A Glimpse of Summer Camp, Part 1: Rodeo

Ah, Summer at Camp Wakonda...the air is warm, the sun is out, the forest is lush and thick. It's the first day of Summer Camp, and you and your new cabin mates make the trek under the county highway, via the pedestrian tunnel to the Wild Side of camp. After a brief hike through the woods, you arrive at a complex of barns, arena, and pasture: you're at the Horse Barn. Instrumental bluegrass music is playing over the speakers. Staff are dressed up in cowboy attire. American flags are waving in the wind.

The lawn is set up with various games and activities for adventurous campers: dunk tank, apple bobbing, pie-in-the-face, pudding eating, and arrow game. Face painting, cabin photos, petting zoo, and feeding the horses are additional activities. The pastor is in the dunk tank first, followed by your counselor. Everyone cheers as you throw the winning softball that drops them in the pool.

You celebrate with a snowcone, because it's hot, and maybe some popcorn too, just for that salty flavor. After a time, the staff call everyone over: it's time for the rodeo show. The Programs Director, shouts over the crowd the names of today's riders, and you watch as they jump crossrails, dodge barrels, and wave their flags as they ride past each other in synchronized routine.

Some rodeo clowns ride unicyles, jump and roll around in barrels, and pester the Programs Director, amidst funny, staged banter. Jugglers toss each other brightly colored bowling pins, and later swap them out for (blunted) knives. Good thing they know what they're doing!

After singing the National Anthem together, everyone is invited to enter the riding arena and take hold of a rope. It's tug-of-war: boys against girls! Of course, your team wins, after which time the Horse Barn Director says he's going to take on all of the campers by himself. You wonder for a second: is he really that strong? After the campers drag him through the dirt, you realize: it was just him being silly. He was a good sport to get so dirty.

You walk back over to the Main Side of camp--your face just a little sticky from the snow cones, your hands just a little dirty from the tug-of-war rope. Fireflies start to flash off in the dark distant forest. Summer Camp has begun. God's beautiful creation is gleaming all around you, and you know He's got big plans for this week. You can't wait for everything that comes next.