I struggle to find the words to explain what a blessing our Bible Camp at St. Vincent Ferrer is to our family each year. The timing, and theme, are ALWAYS so apropos and heavenly. I love it more than words can say.
First of all, I cannot believe that one of our kids just aged out as a camper. I started volunteering for bible camp in 2007 when Madi was only two years old. And next year, at eleven, she'll no longer be a camper. But I do, thankfully, have high hopes to have her as a helper in my group, which will be an exciting new mother/daughter chapter for us and certainly something to look forward to!
This year's theme was Angels, and it was a privilege to be a group leader for the littles (Charlie, Joey, and Lulu). All the kids totally embraced the camp each day, but seeing Lulu in bible camp for the first time was such an extra-special blessing, and I am thankful that I got a front-row seat at watching her partake in every bit of it. She played the games and thoroughly enjoyed them so much. I credit one of the games in teaching her how to count to ten!
Lulu, of course, cleaned her snack plate like a champ. Charlie got a taste of marshmallow fluff for the first time, and let's just say our son was smitten.
The kids made such fun crafts, and our friend Jules was there as a helper in our group which made it even better. One of our favorite crafts was when the theme was about Daniel and his Protector Angel. They made a lion mask that day, and Lulu ran into the bathroom four times to see herself in the mirror. She LOVED it. Another favorite craft of hers was a crown they decorated. Again, she ran into the bathroom numerous times to check herself out and tried to drag Charlie in there with her. So precious to see the joy of things through her eyes...
On Wednesday, our theme was Comforter angels. In Bible lesson the kids played a three-legged race game about being comforter angels to each other by showing support and walking together--the way our guardian angels walk beside us. Well, Charlie and Lulu were partnered up together. I was a little nervous about how Lulu would do with their legs tied together (her strong one, no less), but they did GREAT. And they worked together so well! Of course they did. Charlie's the sweetest, kindest boy in the world, so he didn't care less about going fast, and they made it back without tripping up once. It was a proud Mommy moment (as you can see in the background, lol).
To wrap up the week, the kids took a walk to the Adoration Chapel. One might think, "Really? Taking 18 six-year-olds to the Adoration Chapel...are you people CRAZY?" They were perfect angels, all of them. They were quiet as mice and showed amazing reverence as we spent a few minutes in the presence of Jesus. It was beautiful and we were so proud of them! When we returned, Mrs. Socha gave them each a miraculous medal and pin to keep.
The following week, we joined friends at Son Life Lutheran Church Bible Camp, which was new to us, and it was also an amazing experience. Since their enrollment was age-based, Joseph ended up in a different group than Charlie and Lulu, and it was interesting that he was really happy about it. I think he simply embraced the feeling of being "the older brother" which doesn't happen often since they're kinda like twins. I pretty much tagged along with Lulu that week since it was all so new to her, and Madi was with one of her best buds which made her happy. It was yet another wonderful experience, and in addition to Lulu's love of singing songs, she also experienced her first petting zoo! I seriously can't love bible camps enough and adored seeing how the kids grew in their faith over those couple of weeks.
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