I am back and so excited to start camp this summer. I started around two weeks ago as the camp intern. I have just finished my first year of college at Moody Bible Institute majoring in youth ministry and cross cultural ministry. I was an ATL two years ago and am so excited to, right after my year of college, be given this opportunity to be serving as an intern with the Camp Gilgal family ( register now for camp) .
I am stoked to have the opportunity to come back to junior camp where we will be swimming, hanging around the campfire, horse back riding, and much more. This will also be my first time at teen and adventure camp. We are so excited about the new teen camp location and to be experiencing camp traditions in a new place as well as new traditions that will be remembered and continued in the years to come.
We are excited to be introducing to the campers to a new adventure camp trip that hasn’t been done for ten years. We will be participating in many aquatic activities together such as, surfing, sea kayaking, and much more.
I can’t wait and am excited to see what God will do in each of the campers and tribe leaders at camp this summer. We are praying that God will allow and bring in the right campers and staff for the summer and that they would leave refreshed.
Being a camper at Camp Gilgal is pretty fun, but have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a counselor? Well, I’m pretty sure we all have, so what if I myself were to be a counselor? Knowing me, the possibilities are endless. Let’s start with tabernacle. First of all, during worship I would probably sound like a person trying to audition for an opera and failing miserably, which would probably sound like this: “AAAAHHHHH”-*coughing, literally choking* and this is why I don’t sing loud. When we read the bible about a chapter I’m really into, I would be listening and helping campers find their page in their bible. This next area is somewhere that Camp Gilgal goes often: campfire. When we sing songs I would probably sing like a baby bird asking me for food. It would sound like this: CAWCAWCAWCAWCAWCAK (give me food right now woman)!! During campfire talk every time I agreed with something that someone said, I would say “AMEN TO THAT!!”This last area and time is my favourite: F.O.B.. F.O.B is the best time because it is a time to chill out.
As a counselor I think it would be twice as marvelous because I would be even more tired than I usually am, therefore I can enjoy it even more. Welcome to my ending. Thank you for reading this weird story on me as a future counselor.
Cole K.
Age:8
Tribe:Benjamin
Ninja Heist
Hi my name is Cole! The all camp activity I will be telling you about today is Ninja Heist. I really like Ninja Heist, it is so fun because I like getting tagged! So in the game there are 2 teams. 1 are ninjas and 2 are guards. We switch off teams. If you are the ninjas you run to get the treasure. If you are the guards you try to tag the ninjas and bring them to jail. The rules are away from the jail and no hiding the flag under the grass. One time, someone caught me. Ninja heist is so fun you should come to Camp Gilgal to play it. Ninja Heist is great if you like to tag and if you like to get tagged. Just like in Capture the Degel, the person who tags you has to escort you to jail.
In Ninja Heist you get to take turns being ninjas and guards, so you get both kinds of action. Ninja Heist is a game I learned at Camp Gilgal. This is my first summer and I can’t wait to play and come back next year!
Halye G.
Age:10
Tribe:Naphtali
Swamp Cows
Every night there’s something in the swamp that makes sounds. My radars (ears) recognized them as cows in the swamp. It is a deep, repeating, echoing MOOO! When we go to the dining hall, I try to bend over to get a peek to see what’s in the swamp while no one’s looking but there are guard’s (counselors) all over (probably to keep us safe!). I hop over rocks to see through the water, but there’s nothing, nothing except for frogs and turtles. Those aren’t the swamp cows! In the night I heard them so I look out my window and there was nothing! I woke up the next morning and there was nothing, no sound at all. I guess I’ll have to stay up all night to understand, or look in the swamp (or find a way to scuba dive to find them) and find the answer to my swamp question.
What do they look like? Do they scare the turtles? Are they really just bullfrogs like my staff said? I’ll just have to keep listening and keep hunting the sneaky swamp cows at Camp Gilgal next year!
Mason C.
Age 7
Tribe of Benjamin
Soccer at Camp Gilgal
This was my first year as a summer camper at Camp Gilgal. One of my favourite activities this year was soccer. While I was playing soccer I enjoyed getting hit in the face two different times. Both times I was running after the ball. Luckily I didn’t get hurt… it was just funny! One of my favourite things was being goalie. I really enjoy being goalie because I can stop the ball from going into the goal. I feel happy and accomplished when I stop the ball. My favourite part about soccer was playing defence and blocking the ball. It was my 2nd time playing soccer and I had lots of fun.It was a great activity!
Vivian K.
Age: 10
Tribe:Naphtali
Interviewing Aylo
Hi my name is Vivian. I am 10 years old and in the tribe of Naphtali. I’m going to be interviewing Aylo who is also 10 and in the same tribe as me. Aylo decided to become a camper because she went to WWW and had fun and also wanted to learn more about God. Her favourite book of the Bible is Psalms. Aylo’s favourite A.T.L. is Skidoo.
Her favourite candy is KitKats and that’s what she wants her counselor name to be. I can picture myself saying “sup KitKat”… one day! Ohh so precious. Aylo is going into 5th grade. Aylo’s favourite activity at camp is boating. Her favourite meal at camp is lunch. Her best friends are: me, Halye and Ava. In her free time she likes to draw. She told me that campfire and tabernacle make her closer to God. She says campfire talks are very inspiring. She likes the worship songs in tabernacle. That is all I have to say about the amazing Aylo!
Michelle B.
Age:12
Tribe:Issachar
Take Me Out To the Ball Game
‘Twas a dark and stormy day, we were all sluggish and it was pouring outside. Everyone was sitting in the Mishkan drenched and dead looking. Suddenly, Sneezy stepped into the light and said “Camp Gilgal we’re going on a field triiiip!” It was great, we thought it would continue raining but it didn’t! This year we went to a baseball game of the Valleycats v.s Lake Monsters and let me just tell you-Beardo was the only person who was actually watching the game. However, I was having just as much fun since I was talking and laughing with the people next to me.
I was sitting next to Hoops, Sarah and Isaac, and we were basically just laughing the whole time. It’s times like those that make camp fun because you get to spend time and get closer with people from camp. Because of the field trip, the 4 of us have a TON of inside jokes. Ok-fun’s over, the game’s done, Valleycats won (which was very surprising) time to go back to camp, but wait… all of a sudden BOOM SSS KAPOW! We look up and see beautiful huge fireworks! They were so close and I wish I could explain how amazing of a moment it was but it’s just one of those things where you have to be there to understand. Whites, reds, blues, oranges, the sky was bursting with colour and the crowd was filled with oohs and aahs. Basically, I loved the field trip, and it’s one of my favourite memories from camp.
I love to sing. Through this love my relationship with G-d has really strengthened. Asher, Elliot, Y’didiah and I have always sang at camp. The past three years at teen camp have been filled with medleys of Disney songs and One Direction. It’s not necessarily my type of music, but it is a collection we all know. We would get so good at these songs we’d harmonize. But at this point in time I was still way too nervous to lead in worship.
As I’ve been singing at camp endlessly throughout the past three years of teen camp, I’ve loosened up. I can sing anywhere with my tribe now, no matter who is watching/listening. Literally everybody in my tribe except one was on the worship team, and since this change in my confidence had occurred I was comfortable leading worship for the first time. I had a lot of fun and I sincerely loved praising G-d.
Leading worship was the first step towards bettering my relationship with G-d. Bettering your relationship with G-d and not relying on our own strength to complete our greatest challenges was what the lessons at Tabernacle and Shabbat were all about. As my heart gave way with worship my ears opened and I took in the message that all the goodness within us isn’t ours but G-d’s and that we need G-d’s relationship like we need air.
This message was something that I needed to hear and will stick with me forever, because the challenges that I face are way too difficult to complete on my own, and G-d can be that support in my life as my relationship continues to shape itself and evolve.
Boaz B.
Age:14
Tribe:Levi
Soccer
Soccer was fun, it was a Friday it was pretty hot and every 30 seconds Verde and Ruski told us to get water. Soccer was a little different because we only had seven players including Verde and Ruski. On my team was me, Judah and Verde, on the other was Ruski, Ephraim, Nathan and Daniel. The score ended up at 3-2 to us. Camp Gilgal has activities like soccer, basketball and white water rafting, and lots more. There are at least two activities a day.
If you are thinking of coming to Camp Gilgal or sending your kid, you have a good mindset, it’s a great place to find friends and connect with God and have a deeper connection with God even through the regular, daily activities.
Erik A.
Age:14
Tribe:Levi
T.A.W.G
The purpose and goal of Camp Gilgal is to get out of your busy and repetitive lives revolving around schedules especially as we are transforming teenagers. We come to camp happy, joyful, and sometimes confused, and even broken as life gets more complicated and eventful, especially in our day and age. However, in the midst of our questions and struggles personally or socially, there is a time to express it all with God first and then with Beardo. T.A.W.G stands for Time Alone With God, so every morning with no shame you express everything you want and need to our loving Father. Any question no matter how big or small, deep or shallow, will and can be answered. With the help of God and the use of Beardo’s knowledge, any confusion and question will be wiped away. It is the best time to just be one on one with God, as a child to a Father. Spiritual, mental, random, to specific questions can be asked, for there is no correct or wrong questions. No questions to ask? No problem. You can meditate on God’s words and learn so many things from laws, to our mission, to Jesus’ sacrifice and His love. With me specifically, I have questions about identity, our mission, how to serve God, how to read the Bible, and more.
As a Jew and a Christian, it is difficult to understand who I am and I was lost, however, because of God’s attention and care for us, God helped Beardo to help me understand who I really am. Thanks to the one and only opportunity to question and learn at teen camp, I have learned so much and grown. T.A.W.G was a very good opportunity to spend time with God, and learn where other places don’t have it. If you do go to teen camp, please take the chance to grow your faith and have questions. You will grow with God!
Jewish, Campy & Interesting 
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