won, which I’m not sure we’ve ever seen before! It’s still warm, but the worst of the heat seems to be behind us and the campers are all doing well and being super responsible with keeping their water bottles refilled.

Tomorrow is the last day of first week activities-this week the campers have been in Hebrew, craft, hiking, field sports, mad science, basketball, and archery. The campers all finished lacing their leather drum crafts yesterday and practiced painting on paper today while we wait for their drums to finish drying.

Today in tabernacle we looked at Joshua 2 and the second set of spies being sent into the promised land assisted by Rahab and we talked about her faith.

The memory verse this year is Psalm 46 and the campers are all moving through it at a shocking pace. Tomorrow is Shabbat and I can’t believe we’re already to the weekend-after such a sweaty week laundry day is going to be a real gift!

Keep checking Facebook and Instagram for photo updates and we’ll try to get a longer update up over the weekend.

Thanks!

~RedSox

Photos from the first couple of days

First 30 hours or so of camp

The first full day of camp is always eventful as campers and staff get to know one another and begin to settle in. This year was even more extreme because we’ve been in the middle of an obscene heat wave-97 degrees yesterday, and mid 90s with a breeze today! The campers have been diligently filling their water bottles and we’ve been pacing our time outdoors. This evening we played water games and as I type this…it’s raining! I’m so thankful for the cool breeze blowing through the cabins as the campers sleep and am looking forward to a slight chill in the morning air!

Last night the campers made tribe flags and we had our first campfire. Today the campers chose activities, started on their drum craft, and took their swim test. The Gilgal store is stocked with flashlights, stamps, water bottles, and extra toiletries and we had many campers avail themselves of the necessities tonight. Tomorrow is a pretty normal day in camp and we’ll end it with a campfire. The campers got their memory verses today (Psalm 46) and we invite you to be learning it with us-what a reminder that God is our refuge and strength!

Lilah Tov Camp Gilgal Family!

RedSox