Sunday Fun-Day - Session 1
Dear Skyline Parents,
What a weekend it’s been. The past two days have been nothing short of magical for the girls–and take it from me–it is very evident that they are having the BEST time!
After the simplicity of movie night yesterday, the girls woke up refreshed and ready to endure all the action we had planned for our Sunday. But before we jumped straight into the fun (as we usually do,) we opted for a slow morning to prepare the girls’ hearts and minds for church and spending time with the Lord. We had a late morning with a wake up time of 8:45 am before heading off to flag raising.
Next, it was time for breakfast. The counselors and staff usually go into the dining hall before campers to make sure everything is prepared for them when they come in. At every meal time, I’ve begun to pick up a habit of watching the waiting girls through the door. Their little hands and faces are always pressed to the glass, eager to get a glimpse of what we’re serving. Today, they were delighted to find donuts dusted in powdered sugar, glazed strawberries, and bacon waiting for them at their seats! Sunday breakfast is always a big hit; not only because of the special meal, but because the girls can stay in their pajamas until cabin clean-up. It made me smile to see all the girls still in their pjs with messy hair chatting enthusiastically with their friends, because it’s what I imagine all of you get to experience with them every single morning.
After cabin clean up, the girls attended Sunday School with their age groups. In the class I attended, the girls learned about sacrifice and how the death of Jesus on the cross was the greatest sacrifice of all. In small groups, they had the opportunity to connect what they were learning to their own lives by exploring what it means to “sacrifice” something. On a poster, the girls wrote down how they can make daily sacrifices at camp as a way to demonstrate their love for another person. They wrote things like “Let someone else go on the slip and slide first,” “Share your Beli Deli snacks,” and “Give someone else your turn at circus.” Then,they wrote their daily sacrifices on slips of paper and made paper chains to hang in their cabin as a reminder of how we have already received the greatest gift of all through Jesus’ sacrifice, and that we can be sacrificial in our daily lives, too.
Once Sunday School finished up, we headed over to the gym for the church service. It was a pretty rainy morning, so the usual sea of Sunday white was dotted with colorful rain jackets and rain boots. We stood together and lifted our voices to the Lord with a few hymns led by our counselor choir. Next, Pastor Dave Latham spoke out of Psalm 130. He reminded us that though we are sinners, our God is a gracious and forgiving God. He encouraged the girls to seek a personal relationship with God, because with Him there is redemption and steadfast love. After Dave ended the service in prayer, the girls wrapped their arms around their friends and we sang Skyline’s alma mater. Their voices sounded beautiful, and their subtle smiles and laughter while swaying back and forth together was a wonderful thing to witness. Whether your girl has spent the past week reconnecting with old camp friends or making brand new ones, I can guarantee that she is surrounded with sweet friendships she will treasure even after her camp days are over.
When church was over, we enjoyed chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and rich chocolate eclair for lunch before indulging in an extra long rest hour to sneak in some quiet time before the excitement of this afternoon’s Carnival.
Despite the constant downpour we’d been enduring all day, the Carnival was still in full swing. The gym was decked out with colorful Carnival-themed posters and triangle banners. The glow of our outside string lights against the dark cloudy sky reminded me of the dim lighting in a real big-top circus. The rain moved most of our activities inside, but the girls didn’t let it break their spirits. There were still so many fun options to choose from! We had ring toss, bowling, hair tinsel, face painting, coloring sheets, giant Jenga, and karaoke! The girls skipped through the gym with their friends, singing along to Teen Beach Movie’s “Crusin for a Brusin’”, “Unwritten,” by Natasha Bedingfeld and “Classic” by MKTO. Some of them took to the stage to put on a karaoke performance of each song, while others held hands and danced together.
Outside, the fun kept on going. The girls could choose from classic carnival treats like cotton candy and shaved iced, and there was so much popcorn being popped that it smelled just like a movie theater! In between enjoying snacks and partaking in indoor activities, some girls braved the chilly rain and experienced the thrill of inflatable water slides and obstacle courses. All in all, I was inspired by their ability to not let the dreariness of the day get in the way of their fun!
Tonight’s nighttime activity was supposed to be Counselor Hunt, but due to the weather we opted for a club Cheer-Off. The girls were split into smaller groups and each group was given a special assignment to create either a cheer without motions, a cheer with motions, or a new club song. The girls had 30 minutes to get their creative juices flowing and practice their cheers to perfection before performing in front of the whole camp!
Every single group wowed us with their creativity and charm. Some notable lines from the cheers included “R-E-D H-O-T come on Mounties cheer with me,” “Campers, Campers, can’t you see? The Rangers, Rangers can’t be beat,” and spelling out “T-R-O-O-P-E-R-S” while simultaneously doing the moves to the hand jive. The oldest campers, who were charge of creating the new club songs, took creative liberties by making up new words to existing songs. The Troopers did a rendition of Justin Bieber’s “Baby,” while the Rangers covered “Since U Been Gone” Pitch Perfect style. During the intermission, the Counselors had about 5 minutes to come up with their own cheer on the spot. The campers loved seeing their counselors up there cheering too, and it gave them a chance to rest their voices before the final round: perform an existing club cheer!
Each club performed one of their familiar cheers with all of their might,and the energy in the gym was electric. Shortly after, Ivy announced the results: Rangers in third, Mounties in second, and Troopers in first! The celebration of the winners was loud and passionate, but all the girls made sure to sing one final cheer to demonstrate good sportsmanship: “Good job everybody, good job everybody, good job everybody, we hope you did alright!”
Bedtime came after the rain-check activity, which was much needed after an evening with lots of yelling and cheering. I’m sure the girls are probably sleeping soundly after another day of living camp life, but make no mistake that they will wake up super pumped for daily activities to resume tomorrow!
Up next is tomorrow night is Speed Challenge, so as you can tell, the fast-paced excitement never ceases here at Skyline! You’ll hear all about Speed Challenge soon enough, but in the meantime you can check out today’s “Day in Camp” video. We’ll catch up soon!
With love,
Sydney
