Torchlighter!!!

Yesterday, i was bestowed the honor of being torchlighter at our final activity of the day (torchlight.......how appropriate). I know this will probably mean nothing to any of you, but i thought i should note it, maybe so i can read it over someday. All it really is, is the person that gets to light the torch, kind of olympic style, at the beginning of evening festivities. They make a big deal out of it here. They mostly give it to campers, but yesterday they gave it to a counsellor on both the boys and girls side of camp. It's usually someone that has carried the "spirit of a champion" that day, but there are so many other people who deserve it other than me, that really go unnoticed. I was very honored to receive it, but i don't like the politics involved behind it. Plus i feel like I haven't given all that i have just yet. Anyway, i'll try post a picture of it soon.

*Note: This is for all the X-Faithers* We had the most incredible game of "Potty on your neighbour" last night with our cabin. For those who don't know what that is, it's basically a card game where the person with the lowest card gets a strike, 3 strikes you lose, and face a consequence. Everyone gets one card and you have the option to trade it with the person on your left, and so the game goes in a circle. Anyway, our cabin played last night with our consequence being the loser had to jump in the lake with all their clothes on and rub mud in their hair like shampoo......oh poor Max Kunik. The last round of play, just about everybody had 2 strikes (there was about 13 of us) and by process of cancellation (there's a lot more rules i won't care to explain) he ended up losing. But he took it like a man, and put on a show for the rest of the campers. He pretty much covered himself in mud.....it was hilarious. The thing i liked about it the most, was that it was a great time for Sam and I (my co-counsellor) to build up relationships with our cabin. We really got a fell for how everybody acts, and some of their personality traits. I really feel that God has a strong presence in our cabin. From our game last night came a plethora (sorry bout that word) of conversation the next day, and some of it even involved religion.

~Lord, i ask that you continue to strengthed the bonds we have with our campers and that those relationships will lead to more conversation about you. Father i pray that they may see my every action as an act of worship to you and your Son. You know that these campers long for Your presence in their lives, and i ask that they may see that in accordance with Your will~

I noted in my last blog that this term is mostly full of Jewish campers. Well yesterday i seemed to forget that while i was teaching swimming lessons. I had them tread water to build up endurance for the kilometer swim they have to do at the end of the term. And i thought it would be a good idea to sing some songs while they were doing it, so the first thing i thought of was: "OK guys! It's Christmas time, we're going to be singing some Christmas carols today" Then one little kid bobs his head out of the water and says "But half of us are Jewish". Everybody started laughing, and i have to admit, i did too. I completely forgot that Jews don't celebrate Christmas. So we ended up singing Waltzing Matilda instead. The cool part was that most of the Jewish kids didn't care and got a laugh out of my slip up.

~Father i thank you for the love and the tolerance you have placed inside these campers, and in a way i pray that we can find a way to break down the religious barriers and come together as a whole to worship You, that is pleasing to You. Amen~