It’s hard to believe this is the last full day of camp. Sabbath services began with beautiful worship that brought us all into the presence of God. Zachariah Karp led the liturgy and Toby Mann brought a powerful message entitled “God helps us when we follow Him.”
Campers were encouraged to write down on a bulletin board the things that they learned from the week. A few of those comments included the fact that God will never leave them. What a great comfort and lifelong truth to hold onto!
After services, color teams prepared for steeplechase, a camp tradition that uses the entire campground as a relay race. The mint and tangerine teams went head-to-head in boating, archery, hockey, bracelet-making, golf, basketball, swimming, and running. Both teams were equally matched, and the lead switched three times during the entire course. In the end, the mint team was the one to slice through the finish line banner!
After everyone caught their breath, it was off to lunch at the mess hall and an afternoon rest. Campers worked diligently on the bonus Bible verses during the afternoon. Each team knew that John 8:31–36 was worth 1,000 points for each one who could say it from memory. Campers lined up in front of counselors to recite what they had learned. It was amazing to see so many who could say it by heart.
With the sun high in the sky, we moved up to the field for some afternoon fun.
The slip-n-slide promised a mile-long ride of bubbly fun. Then a massive water fight broke out, and the water balloons rained down on unsuspecting campers. When everyone thought it was over, Zachariah pulled out cornstarch balls and the fun had just begun.
As the afternoon wound down, the smell of hotdogs and hamburgers filled the air. The camp chef had prepared a fabulous cook-out with corn-on-the-cob and watermelon! Campers enjoyed spending every minute together.
The finale of the color war began as the sun went down at Mishkan. Each color team had prepared a song to recap their week as a team. Both teams came up with creative renditions of familiar songs. The camp directors had a hard time choosing the winning song, but in the end, the mint team won for best song! After a careful tally of all the points, it came down to a few thousand points. Mint came through with the win.
A sweet Havdalah service and a camp-wide campfire with s’mores topped off the evening. Campers enjoyed taking pictures and talking about the highlights of the week. We were so thankful to God for such an amazing week. When the campers are picked up tomorrow morning, it is known by many that the countdown until next year‘s Camp Kesher begins again.