Campers and counselors were up bright and early, after night swimming the evening before, ready for all that the first full day had in store. Since we do not waste any time at Camp Kesher, first thing, campers lined up outside the dining hall with their Color Wars teammates for their daily dose of calisthenics. The Color Wars is a long-standing Camp Kesher tradition that the campers look forward to every year, and this year’s teams are Yellow and Purple.
Later in the afternoon, the competitions kicked off with the Water Olympics. Both teams took a victory with Team Yellow winning the camp-wide race and Team Purple winning the cardboard boat event. After all that competition, our campers and counselors had some much needed free time. Some campers stayed in the pool while others made good use of the campgrounds by playing Gaga ball, painting in the Arts and Crafts room, or taking a power nap on one of the swinging benches.
Once free time was over, it was time to refuel at dinner before Mishkan. At Mishkan, we praised the Lord with music and dancing while speaker, Zachariah Karp, encouraged the campers to think like detectives. In fact, we even had a “guest detective” show up to speak to the campers (it was actually Zachariah!). The campers were introduced to the biblical and external evidence for the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua. Zachariah concluded by affirming 1 John 3:1–2a:
“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God.”
Please pray that each camper would take away that they, too, are or can become a child of God.
Briefly following Mishkan, pure jubilee came over the campers faces when they were told that our nighttime activities were a tractor ride and dodgeball. As mentioned, we do not waste time at Camp Kesher!
Please continue to pray for unique opportunities to minister to the campers. One of the girls’ counselors shared a special moment she had during the evening activities to pray with and care for one of the girl campers. It is in the moments like these that we truly get to see the Lord working in the lives of the kids as well as our own. In addition, lift up our counselors, that they would be energized, healthy, and reminded that, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).