By Holly Valentine
This weekend at Crystal Lake Camps was awesome! We started with some playing some basketball, frisbee, and gaga while we waited for everyone to arrive. When we were all there, we worked together to get to learn everyone’s names. There were teens and parents from New York, Boston, Ohio, and the greater DC area. All of the kids came with different camp experiences and all came together ready to have a great DiscoveryBound weekend!
The first night, we enjoyed games and a Barn Dance, which both the youth and adults enjoyed. Lots of running ensued and there were smiles all around. BJ had a remarkable victory in the limbo competition, surprising everyone by competing with his cowboy boots and wide-brimmed hat on.
Sunday morning we had church after breakfast – there were Sunday School classes with AJ the practitioner, the two chaperones, and Nabo, as well as church for all the other over-20s.
After church, we played ball on the lake, both in the water and on water crafts—stand-up paddle boards and kayaks mostly—as well as bouncing on the Aqua Glide water trampoline and going down the water slide. We spent a lot of the time listening to Duncan the duck quack and jabber away, getting attention from the kids and running away from others.
After lunch, we had our first class session, which included the high ropes course, archery, arts and crafts, field games, and hiking with Nabo. After the sessions, we played 8-Sticks – SUCH an awesome game. The kids loved the ability to constantly be working on their offensive and defensive strategies.
Right after dinner, we had an amazing inspirational talk and discussion from practitioner AJ. Later in the evening, we had some much-needed hangout, bonfire, and game time. On Monday, we had an awesome wrap-up – another time for getting on the ropes course, archery, arts and crafts, and games. Slowly, the kids left throughout the morning, ending in the final group leaving right after lunch.
I am so thankful for everyone I got to meet this Labor Day weekend and all of the awesome conversations we all had and witnessed. Thanks DiscoveryBound for setting up all that we got to enjoy!
Holly is a lifelong Christian Scientist who has spent many years attending and working for the AU Ranches in their rafting and water programs. She currently lives in Lewisburg, PA with her husband and works for Bucknell University. She loves all water activities, ropes course, rock climbing, biking, dancing, coloring, drawing, and dog-petting.
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