The first day of second session started off with the promise of no rain with all of our activities outside in the sunshine with smiles on our faces and sunglasses perched on our noses. The campers woke up to do their kapers and then we all marched down to Sunday School and breakfast.
Sunday School was a blast and I had the privilege of teaching a class of Atira/Seneca campers. We talked about what it means to deny yourself as a material man and see yourself as the perfect spiritual being that God has made us to be. We all stood out on the game field and we asked our campers to open their eyes and tell us what they saw.
At first, their descriptions went along the lines of, “I see a Sunday School class sitting on the outdoor stage and the mountains behind them.” We then asked the campers to close their eyes again and clear their minds of any false beliefs. When they opened their eyes again, we asked them to see the spiritual representation that God had presented for us. The Sunday School class just sitting on the outdoor stage suddenly turned into, “Children of God expressing their God-given qualities and demonstrating the wonders and talents we’ve been given in the beautiful and serene mountains God placed us at with purpose.” It was really cool to see how excited the campers were to see the same thing twice, but see something completely different from the time previous. They mentioned how heart-warming and free it felt to see through God’s eyes and I’ve been reminding myself of that constantly now as I go about my day.
Book-marking proceeded after Sunday School and the LTs, CITs, and counselors spread out to help our new campers and younger ones learn how to mark their own books and read from what Mrs. Eddy has named our pastors. It was during this time that the rest of the campers from Mexico showed up from their long trip. The happy reunions among campers and staff was a sight to see as we all hopped up from our chairs to greet our friends.
Last year this session, I was a counselor in the cabin Atira where we had two girls from Mexico and the rest from all around the U.S. I don’t have those girls again this summer being in Nikahu, but I watched as the reunion of these close cabin mates took place. It’s such a joyous and uplifting experience to watch as language barriers break down, leaving no room for discomfort. The conversations they have and the interactions they’ve expressed throughout their day have motivated me to be even that more loving with the people I can communicate with.
Having the international campers here at CLC is my absolute favorite thing to experience. I’ve learned so much about so many different cultures – Russia, Latvia, Mexico, Guatemala, Argentina, Germany – and meeting with these young, loving, practicing Christian Scientists from all over the world, makes me feel more at peace when I’m traveling. The idea that God really is all over the world and providing us with what we need is so evident in these day to day interactions.
The barn dance last night was in full swing and since none of the barn music we played had any lyrics in any language, we were all laughing and having a good time without the need to express how much fun we were having. It was just evident in the way we danced and swung each other around during a very intense Chicken Dance.
I feel so blessed as this second session is coming into full swing. There’s so much going on and so many beautiful moments I’ve already seen either with my own eyes, or through the lens of the camera as I carry it around. Campers are starting to come up to me on the daily to say “Take my picture!” with huge smiles on their faces and arms around their friends old and new because they want these memories to last.
It’s going to be a very good session here. I can feel it! Or should I say muy bueno?
All the Love,
Zoë
Nikahu Counselor, Trail Blazers Director
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