Let Us Press On

(Hosea 6:3)

The Gilgal Gazette is published by Camp Gilgal campers for Camp Gilgal campers.

Tribes:

Tribe of Isaachar: Abbey M., Haneen R., Louisa G., Sarai M., Vika S., Sparkler, Yoshi

Tribe of Benjamin: Benjamin R., Isaac J., Isaac Y., Jacob B., Jacob S., Simba, Maverick

Out-of-Cabin Staff:

Guests:

Directors:

Interviews and Family

Interview Simba

Q: What is your favorite color?
A: Red

Q: Where do you live?
A: Fresyes (Fresno)

Snapple

Amanda R., Age 11
Tribe of Judah

Snapple is super cool and nice. I really like her personality. That’s why I chose to interview her.

Amanda: How long have you been going to camp?
Snapple: 12 years

Amanda: What is your favorite part of camp?
Snapple: Getting to know and spend time with the campers!

Amanda: Do you like being in or out of cabin staff?
Snapple: Both in different ways

Amanda: Where did you grow up?
Snapple: San Francisco

Amanda: What is your favorite memory of camp?
Snapple: When my tribe won tribe of the year and we spent $86 on Chinese food!

Amanda: What is your favorite color?
Snapple: Green

Amanda: What is the name of the very first tribe you were in?
Snapple: Zebulun!

Getting to Know Hershey

Q. How long have you been a tribe leader?
A. This is my second year.

Carpetball Tournament

Q: How does it feel to win the carpetball tournament?
A: It felt amazing to win. I was surprised.

Jet

Isaac Y., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin

Jet is one of the out of cabin staff. Below I will interview him. Out of three years he’s done one year in cabin and the others out. He is cool! Interview below:

Q: Jet, when you were a small plane what did you do for fun?
A: I liked to go high as I could and visit my friends at different airports.

Q: Jet, did you go through all the camp?
A: Yes, and I’ve been on staff for three years.

Q: How has Camp Gilgal changed your life?
A: It told me about God and the personal experience about God. Camp Gilgal got me through the time where I was off the path and helped me get back on the right path.

Q: What is your favorite activity?
A: Basketball with friends

Q: Is camp your favorite time of the year?
A: Yes

Q: What is your favorite Bible verse?
A: Psalm 23, all of it

Q: What school do you go to?
A: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Streetlight

Q: How long have you been at camp?
A: Four years

Gonzo Interview

Q. Who was your favorite tribe leader?
A. My favorite tribe leaders were Jaws and Echo while I was at camp.

Bazooka-zooka Bubble Gum

Q: What was the first tribe you were in?
A: Zebulun

Spike

Interview Bandit

Q. How long have you been coming to camp?
A. Since I was nine, and my brother came and told me how fun and what a good time he had, so I wanted to go.

Phoenix

Sarah K., Age 12
Tribe of Naphtali

Q: Where do you live?
A: San Francisco, but moving to London

Q: Did you go to camp when you were little?
A: Went to a Jewish camp and was a Hebrew teacher at Camp Gilgal.

Q: How many languages do you speak and which ones?
A: Four languages: German, Russian, English and Hebrew

Q: How many kids do you have and what are their names?
A: Three kids: Noa, Boaz and Hati

Q: What are your favorite colors?
A: Purple and blue

Q: How did you know about Jews for Jesus?
A: Her husband, Big Foot, is a missionary with Jews for Jesus.

Q: How long did you live in Israel?
A: Lived in Israel for nine years, and that’s when she learned Hebrew.

Q: Do you like being a teacher?
A: Tries to make Hebrew fun in a short period of time as a Hebrew teacher.

Comments: Recommends a website diddl.co.uk to stay in touch with diddle and friends. Phoenix is a person who is a fun teacher and a nice person to talk to. It’s been great having her as my Hebrew teacher.

Maverick

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?
A: I like to play chess.

Moose

This is the interview of Moose. He started Camp Gilgal 19 years ago. So I’m interviewing him so I can learn more about him. When I asked him about his favorite part of camp, he said that he likes all the campers the best. I pressed on to ask him if there is any part of camp he ever misses and he responded by saying that it is the length of time between the end of camp and the beginning of next year’s camp.

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Tribes of Gilgal

Tribe of Gad

Robert G., Age 12
Tribe of Gad

Our tribe is called Gad. We have seven people in our tribe: Robert, Max, Ellis, Bandit, Gal, Austin and Gonzo. We are the oldest tribe this year. Our tribe symbol is a tent. Our degel (flag) is tan. It has a tent on it and the word tent written throughout the degel. Some things Max likes doing are swimming, playing catch and playing carpetball. Some things Ellis likes doing are FOB, devotions, sleeping. Gal likes to lie in his bunk and eat. Some things Austin likes to do are play soccer, swim and eat. Bandit enjoyed Capture the Degel, frisbee and water balloon volleyball. Gonzo likes to dance, get mail, and be an uncle. Robert likes to play sports, sleep and eat. Our cabin is called Buckeye Butte. We have to walk to super far up and down to our cabin every day. We always like to wrestle during FOB and make the tribe leaders mad. We have a GREAT tribe.

JJJJudah!

Mia C., Age 11
Tribe of Judah

The Judah tribe leaders are Bazooka and Hershey. The campers’ names are Kezia, Skye, Lindsay, Amanda and myself. I will tell you a little about everyone. Hershey is our morning alarm clock, meaning that if you don’t wake up, prepare to have your sleeping bag taken away! Bazooka usually sleeps during FOB and she comes up with really good ideas for any upcoming activities. Kezia is usually rather quiet but also does important actions to help our tribe. Skye is (as far as I know) the best duct tape bow, wallet and flower creator. “Everybody always asks for me to make them stuff,” says Skye. If you’re picky about the clothes you wear, you should talk to Amanda. One morning, she tried on at least 15 pieces of clothing before she was content with her clothing choice. This is Lindsay’s first year at Camp Gilgal. She has a twin sister, Abbey, who is in the tribe of Issachar. Lindsay’s favorite part of Camp Gilgal is Mission Impossible, because it was “very hard to get spotted and get the clues.” This is also my first year at Camp Gilgal, and I have learned so much about that it in these past two weeks. Our tribe has definitely become much closer than when camp started. I have to admit that there have been a few debates among our tribe, but no matter how intense the arguments are, we always settle them one way or another. Staying in Fiddletown with my fellow campers was an experience I won’t forget. I’ve had a great time at camp and I hope I can come back next year and meet new people.

Tribe of Benjamin

Ben R., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin

Hello, readers of the Gilgal Gazette!! My name is Ben, and I’m going to tell you about the tribe of Benjamin. Our tribe is a pretty cool tribe, but most of us are really jumpy and full of energy. Our tribe leader is Maverick. He’s a nice guy, but he comes up with the craziest ideas. Our ATL (assistant tribe leader) is Simba. He’s a good singer and guitar player. He tries to sleep a lot at FOB, but my tribe never lets him. I feel kind of sorry for him about that. I’m not going to get into that subject though. I could go on for hours. My tribe mates are really cool, but they have really different personalities. One is funny and loves to read. (That’s Isaac Y.) One is crazy and funny. (That’s Jacob S.) One is quiet and laid back, (that’s Isaac J.), and one is funny and very, very, very, very random (that’s Jacob B. We call him J. B.). If you noticed, we have two Jacobs and two Isaacs. I’m the odd one out. Our tribe is always thinking up crazy ideas. When we’re at a meal, we always try to say weird things and think up crazy things to say to get in line. Streetlight’s opinion of that is, “I love it. It keeps me thoroughly entertained!” Jet’s opinion is, “I first find it entertaining, than annoying, then I just hope they get called.” We’re sorry, Jet, but we won’t stop. I got some other tribes’ opinions on it. The tribe of Issachar said, “Ben-jamin!” The tribe of Gad said, “Overall, we’re a big fan.” The tribe of Naphtali said, “The tribe of Benjamin comes up with weird things to say at mealtime. They’re very entertaining.” The tribe of Zebulun said, “They’re competitive and witty (because of Maverick!). As you can see, we’re a cool tribe.

Tribe Articles

Matthew L., Age 12
Tribe of Dan

Who was in the best tribe of Camp Gilgal ’10?

This year in the tribe of Dan there were seven people: Malachai, Evan, Ben, Josh, Onyx, Barracuda and myself. We found that we were perfect for each other.

Onyx was our tribe leader and Barracuda was our ATL (assistant tribe leader). Onyx is very fun and funny. He let us play card games during FOB and is a responsible leader. Barracuda is more serious but still just as much fun as Onyx.

There were four campers in our tribe besides myself. Malachai is very humble and has a strong relationship with God. I think we could all learn a thing or two from him.

Evan I think is the person that pretty much makes up the center piece of our tribe. His personality is reflected through his fun loving and caring attitude that brings people together.

Ben lived in Uzbekistan for a year or two. He is a very strong willed and independent person who is always looking out for other people.

Josh is a very funny, light-hearted person who can always bring a smile to one’s face.

Our cabin had a lot of great people in it. I thank all the people that made Camp Gilgal ’10 possible.

Tribe of Issachar

Abbey M. and Sarai M., Ages 11 and 9
Tribe of Issachar

Hi, our names are Abbey and Sarai. We are in the tribe of Issachar which means “sun.” Also in our cabin are Haneen, Vika and Louisa. Our tribe leaders are Yoshi and Sparkler. We do a lot of things as a tribe. We think of ideas together, dress up for skit nights, eat meals together, go to Tabernacle together and other stuff. Now we will take some time to interview the people in our tribe.

Abbey Q: What is your favorite color?
Vika A: Purple

Abbey Q: What was your favorite thing we did as a tribe?
Vika A: I liked preparing for theme nights.

Abbey Q: What for you was the best part of camp?
Vika A: Wells Fargo and M.I.

Sarai Q: What is your favorite color?
Haneen A: Green

Sarai Q: What is your favorite thing we did as a tribe?
Haneen A: MI

Abbey&Sarai Q: What is your favorite color?
Louisa A: White

Abbey&Sarai Q: What is your favorite thing we did as a tribe?
Louise A: I enjoy FOB

Abbey&Sarai Q: What for you was the best part of camp?
Louisa A: M.I.

Abbey&Sarai Q: Did you grow up in a family that already believed in Jesus?
Yoshi A: Yes

Sarai&Abbey Q: How old were you when you started going to Camp Gilgal?
Yoshi A: Nine years old

Sarai&Abbey Q: What was your favorite thing you did as a camper?
Yoshi A: I definitely looked forward to the gutter of ice cream every year.

Abbey&Sarai Q: What is your favorite color?
Yoshi A: Cobalt

Abbey&Sarai Q: What was your favorite thing you did as a camper?
Sparkler: A: Hanging out with friends and playing Wells Fargo.

Abbey&Sarai Q: Did you grow up in a family that already believes in Jesus?
Sparkler: A: Yes

Abbey&Sarai Q: How old were you when you started coming to Camp Gilgal?
Sparkler: A: I was seven years old.

Abbey&Sarai Q: What is your favorite color?
Sparkler: A: Purple

Abbey: Q: What is your favorite color?
Sarai: A: Blue

Abbey: Q: What are your favorite things we did as a tribe?
Sarai: A: M.I.

Abbey: Q: What for you was the best part of camp?
Sarai: A: The games

Sarai Q: What is your favorite color?
Abbey: A: Turquoise

Sarai: Q: What is your favorite thing we did as a tribe?
Abbey: A: M.I.

Sarai: Q: What for you was the best part of camp?
Abbey: A: The games

Tribe of Naphtali

Leia B., Age 11
Tribe of Naphtali

“Julia, stop poking me,” I said. We were just about to arrive at camp and I was so anxious to see who was in my tribe and the tribe leaders I was going to have. We finally got up the hill and I figured out that I was in a tribe with Sarah, Julia, Katie, and Rachel. Also, our tribe leaders were Hoops and Acorn. We were all in the oldest tribe, which means we were in the bigger cabin called Grizzly Flat.

Life in the tribe of Naphtali is awesome. We all get along and have had so much fun the past two weeks. Living together here at camp with all my best buddies has been a great experience. We have so many funny memories together, like how I am writing this article and we are laughing so hard and having a lot of fun.

Tribe of Reuben

Noa B., Age 8
Tribe of Reuben

My name is Noa and the members of the tribe of Reuben are Maddie, Shannon, Zemeira, Rebekah, Waffles and Pixie. The name of our cabin is Hermit Valley. Almost all of us are eight, except Rebekah. Zemeira likes to play doctor and Rebekah likes to play Mission Impossible. Shannon likes Wells Fargo, Maddie likes carpetball and swimming. As for myself, I loved Skit Night. Pixie loves Wells Fargo and water balloon volleyball, and Waffles loves dinner at the creek and horseback riding. FOB is interesting in our cabin because we all stay quiet and rest on our bunk. On Super Hero Night our cabin dressed up as “Super Sweet” and gave everyone candy. We had a lot of fun as a tribe giving to others. I love our tribe because we are all first time campers!

Tribe of Levi

Caleb M., Age 11
Tribe of Levi

Hello, my name is Caleb and I am going to talk about stuff! Now let’s begin! Muah ha ha haha! Levi is a fun tribe where people loving nailing stuff!!! And all of us like Indiana Jones! We made a skit called Indiana Spike and the Lost Bible (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth). It was an okay thing. Oh! And if you are thinking of coming here I recommend it. I have two tribe leaders called Amp and Iceman. (I tried to get their real names. Sorry.) Not to mention our campers! David, Nathan, Caleb (me), Jacob and Jaden. I usually get along with Jacob since we live together. Me, Gal and Jacob go to the same congregation. I usually shoot him with my tommy gun. He shoots me with his recon gun. Gal and me usually try to secretly start up the electric guitar.

Tribe of Simeon

Isaac H., Age 9
Tribe of Simeon

My name is Isaac, and I’m in the tribe of Simeon. On the first night of camp, lots of cabins wanted the name Simeon, but we won. There are six people in my tribe (two tribe leaders and four campers): Cucamonga, Professor, Sam, Corey, Daniel, and me. During FOB and ‘tribe time,’ we memorized Bible verses and made our own beat box number. Sometimes I sit in bed and read comics or draw. Our flag (or “degel”) shows two swords crossing behind a shield, with our tribe’s name in gold at the top. Our cabin has a great fan and is closest to the bathroom. Our tribe also has quarrels over dumb things like places in line and bathroom stalls. Yet we stay united, stick together, and keep pushing forward. We’re also good at one night game, Mission Impossible, in which we got third place. This is the tribe of Simeon for 2010.

Tribe of Zebulun

Elias B., Age 10
Tribe of Zebulun

This is the Tribe of Zebulun. We live in the cabin called “Peddler Point.” My tribe leaders are Shoe and Diesel. Starting out with Shoe, he lives in the Bay Area. His two favorite activities in camp are horseback riding and Wells Fargo. Shoe first came to camp when he was eight and has been on staff since 2008. In the case of Diesel, his favorite part of camp is the fellowship between campers and staff. He lives in Yuba City and he started camp when he was eight as well. He has been on staff since 2008.

We had five campers in our cabin, including me. The first is Emmanuel: he is a first time camper from Sacramento and is 10 years old. His favorite part of camp is all the games. The next camper in our tribe is Elliot: he is a veteran camper who is from Los Angeles. Elliot’s favorite part of camp is the game Mission Impossible. Josh is another veteran camper from Magnolia who started going to camp when he was eight. He really enjoyed Wells Fargo. Reuben, a first timer from Oak Park, really favored M.I. Lastly, myself, my name is Elias. I’m from Santa Rosa and I am a veteran camper. My favorite part of camp was Wells Fargo. And this is the tribe of Zebulun 2010.

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Fun Days, Crazy Nights!

Van Ride from LA

Evan S., Age 12
Tribe of Dan

On the van ride to camp from LA, I woke up and got in my car and drove to LA, which is one hour from my house. I stop in Mission Viejo to pick up Jacob S. When we (Ellis, Jacob and I) got to the Bad News Bears baseball field, we waited one hour then the vans arrived. We got in. I sat shotgun. Professor and Maverick’s dad was driving. Mr. Koenig taught me more in six hours than my teachers do in a week. Some examples of the things he taught me are how colors are vibrations moving at different speeds and how Einstein thought there was no absolute time. How time just matters on how fast the clock itself is moving. He also taught me about lawyer stuff. Mr. K also told me how he taught Professor and Maverick booger math. Booger math is a way to do math in your head. An example is if you produce 30 boogers a day how many boogers will you produce in a week? We finally arrived at camp and also found out which cabin we were to stay for two weeks. My tribe leader was Onyx and my assistant tribe leader was Barracuda.

Fourth of July Parade

Madison H., Age 8
Tribe of Reuben

Fireworks are loud, but nothing compares to Columbia’s Fourth of July cannon. It was really loud and it hurt my ears and made me skip a heartbeat. When the cannon was fired it shook the ground. Streamers and smoke shot out of the hole – that was cool.

When the sun hit the cannon it looked very sparkly and pretty. It looked like it just got a fancy make-over of black paint. It looked new but I have never seen one before so it must be really old. Poppins guessed it was from the 1800s or 1900s.

This was special to see because it was on the Fourth of July at Camp Gilgal and I would love to come back again. Camp is awesome!!!

Men’s Day

Austin R., Age 12
Tribe of Gad

Men’s Day was wonderful. It was the one day of camp that the men get to have one day to themselves to do all sorts of fun things. This year Men’s Day’s theme was cavemen. The first thing we did was eat lunch and after that we started on our activities. The first thing we had to do was paint a picture representing the caveman tribes we were put into. It would seem very easy except for the fact that we had to paint it without the use of our feet and hands and we were using chocolate, strawberry and caramel syrup. The next thing we did was invent something for hunting. My tribe created a duck decoy that would lure animals to us so we can kill them. The other tribes made a bomb and a killer toilet. After that we had to use some materials to dress up our tribe leaders who would then model their outfit on some tables like a model runway. So we dressed up Onyx and he had something closely related to a dress. After that was the best and last activity, raft wars. We got into the pool in those small inflatable rafts and used noodles to try to push, pull and hit the other two people off of their rafts. Men’s Day was a lot of fun. It was one of the best days at camp. And one more thing about Men’s Day, we got to go shirtless all day during Men’s Day.

Carpetball

Jacob C., Age 11
Tribe of Levi

This year I played carpetball everyday. These are the rules of carpetball. You can’t throw the ball. You can’t bounce the ball. You can’t set up your five balls past the third nail. If you throw or bounce the ball out you would be disqualified.

The different methods are to lightly toss the ball, and the other way is to flick the ball. The final way is to roll the ball. The area that you play on is a table with four walls around it and a gutter on each side. The table is about 15 feet long and two feet wide.

There is a kid named Boaz. He is hard to beat. There is also a kid named Nathan who is hard to beat. My favorite technique is to flick the ball off the wall. We even had a tournament but I lost.

Columbia

Davis S., Age 11
Tribe of Levi

On the Fourth of July, we went to Columbia. Columbia used to be a gold mining town. There are many activities on Independence Day, such as grease pole climbing, the egg toss, watermelon eating contests and pie eating contests. Some tribes went to the mining shops or the blacksmith. Next to the mining shop there are some rocks where we climbed around. Many campers and staff buy sarsaparilla, which is a drink that is a little like root beer, but has a slightly different taste. It is also a Camp Gilgal tradition to buy jawbreakers. The best part was in the parade, in which we marched up and down the streets singing “Joshua 1:9” and other songs. Going to Columbia was a memorable experience.

Archery

Ben R., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin

Hello, reader of the Gilgal Gazette. I’m here to tell you about Camp Gilgal’s archery. Archery is fun to do at camp, but the targets have been really cheap. This year, they got new targets that are real good. For archery, there are two bows. One is smaller and weaker. It’s made for beginners. The second bow is bigger and stronger, but it’s harder to pull back. Your strength determines which bow you use. First, they let the new campers fire first, then the veteran campers fire and finally the staff fire. It’s a very fun activity. If you didn’t go to archery this year you should consider going with people the next year. I guarantee you will have fun. Unfortunately, you never know when archery is going to take place. It’s kinda frustrating but it’s still fun.

Men’s Campfire

David S., Age 11
Tribe of Levi

On Wednesday, July 7^th, we had the men’s campfire. First, we sang a few songs, including “Hosanna” and “How Great is Our God.” Then Diesel shared his testimony. Diesel talked about his background and how his mom had cancer and surgery, and then got better. He also talked about his spiritual maturing and growth during those hard times. After singing a few songs, Onyx shared his testimony. He talked about his dad and mom accepting Yeshua. Onyx also talked about his growing up and going to Israel. Then all the tribe leaders went in front and campers got to pick tribe leaders to pray and talk with. When that was over the campers gathered in a circle and the tribe leaders circled the circle of campers. Some campers and tribe leaders prayed. Soon, we were dismissed to our cabins. The men’s campfire was a wonderful chance to pray and draw closer to the Lord.

Backwards Night

Jaden W., Age 10
Tribe of Levi

Backwards Night is really fun. You get to walk backwards and you can sit backwards too. You get to do everything backwards. You get to wear your clothes backwards and sometimes you can wear your shoes backwards, too. You get to talk backwards, too. And two kids pretended to be Spike and Streetlight and the kids announced everything.

Crazy Hair Night

Nathan P., Age 10
Tribe of Levi

Crazy Hair Night was a fun night. Jacob S. and I used face paint for our hair. I used white face paint for a beard. Amp greased his hair back. Jaden used balloons on a rope for Crazy Hair Night. David spiked his hair and put blue face paint on his face. Jacob C. spiked his and made a wave in his hair. Boaz put spikes down his hair. Caleb had spikes on his hair like flames. Diesel made his hair like Edward Cullen from “Twilight.” That is only a few people. Never use face paint for spray paint because it crumbles in your hair and is hard to get out. Streetlight and Poppins and Snapple tied their hair together. It was funny when the tribe of Benjamin said that “Streetlight, Poppins and Snapple looked like the three-headed guard dogs.” After that everyone went back to their cabins and mostly everyone took a shower.

Creek Hike Night

Nathan P., Age 10
Tribe of Levi

This year we went to the creek. It was fun. Most people who went in the creek jumped off a rock into the creek. Some girls went in the creek but mostly boys went in. Some of the boys wrestled in the creek on a rock. Streetlight and some other people were singing camp songs, too. I hit a rock with my knee. We had chips, sandwiches, granola bars and cheese for dinner. Jacob S. and I had fun trying to pull ourselves out of the creek and slip back in. Some people were riding on Jacob’s dolphin. The creek was pretty clean this year. The water was a little cold. The rocks felt really hot. Jacob S. and I found a really soft rock in the creek. Jacob and I were pushing each other off because there was no room for both of us. Then we went back to our cabins, took cold showers and we felt so good!

Skit Night

Madison H., Age 8
Tribe of Reuben

Skit Night is the best!!! Skit Night is when all the Camp Gigal tribes perform a small act. Tribes were judged on creativity, team work and spiritual message. My tribe, Reuben, decided to do a skit about not listening. It started with me and Zemeira pretending to fight over a toy. Next, Noa asked Pixie my tribe leader, for candy, but it was FOB time. Then Noa goes over to the mirror and says I did something bad. I liked Skit Night! Skit Night was really fun!

S’mores

Joshua R., Age 8
Tribe of Dan

After Gonzo shared his testimony about how he came to Y’shua, Moose told us we would have s’mores.S’mores is a favorite among the campers. A s’more is a toasted marshmallow between two chocolate pieces and two graham cracker pieces covering it. In my personal experience a s’more is crunchy, sweet and sticky (because they can be very messy). Some campers say that “s’mores burn your mouth and that little campers stick flaming marshmallows in their faces.” I didn’t see that, but I am pretty sure that’s true. Other campers say that s’mores are delicious and fun to make. I think that is obvious.

As I said before, Moose said, “We are going to have s’mores.” A cheer rang out from the campers as Spike and Streetlight came out with chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows. They also came out with sticks to roast our marshmallows with. All the campers went down and got a stick to cook their marshmallows. The campers then cooked their marshmallows and put the marshmallow between the chocolate pieces. They put graham cracker pieces on top of the chocolate so they could eat them. Making s’mores was the best part of camp.

Ladies Day

Julia K., Age 11
Tribe of Naphtali

Our guessing was correct. On Tuesday everybody was whispering rumors about it being Ladies Day. Thoughsome disagreed… “It’s not Ladies Day!” “Yes, it is!” “If it isn’t, then why did they park the van on the hill…” Then it came; we were at first confused because Streetlight started to do the sayings we do at meals. When they usually announce Ladies Day we don’t do the sayings. Snapple also tricked us the day before by saying, “You know what day it is?… Monday!” It was a lot of fun running into the dining hall while we watched the men run up to their cabin and get ready for horseback riding. After lunch we went up to FOB But we didn’t have FOB, we invited a bunch of other campers to straighten and crimp our hair like a hippie and eat snacks and made bows and hung out. Then the rest of the tribe leaders came up and led us down the hill to dye our own t-shirts. It was so much fun squirting the paint crazily onto a white shirt. After, that we had an all-girls swim. I was way different without the boys. When we finished, we went back up to our cabins and changed and hung out some more. Then, when they were ready, the tribe leaders brought us to the dining hall to have punch with scoops of sherbet ice cream in it and our own mix of granola. Streetlight also then turned up some music and we had a dance party until the boys came back. We got our tie dyed shirts the next day and marveled at how they looked. All in all, Ladies Day was probably the best day of all camp.

Swimming

Rebekah V., Age 9
Tribe of Reuben

Swimming is so fun because you get to do cannonballs and it is so cool because you can spend time with your friends. Tribe leaders help you swim and you can jump in the pool and do sodaball! You can also go under water and touch the bottom or you can float on the water and relax on the water floating in the big purple raft. You can race with the purple raft and relax in the purple raft. Swimming is so fun and cool and they do nice things. They let you borrow goggles. My friends are Noa, Zemeira, Maddie, and Shannon. And the day of swimming was fun.

Utensil Night

Rachel A., Age 12
Tribe of Naphtali

I’d never imagined I would ever sit in front of a plate of spaghetti holding a rubber spatula ready to eat, yet there I was and I bet you’re wondering why. Well, I was too. A few moments earlier an eager Gilgal staff had announced that it was “Utensil” Night. I put “utensil” in quotations because it is at least in this context a very loose term. Then it was explained that “Utensil” Night meant that campers and staff alike would pull from anoversized pot a “utensil” of one form or another, and eat with the same. Upon hearing this, all the veterans let out a Howard Dean like shriek as the newbies plugged their ears. Spike held up the pot and for demonstration Streetlight reached in producing a potato masher. Please keep in mind that up until this point I was convinced that whatever was in that pot couldn’t be that hard to eat with – a butter knife at worst. When I saw that masher, I realized just how challenging it could be to do something as simple as eating dinner. Those of us with inhalers used them. The first thing that popped into my head was, “WHOSE IDEA WAS THIS?!”After that, it was all a blur. Out of cabin staff members wove through a sea of tables, their pots at their sides, as the general camper chatter expressed exactly how I felt: nuts. Before I could organize my thoughts the infamous pot had come around to me. That was when I reluctantly pulled out my rubber spatula. Then I was overtaken with the same kind of nervous laughter I get just before taking a blood test. I looked around: a funnel here, a sauce brush there. I would like to dedicate this article to my fingers, because I couldn’t have finished dinner without them. In short, I will never look at a fork the same way again.

Campfire

Jacob S., Age 10
Tribe of Benjamin

Campfires are awesome!! The first time we did a campfire we got s’mores. When Camp Gilgal does campfires it’s always about God. Also, tribe leaders like Amp, Gonzo and Bazooka tell about their lives and how they came to know God. Streetlight sings and sometimes Bandit and Gonzo, too. My first time I went to a Camp Gilgal campfire was in 2009. When the time came to go to a campfire I got so excited. I would rush my tribe leaders to go so our tribe would get the front row seats. I loved singing in campfire songs because they made me feel happy inside and calm. We would also sing praise to God. Praying was a big part of campfires. I would always pray for my friends at camp and home. When Shabbat comes tribe leaders and campers would sing Jewish songs in Hebrew. I love campfires!

20 Foot Sundae

Katie S., Age 12
Tribe of Naphtali

On July 2^nd, we were woken up from a somewhat relaxing FOB and led down to the volleyball court.The previous evening we had played water balloon volleyball which had left a ton of balloon pieces on the ground. It had been too dark to pick it all up then, so we now had to clean it up. Once we were done, they led us back up to the basketball court. Then something was smelling fishy, because music was playing in the dining hall, we were being led in that direction and we were soon instructed to do the best dance we could. We walked into the dining hall and a 20 foot ice cream sundae sat right in front of our eyes. Scoops of chocolate and vanilla topped with whipped cream, cherries, sprinkles and more filled a big white gutter set on tables in the front of the dining hall. As the music played, we all grabbed a bowl and a spoon and proceeded to scoop out all the best parts before they were all gone. Before long, our bowls were full and we sat around tables partly talking but mostly eating our ice cream. At one point, Streetlight started coming around the room and squirting more whipped cream into various campers’ bowls to the beat of the music. Soon all the staff were singing or dancing until they took a break to eat. Sadly, even mega sized sundaes must end. After even the best parts had melted away, we had to all say goodbye to the 20 foot sundae. It was a delicious experience that I am sure everybody would like to do again.

Water Balloon Volleyball

Vika S., Age 11
Tribe of Issachar

As soon as we started walking down the hill we all knew what we were playing, water balloon volleyball! After everyone takes their seats and chooses what team to root for we begin the game. We must toss the water balloon back and forth without letting it pop in the sand, on the net, or on your tarp. The object of the game is to defeat all of your opponents. Overall the tribe of Zebulun won the competition. Then they decided to let the staff play one game of girls vs. boys. Unfortunately the boys won. Questions:

Q: Did you enjoy water volleyball?
A: I liked playing it. (camper) I liked cheering for other teams rather than playing. (staff) It was fun and confusing. (camper)

Q: What was the best part?
A: Cheering for other teams as they played. (staff) The relief of catching the balloon. (camper) When you watch the balloon fly through the air. (camper) Getting wet. (camper)

Q: What do you think is the hardest part?
A: Catching it. (camper) Getting it to go as far as you want it to go. (camper) Getting it over the net to the right spot. (staff) Then Streetlight made two chants for the last remaining teams Zebulun, “They’re on a boat.” Gad’s was “They’re in tents.” Once in a while Diesel and Amp would go to the side and start dancing and cheering. Everyone had fun playing and I’m glad it’s a camp tradition.

Animal Night

Haneen R., Age 9
Tribe of Issachar

One of the theme nights this year at camp was “Animal Night,” where all the campers and tribe leaderschoose an animal they want to be and dress up like them. My leaders are Yoshi and Sparkler, so for Animal Night the campers in my tribe were Yoshi eggs, and Yoshi was the green Yoshi and Sparkler was the pink one. It was really fun because people normally do a normal animal, but we did dinosaurs. The youngest tribe, the tribe of Reuben, was cute because they were lady bugs. Gad was very different and dressed up as hunters with only a jaguar as the animal they were hunting. In the tribe of Judah there were two corn snakes, three blue jays, and two tigers. For Animal Night, the tribe of Benjamin was a big caterpillar with pink spots. It was very interesting to see how each tribe approached Animal Night very differently. It made it a really crazy and fun night.

Gilgal Store

Daniel C., Age 8
Tribe of Simeon

The Gilgal store is a place where they sell toys, pens, pencils, and snacks. I bought a rubber duck, a bottle of bubble soap, swimming goggles, rainbow chocolate rice crispies, a canteen, and a bunch of other things. I really like the Gilgal store because the stuff they sell is cool and new. Streetlight and Snapple sold the items to the campers while Spike managed the Gilgal bank. The Gilgal store is a great place to buy items. In my opinion, it is one of the best parts of the Camp Gilgal.

Horseback Riding

Skit Night

Skit Night rocked! My tribe got the highest score for theboy side. The tribe of Benjamin was about a robot who gets everything taken away but still believes in God. It was an awesome play. My favorite play was the tribe of Zebulun. Their play was about how a gardener lost his son and got revenge on them, but they should have let God take care of them. After the fourth play it was half time. Half time is where the Camp Gilgal store was open and people could buy snacks, such as soda, candy and popsicles. It was YUMMY! All of the plays involved God and how He works in our lives. In the middle of the play I got a bloody nose. Poppins and Maverick helped me and it stopped. Esquire controlled all of the music and electronics. I love Skit Night!

Night Swim

Reuben R., Age 10
Tribe of Zebulun

Night swim was fun because we went down to a bigger campsite and used their huge pool (and I’ve never been to the other pool before). The pool had a good temperature. There also was a basketball hoop right next to the pool as well as pool noodles made of foam. I kept on riding Emmanuel’s back even though he kept flinging me off his back. I made a few shots in the basketball hoop, but I also missed a lot of shots too. I also chased Emmanuel around the pool. We also played Frisbee in the pool and we threw three balls around in the pool, too. Skye got hit in the head with a Frisbee. When we were throwing the ball around the pool I got it once. We all enjoyed the pool and then the whistle blew. We lined up and left the pool. Anyway the pool was fun, cool, and warm too. I’m happy I reminded myself and Josh to get goggles and bring them into the pool. The place was called “Far Far Away.” Finally we left the pool after a fun evening of swimming. My favorite part was when I chased Emmanuel. The pool was super fun!

Horseback Riding

Horseback riding was so much fun! I had a horse named Bubbles who was a big bay. First I ate lunch with Hershey and she told Julia, Leia and me riddles. Then we got in a group and got on our horses. We started off pretty good then we got to know the horses. As Sparkler said, “He was the slowest horse on the hike!” Sparkler and her horse were in the way back. Hoops was in our group and her horse Cheyenne kept going off the trail. “I rode a mustang! “said Hoops! Bubbles was pretty good except she went pretty fast up the steep parts. Bob, Hershey’s horse, kept trying to cut me off. The trail we went on was really pretty. First it was flat then we went up a cliff and we got to see everything. We also got to go through a stream. In some places there was snow we played with. When we came back we played in this really pretty stream. We also went in the water with our shoes on. Poppins was doing everyone’s hair in really cute styles. Everybody loved horseback riding and we all had a great time. Then it was time to go back to camp.

Fourth of July Parade

The Fourth of July parade is at Columbia. The kind of cars I saw looked like they were from the 60s. When we walked down the street waiting for the parade to start the cannon went off. Most of us covered our ears, but it was still loud! We then walked down to the parking lot and practiced the songs. After practicing for a while, we went down the street and waited for our turn. We were number 24. We marched for about 15 minutes and then had lunch. We took out money (except me, who borrowed from Maverick) and went to the stores. I got a small fake cat and a big blue lollypop. They got ice cream and bought sarsaparilla, which is mostly sugar, and Ben got two jawbreakers, all sugar, and then we went to the rocks. I went straight up a hole and then me and Simba went onto a pile of small rocks with a huge boulder on top, literally seven times bigger than me. We watched people try the grease pole (and fail) and then most of us (not me) went to the egg toss, which turned out pretty even with the other side barely winning, and got our picture taken on the rocks. We got back home, and most of all I’m glad we were able to witness to people who don’t believe in Y’shua.

Feed Your Friend Night

Feed Your Friend Night is a night where you have to feed your friend and they have to feed you. For dinnerwe had chicken and mashed potatoes. It was really hard because it took a long time to eat and because sometimes your friend would put too much food in your mouth at one time. My friend Mia put the whole piece of bread in my mouth. The mashed potatoes were hard to eat because they would fall off your fork and onto your friend’s lap. I didn’t really like Feed Your Friend Night because I was really hungry but it was fun to see the faces your friends made. My friend Mia really liked it because it was challenging. Skye didn’t like it because Amanda put a whole spoon full of mashed potatoes in her mouth. Vika’s favorite thing was taking advantage of her friend by stuffing too much food in her mouth. It was a lot different than feeding yourself because you felt as helpless as a baby. I am glad it is not every night because it is very challenging, but it is fun to do once in a while.

Ladies Campfire

The ladies campfire was great. All the ladies tribes met at the picnic area. We had worship, Waffles and Streetlight shared their testimonies, and after you could go off and pray with one of the tribe leaders. Streetlight normally leads worship but this time Yoshi did! Yoshi sang and played the guitar. Then Waffles shared her testimony. She told us that sometimes we put things before God but we should always put God first. After that Streetlight told us sometimes God takes things away from us but in the end everything works out. Finally, you could go up with a tribe leader and pray with them. I talked with Acorn and Sparkler. I had a lot of fun during ladies campfire and I can’t wait until next year.

Crafts

Zemeira W., Age 8
Tribe of Reuben

Only at Camp Gilgal

Mission Impossible

Shannon O., Age 8
Tribe of Reuben

Capture the Degel

FOB Appreciation Day

Isaac Y., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin

FOB Appreciation Day happened this year. It was the first time ever!!!! It was double the FOB time and you could get twenty five points per person in (don’t worry if each person got 25 points, because the most you could get was hundred twenty five points). The way you could get twenty five points is be quiet and go to sleep or read and be quiet. My tribe mostly tried to be quiet so we read and went to sleep or ate candy. I think most of the tribes got full points. Maybe twenty five points off. It felt good to rest instead of normal FOB or Flat On Your Bunk. It was pretty fun. The first time ever – it was the out of cabin staff’s idea. I think the out of cabin staff had the best time. We had so much time that there was no pool and choir was like ten minutes. And that was F.OB. Appreciation Day.

Hebrew

“Hebrew… Hebrew was fun. I learned lots of new things in Hebrew. It was easy because I was really looking forward to it and I was listening.” I thought that it was encouraging to learn a third language then I could go to Israel and know what people are saying. My Hebrew teacher, Phoenix, is actually from Israel with her husband Bigfoot. First, she started teaching us by having us start by saying the Hebrew alphabet. Then we learned new words, what they meant, and how to write them. For example, I learned how to say “I want candy” which is “Ani Rotzeh Mantakim.” Hebrew was also a real surprise to me, because I thought that we would just be doing extra arts and crafts. This is what Josh L. thinks of Hebrew. “It’s fun because we get to learn a new language.” I agree with Josh. Now I will tell my tribe leader, Diesel, that I really enjoyed Hebrew because it helps me see deeper into my Jewish roots. I never thought of Hebrew that way. Hebrew is inspiring to me and to others. Hebrew… Hebrew is fun!

Tabernacle

Wells Fargo

One of the games that we do every year that everyonereally enjoys is Wells Fargo. The rules are that the campers (outlaws) need to run up the hill and grab the bags of gold from the staff who are the faithful and loyal Wells Fargo agents. Then the campers need to run back down the hill to their hideout. Wells Fargo is fun because I get to run up and down the hill past the staff. Our strategy was to send everybody at once to get as many bags as we could. Ben C. helped me get a lot of bags because he tossed bags to me and I caught them and ran to our hideout without getting tagged. We won a total of two games out of three. The score for the outlaws (us) was 12, then 3, and then 15. We smoked the tribe leaders even after their comeback in the second round.

Havdalah

FOB

When I asked what people did during FOB, the answers I got were common: sleep, write letters, and read. The next obvious question I asked was whether someone liked FOB or not. For the most part, people said yes (especially the staff). Some were not thrilled about it though. This year we did something new with FOB; we had a “FOB Appreciation Day.” From all the interviews I had gathered, everybody loved it and some even wished it could have been longer even though they took full advantage of it.

Nationball

During nationball, the object of the same was to hit the opposing team with a rubber ball. However, this wasnot like traditional dodge ball because if you hit the other player they then go behind your team and get you out. If you catch the ball the player who threw it at you is out and goes behind your team. So it started out with everyone in on team one, and in a matter of seconds only five people were left. Moose and Simba got people out very quickly until a historic catch got a valuable member of our team back in. As that happened more catches were made and Moose got out. Our team was almost winning when all tribe leaders on our team were hit in a matter of seconds (like 60). Our team went from on top to bottom. Only seven people remained and minutes of throwing went by till only one member of our team remained. They dodged balls left, right, over, and under until Moose behind our team threw the ball and caused the remaining number of people to move to the right straight into balls coming from the other side, too. We lost but it was fun.

Cabin Inspection

Cabin Inspection is an event that happens after lunch and the “Gilgal Initiative” (the ones who do the inspecting: Streetlight and Jet) tell all of the tribes how well they kept their cabin clean. They report to us the scores of how clean our cabins were on a point system. Each infraction takes off 5, 10, or 25 points. Infractions are things that were missed in the clean-up time: ex. misaligned shoes, improper sweeping techniques, etc. If you didn’t get any infractions, Jet would yell out “You Nailed It!” and you’d get 100 points for the day. By the end of camp, the cabin with the most points would win Tribe of the Year! Cabin Inspection is a great thing because otherwise our cabins would remain a mess.

Poem

Shabbat

As Jews, every Friday we celebrate Shabbat. During Shabbat we eat and do blessings and pray and worship.Here at Camp Gilgal we keep that tradition. Every Friday for dinner here at Camp Gilgal we dress up and come to dinner. We eat then we go have a Shabbat service. We go through the liturgy and do some worship. We had steak on Shabbat night and it was very good and we got to sit outside. Moose invited his former pastor who was 92 years old and it was his birthday that Shabbat night. He also invited his former pastor’s daughter and husband. Several campers helped with blessings and worship. That’s what we did for Shabbat.

Mail Call

Max C., Age 12
Tribe of Gad

When mail call starts we pound on the tables until the tribe leader swings their hand down and we stop, then they choose a spinner who has to do a 360 degree spin and twirl their hand down slowly. The camper only spins if a tribe leader gets a letter or a package. After the letters we go down to the bonus round where we have to pound on the tables again until the tribe leader swings their hand down. When you get the bonus round it’s always a surprise because you don’t know what you’re going to get. So unwrap or unbox the surprise!! Some days we have to do special things like sing and dance for our mail. When Moose gets mail he goes crazy!! He picks up a camper and runs with them around the outside of the cafeteria. When Streetlight gets mail she sings “Don’t stop believing.” So come here and get your mail!!

Classified Ad

Isaac Y., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin

FOB

Camp Gilgal Jews for Jesus is a very fun camp where there are a lot of very fun things to do. Yet when you run out of energy you need more energy so that you can do more fun stuff. To get more energy you have to rest so that your body can recover from all the fun things that are done here at camp. Yet the sleep you get a night is no match for all the fun stuff that happens here at camp. So there is a small period 30 minute – 1 hour period to nap called FOB (flat on your bunk) because the staff really cares about the campers who attend camp. If you are not tired, FOB isn’t boring. You can play card games, talk eat candy, etc. If I had to say two comments about Camp Gilgal I would say “I love FOB” and “Camp Gilgal is the most fun I’ve had in my whole life.” I have decided to interview the first time camper, Mia.

Degels

Degels were made by the twelve tribes of Israel to show who they were. But now the degels have been adopted by Camp Gilgal to show who’s in what cabin. The only thing that changed is the making and the artwork of the degels. The first step of making the degels is to go around the tribe table and pick the best ideas. The second thing to do is to sketch the drawing onto the colored flag that your tribe picked. The third thing is to add some color, or as I like to say, pizzazz. The last thing to do is wait a day and boom baddy ding done, a nice looking degel. It’s a truly an awesome experience, just ask some of the tribes. The tribe of Reuben thought it was exciting and the tribe of Dan thought it was a fun activity, doing it as a tribe. To think about it, it all started in Tabernacle with big huddles, raising of hands, and fight battle? about who gets to be what tribe. To me it sounded like an awesome time.

1st Time Campers

Last year was my first year of camp. It is exciting because you don’t know what’s going on. I really liked my first year of camp. Here is what other first time campers thought…

Amanda: How did you find out about camp?
Lindsay: I do not know

Today, Tomorrow, Forever a Princess

For Judah’s cabin decoration, our tribe decided to do the princesses of God for our theme. We had a poster that said “Today, Tomorrow, Forever a Princess,” and then we added “Of God” to the poster so it would match with our theme. Our tribe put streamers on the walls and some Bible verses on some of the bunks. Hershey drew a blue castle on pink paper, and Bazooka drew a welcome sign which said, “WELCOME TO THE KINDOM OF GOD, WHERE ALL HIS DAUGHTERS ARE PRINCESSES.” To make our cabin look like a hallway of a castle, we put yellow paper on our floor leading to a jewelry box full of fake gold and silver coins. We also put a renaissance princess dress on Bazooka’s bunk, with another box of fake jewels and coins to show how rich and wealthy a princess is. Kezia also made a canopy over her pillow which was made of streamers. Bazooka also put colorful streamers on the fan. We had to decorate our cabin really quickly because we were very behind. That morning after Hershey woke us up, we cleaned the cabin, then had to wait until after breakfast to start decorating, so we were in a big hurry, but it still turned out nice. I personally really liked our cabin and I can’t wait until next year’s Cabin Decoration Day.

Choir

Ben R., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin

Hello, readers of the Gilgal Gazette. I’m here to tell you a little about the Camp Gilgal choir. The choir is made up of many girl singers and three boy singers. It is also made up of two piano players, a bass guitar, Pixie, Onyx, and a guitar player (Simba). The choir practices almost every day. We are only going to sing one song called “Every Move I Make.” We are going to sing it on the Friday night Shabbat service. Every day before choir, Onyx and Simba come out with a guitar and sing a song called “Choir Time.” I’m sure that you’ve all heard them sing it around that time. It’s very catchy, though they’ve been singing that song for a while. I hope you like/liked us on Friday. We worked very hard on it and it took a lot of practice. Though one of the boys lost their voice. Enjoy the song!

Rock, Big Tuna, Sonic

On Saturday Rocko, Sonic and Big Tuna visited. Rocko, Sonic, and big Tuna are all Camp Gilgal veterans, and Sonic and Rocko were Camp Gilgal tribe leaders and are all great friends. Here are some adjectives to describe Rocko: nice, funny, understanding, independent and smart. Rocko attended junior, teen and adventure camp. Rocko was a tribe leader for three years and spent more time on Massah for two years. I think she has done a good job and will continue to. I hope she stays well and safe. Now here are some adjectives to describe Sonic: he is a good musician, he went on Massah with Rocko, and went to India to witness to Israeli backpackers. He is good friends with Gonzo and Brickhouse, and is in a band with them. He also attended junior, teen and adventure camp. He was a tribe leader for three years and went on Massah for two years. The night they came we had Super Hero Night, the Havdalah service, and the band played for us. Big Tuna is tall, nice, strong, and big. He went to junior, teen and adventure camp. He was never a tribe leader. God bless them all.

Benjamin Degel

I’m Benjamin Degel but you can call me Deg for short. This is my story.

Camp Haiku

Camp Art

David S.

Louisa G.

Max C.

Robert G.

Skye R.

Let Us Press On

(Hosea 6:3)

“Let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and he will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth.” 

The Gilgal Gazette is published by Camp Gilgal campers for Camp Gilgal campers and their families and friends!

Tribes: 

Tribe of Benjamin: Aaron M., Henry S., Misha K., Nathaniel D., Cyclops, Shades
Tribe of Gad: Alyssa C., Rebekah C., Sarah H., Simona B., Taliah S., Yael P., Bullseye, Eureka
Tribe of Judah: Aaron C., Ethan M., Isaiah H., Joey S., Reverb, Tauros
Tribe of Naphtali: Devora W., Eliana S., Kaylie L., Laurel S., Lauren C., Ruski, Reptar
Tribe of Reuben: Elizabeth D., Hannah D., Johannah C., Kaitlin S., Ketzia B., Liza C., Lydia C., Rebecca T., Zoobles, Heinz
Tribe of Simeon: David H., David K., Keane R., Twitch, Tank

Out-of-Cabin Staff:

Strings (Hebrew), Loony (Nurse), Heart (Nurse), Red Sox (Assistant Director)

Camp Director:

Twister

Interviews and Family  

Shades

David K., Age 9
Tribe of Simeon

Shades has been in Camp Gilgal for nine years. His nickname is Shades because he always wears his sunglasses. Shades has holes in his jeans because he uses his jeans a lot and it helps airflow. Shades likes to play cards because it’s a force of habit. His favorite sport is baseball because when he was little, he was good at it. His favorite colors are green and yellow. His life in the cabin is fine. He sings in Tabernacle because it’s fun and he likes to sing. He likes everyone in Camp Gilgal. He has a pink watch because he thought it would be cool.

Lives of Campers and Staff

Laurel S., Age 11
Tribe of Naphtali

On Monday, July 5^th, 2010, I asked some of the staff a few different questions. Here are some of their answers! One question I asked was, “What do you think of your campers and why?” One staff member said “I think they’re a lot of fun because they’re crazy!” Another question I asked was “What is your favorite part of camp and why?” A different staff member told me, “I like all camp activities because you’re with your friends.” Another question was “What is your favorite activity to teach? Why?” The answer I got was “Soccer. I like it because we always play Frisbee and soccer is more fun.” I also asked Twitch why he likes to come every summer and be staff. He told me it was “Because I teach campers about Jesus!”

I also asked some campers a question or two. I asked Yael who her favorite staff member was. She told me it was Ruski because she is very nice. I asked another camper who the most fun staff was and why. They told me it was Tank because of his personality. There you have it! From staff to camper and camper to staff, here’s what we like about camp and staff.

Twitch

Misha K., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin

 Twitch is a very weird ATL at Camp Gilgal. He thinks that he’s the toughest person in the world. He’s fast and very light, which is why I can give him a piggy back ride. He’s the only person at Camp Gilgal that brought weights and everyone loves to annoy him by saying that Cyclops and Ruski are stronger than him. Twitch has enormous chest muscles and is one of my favorite ATLs.

Campfire Interviews with Bullseye and Zoobles

Taliah S., Age 9
Tribe of Gad

One day at camp, I got to ask Zoobles and Bullseye some different questions about campfire. I started by asking why we have campfire. Bullseye said it was so we can all come together as a camp to worship God in a more camp way. Zoobles said it was to have a fun and calming time together before bed and a time to talk about God all together. Next I asked how they come up with campfire songs. Bullseye said that the staff thinks about what they have and then they think of happy songs in the beginning that would get campers excited! Zoobles said she didn’t know. When I asked why we sing songs, Bullseye told me it was to get into the campfire spirit. Zoobles said it was for fun because everybody likes it and it’s a good way to build unity together. My last question was why do we have campfire at night time? Bullseye said it was because we could see the sun set that way and so that we could see the fire better. And also, it’s cooler! Zoobles said it’s too hot in the day and that fire at night is prettier and cooler.

Ruski

Johannah C., Age 12
Tribe of Reuben

This is Ruski’s first year as a tribe leader. Here are some things about her. She heard about Camp Gilgal when her older sister went to camp. She came here when she was old enough. Her favorite Bible passages are a chapter in James and all of Psalm 91. Her favorite books in the Bible are James and Psalms.

Ever since Ruski came here she wanted to be a tribe leader. Her favorite tribe of Israel is Benjamin because of the name and the symbol. Camp Gilgal is special to her because it is a place where she can get closer to God and meet other Messianic Jews. She likes both camp locations (the old and new ones).

Her favorite food is corn bread. She lives 20 minutes from the capital of New York, Albany. When she was a camper, her favorite activity was archery, but now her favorite activities are Hebrew and story time. During the day, she’d rather FOB inside, but at night she’d rather FOB outside.

  

An Interview With Tank

Hannah D., Age 11
Tribe of Reuben

Tank is a counselor who was born in Hanford, California. He started Camp Gilgal on the West Coast and has been with Jews for Jesus ever since. That makes a total of 17 years with Jews for Jesus. Tank has been a tribe leader for a little while and likes it because he loves hanging out with kids and wants to give back what he got. He also wants to share Y’shua’s love. Tank’s favorite day of the week is Saturday. His favorite holiday is Passover because he loves the symbolism of Jesus’ death and the resurrection and our promise of redemption.

Now the good stuff. Tank likes Coke over Pepsi. He also likes reading better than movies. His favorite color is green. When I asked him how he felt about toes, he said, “Rather cool, like little things on your feet that can move by themselves or together. They’re so cool and they help you keep your balance.” That’s NOT a response you hear every day!

Tank has been told that he sleep talks on occasion, but everybody knows that Tank SNORES really loudly. One time, Tank told me that he loved hats. When I asked him why, he said, “Because they keep me cool in the sun.”

Tank has an odd obsession with “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” So I asked him, “If you could bend any element, which would it be?” He said, “I’d be an avatar so that I could bend all things. But if I could only choose one, it would be air.”

And last, but NOT least, Tank’s favorite Bible verse is Joshua 1:9. So, that was my interview with Tank. I hope you enjoyed it. 

Interview with Twitch

Aaron M., Age 12
Tribe of Benjamin

Twitch is a second year ATL. He is the ATL for the tribe of Simeon. He says he is very strong. I believe he is pretty strong because he has really big muscles. Here is an interview with Twitch.

Q. If you could have any three superpowers, what would they be?
A. Flying, super strength, telekinesis

Q. What is your future career?
A. Navy SEALS

Q. If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?
A. Ferrari FSO, mansion, Bahamas, Xbox 360 lite (with all games and accessories), lifetime supply of cream soda.

Q. If you could be a combination of any four animals, what would they be?
A. Lion, shark, eagle, anaconda

Q. Why do you have a tiny backpack?
A. Because I do.

Q. What do you keep in your tiny backpack?
A. Staff manual, Bible, toothbrush, toothpaste, total gym, Reverb, and a bathroom

Q. If you could be any tribe leader, who would it be?
A. Shades

Q. Who is on staff that you are most afraid of?
A. Reptar

Wow! Those were some amazing things I learned about Twitch. I hope you have learned a lot about him too. I can’t believe he keeps Reverb in his tiny backpack! That is amazing!

Interview with Bullseye

Lydia C., Age 11
Tribe of Reuben

During camp I got to interview Bullseye and find out some really cool stuff about her! She told me her favorite colors were green and blue and that she really likes giraffes. When I asked what her favorite thing to do was, she told me it was to come to Camp Gilgal! Her favorite food is strawberries. Her name is Bullseye because she shoots rifles competitively for MA Jr Smallbore Rifle Team. Her favorite time of day is morning and her favorite song is “I’m Gonna Sing, Sing, Sing!” She loves to play Capture the Degel, but can’t play at home because she has no siblings. But she does have two cats and a rabbit.

 Tribes of Gilgal

The Tribe of Benjamin

Our tribe, the tribe of Benjamin, has four kids named Aaron, Nathaniel, Henry, and Misha. The tribe has two tribe leaders named Shades and Cyclops and has enough room for everyone. Everyone likes to be funny in the tribe of Benjamin, whose symbol is a wolf with a laser beam coming out of its eyes. We all love our tribe and are happy. At the very end of camp, we adopted a new camper named Noah.

The Tribe of Judah

We are Tauros, Reverb, Aaron C, Joey, Ethan, and Isaiah. We like to play basketball, newcomb, M.I., and camp out. We had fun during tribe time because we played the tribe of Simeon at newcomb and beat them. We also love to FOB. Sleep is awesome! Horse day was also lots of fun. Water balloon volleyball was way awesome. It’s a game from West Coast Gilgal. We are Judah!

The Tribe of Naphtali

Hi! We’re the tribe of Naphtali. In our tribe we have Kaylie, Devora, Lauren, Eliana, Laurel, Reptar, Ruski, and Stinky the mouse. We like pool time, FOB, and tribe time. For example, during tribe time we painted Reptar’s face. During FOB is totally our favorite time because we always make it more than boring. Our tribe is the tribe of broken because we all got sick or hurt during camp. We also had a special friend in our cabin – a mouse! We named him Stinky but he was so cute and fuzzy! Our tribe is awesome!

The Tribe of Reuben

In the tribe of Reuben there are eight campers and two tribe leaders. The eight campers are Ketzia, Johannah, Kaitlin, Liza, Lydia, Rebecca, Elizabeth, and Hannah. The two counselors are Heinz and Zoobles. You may be wondering how we got our name. Well during the naming ceremony, there was an EPIC battle between three tribes that wanted the name Reuben. Hannah was the one that went up to fight for the title of Reuben. She won our name by standing on one foot for 10 ½ minutes and reciting the ABC’s backwards. Then, we got to know each other and became good friends. During tribe time, we usually play Apples to Apples, go to the park, or eat snacks. Reuben had spiritual success and got along really well because we ROCK!

We Are the Men of Simeon

The men of Simeon are made up of David H, Keane, David K., Twitch and Tank. We like to read through Pokemon books together. When we walk from the dining hall we also like to skip rocks in the pond. We are the best men’s tribe because as Simeon we have swords. It’s always hard to bond as a tribe but we feel like we have gotten pretty close and will miss camp.

The Tribe of Gad

We are the ladies of Gad. We are Simona, Taliah, Yael, Alyssa, Rebekah, and Sarah. Our ETL (Excellent Tribe Leader) is Eureka, and our EATL (Excellent Assistant Tribe Leader) is Bullseye. We’re the youngest cabin at Camp Gilgal East, and we are the best! Our whole cabin thinks that Camp Gilgal is the best camp ever!

Fun Stories

Baseball Catch

Henry S., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin

I went to a minor league baseball game with Camp Gilgal 2010. We were all having fun and it was fun for me too. Left fielder Adam Bailey was near where we sat down, a couple yards away. I am his #1 fan. At the end of the top of the seventh, Bailey was coming up to me and he gave me the game ball he caught after he got the ball from the batter. After the game, Bailey came to me face to face and signed my baseball. It was one of the greatest moments of my life! I felt so happy I almost cried.

Turtle Crossing

Kaylie L., Age 10
Tribe of Naphtali

And again, we’re on the road to another one of our meals. I bet you’ve heard of a moose crossing or a bear crossing, well we got a turtle crossing the road for us. The turtle sat on one side of the road across the pond. When he saw us, he made a run for it. He was running really fast for a turtle. One leg, one arm, another leg, another arm until the turtle made it all the way across. It was a really big turtle too, like a grandpa. Next time you see a moose crossing sign or a bear crossing sign, remind RedSox to put up a turtle crossing sign on the road too!

The Proposal

Kaylie L., Age 10
Tribe of Naphtali

On Campout Night, the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Benjamin got a very special treat. Someone was proposing near where these tribes were camping out. We were staying near Sunset and it was the most romantic place when you saw the sun set.

It all started when one of the couples came. They started a fire and talked. Then, after a few minutes, the second couple came, the one who was proposing and getting proposed to. We were supposed to stay near the tribe of Benjamin’s campsite, but we went up 10 yards closer. When we got there, they were laughing and taking pictures. Misha started to climb up a tree and couldn’t stop asking “Did they kiss yet?” All of a sudden, the first couple came and obviously started to walk down another way. The girls looked back and told the boys to stop talking. When we finally looked back, we saw them kissing. So that’s how the proposal went and we’re guessing they’re all getting married.

Our New Location

Hannah D., Age 11
Tribe of Reuben

Camp Gilgal East stays at a place called Camp Pinnacle. We’ve always been in one spot for the time that I’ve been here (five years), but this year we moved to a different part of Camp Pinnacle. A lot of things are different, but camp is still camp, so it’s AWESOME. The new cabins are a bit bigger (yaaaay!), but the bathrooms are a bit of a walk (ugh!)

There’s a lot of room and some HUGE pluses, like a shorter walk to meals, a nicer volleyball court, and a bigger Mishkan. It’s really nice at our new place, but it will take some getting used to. I can’t wait for more years at the NEW Camp Gilgal!

Wildlife

Misha K., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin

If you ever go to Camp Gilgal, you will meet a lot of different animals in the wild. You will see chipmunks, turtles, fish, different birds, caterpillars, butterflies, deer, and many other wild animals. I met two turtles crossing the road that we use to walk to dinner, and on the same day I saw a chipmunk, two bullfrogs, and even a snake! It was a small snake that was black with a yellow line on it, but don’t worry – it wasn’t poisonous and it was afraid of me. There are many different bugs and insects that you can study at night and during the day. Camp Gilgal is a beautiful place which is very fun.

Stinky, Our Mouse

Lauren C., Age 11
Tribe of Naphtali

In the tribe of Naphtali, we had a special friend. One night, during devotions, we found a hole in the wall with a little mouse head sticking out. It started squeaking and crawling out so we all screamed and ran out. Ruski, our ATL, went and got duck tape to cover up the hole. To try and make us feel better, Reptar, our tribe leader, told us to name it. We named it Stinky. A few days later, we saw Stinky run across the floor into a big hole under a bed. We were surprised that we saw it, so we covered that hole to. Later in the week, we saw it in a hole under a radiator. It was so cute! The night before, we had set a trap to set it free. It never made it to the trap, but the holes were covered later with metal. By this time, we all loved Stinky, so we didn’t want to close the holes. But we had to because he could carry diseases. We had a special friend in the tribe of Naphtali.

Why My Shoe Is Awesome

Kaitlin S., Age 12
Tribe of Reuben

My shoe is awesome because this year at Camp Gilgal it killed 138 bugs. It killed mosquitoes, butterflies, ladybugs, beetles, moths, spiders, and even a slug. It also killed a bunch of unidentified bugs. The best part is that it is also portable so that I can squish bugs ANYWHERE! My shoe is also very pretty (except for the bottom because that’s where the dead bugs are.) I kill them because my cousin J.J. told me that bugs are evil and ever since then I’ve been squishing bugs. By the end of camp, I hope to have killed at least 140 bugs. That is why my shoe is awesome.

                                                                        THE END 

The Funniest Face Painting Ever

Laurel S., Age 11
Tribe of Naphtali

On Wednesday, June 30, 2010, we had tribe time. So we went to the Mishkan to decorate papers to hang in our cabin. One of us got upset so Reptar took her out for a few minutes and said, “You can paint on my face.” She said yes.

We painted on her face then and she said, “There is not much blue on my face.” So I put more blue on her face. I gave her a blue mustache.

Then, because it was fun, we decided to scare the boys. Reptar went behind some boys and staff and said “RAWR!” and scared them. But she was not done. Then the fun began.

We went to the staff room and tried to scare them. She looked into the window and Twister covered the window. So Reptar looked into another window and Twister closed that window.

Then Reptar took off the paint and the fun ended.

Tribe Time

Aaron C., Age 9
Tribe of Judah

One day we played Simeon at Newcomb during tribe time. They were tough. We had a real tough time, but we were able to beat them. It was a lot fun! We want to play them again, but there may not be enough time!

Fun Days, Crazy Nights!

Splish! Splash! Water games (the inside story)

Aaron M., Age 12
Tribe of Benjamin

Water games are a lot of fun. We play a lot of water games, like balloon waddle, water balloon toss, a water relay race, and water balloon volleyball. We also got to squash a water balloon over Strings’ head.

The balloon toss was a lot of fun. First, we used small water balloons. Then, we used big water balloons. We had to toss them back and forth with our partners.

We also played water balloon volleyball. We had to use big tarps and use them to toss the balloons over the net.

At the end of the water games, Twister said that whoever collects the most water balloon pieces gets to squish a water balloon over Strings’ head and get Strings all wet. Strings was definitely not happy. Nathaniel got the most. But instead of splashing it over Strings’ head, he threw it at her foot.

Water games are great. I hope we can play them again soon!

Rockwall

Joey S., Age 9
Tribe of Judah

I had done rock wall before when I was five. I had had lots of fun. I was excited to do it again. It was high up so I got scared after a while and came down. I still had fun though!

Campfire

Lydia C., Age 11
Tribe of Reuben

Campfire is so fun. We sing songs and praise God. We sing funny songs and serious songs. We talk about our troubles, about families and friends. And we pray to God. Sometimes we even have s’mores. Campfire is always good. I love campfire.

Snack Shack

Aaron C., Age 9
Tribe of Judah

The Snack Shack had lots of candy! All the candy had lots of sugar. I like Sour Skittles and Starbursts and Nerds Ropes the best. They also had ice cream. The ice cream was delicious. Yum!

Waterballoon Volleyball

Aaron C., Age 9
Tribe of Judah

We played a game called water balloon volleyball. We used a tarp. We had to throw the water balloon off of the tarp and over the net. When we missed catching the water balloon, it popped and we got soaked. Water balloon volleyball is my favorite water game!

Campfires

Ketzia B., Age 11
Tribe of Reuben

One of the things I like about camp is the campfires. The songs are really fun and energetic. The devotions have taught us more about Y’shua and how we can be closer to Him.

Our location for campfires is amazing. The fire is always beautiful. Since we are on mountain, if we go watch the sunset, it’s incredible. On July 4th we looked down and saw fantastic fireworks. It really shows when we go up there how amazing God is – how He created all of these incredible sights.

As I said before, the songs are great. Some of my favorites are “Baby Whale” and “Jesus Loves Me” (Campfire Style). The devotions have been an incredible influence on all the campers. Campfires ROCK!

Baseball Fieldtrip

Elizabeth D., Age 12
Tribe of Reuben

At Camp Gilgal we go on field trips. This year, we went to a baseball game – Muckdogs vs. Valleycats. During intermissions, or if you don’t want to watch, you can get money from the Gilgal bank to get whatever you want. We also stay safe. We have a buddy rule and you go with your buddy to go wherever. 

Rockwall

Rebecca T., Age 12
Tribe of Reuben

If you have Rockwall, then get ready cause you’re gonna have lots of fun. In Rockwall, you’ll get to climb the easy and medium wall. The medium wall is the shortest wall. The easy wall is the longest wall, but it has lots of rocks on it, so it’s easier to climb up. Note, if you’re a beginner and it’s your first time, then start out with the easy wall!

On the first day, the staff will explain the rules of Rockwall. Then on the second day you will get fitted for harnesses. After that, you’ll pick out the helmet you need. Then you’re all set. On that note, on your mark, get set, CLIMB!!

Campout Night

Elizabeth D., Age 12
Tribe of Reuben

Every year of camp, we have a Campout Night. This is when you go out into the wilderness and sleep in a tent for a night. You will have to bring clothes, sleeping bags, flashlights, and pillows. We cook at a campfire and eat hot dogs and hamburgers. You can choose to sleep in the tent or outdoors (if it’s not raining). This year we slept on the skate ramp and found the Big Dipper and North Star. Campout Night is so much fun!!

Horse Riding!

Rebekah C., Age 9
Tribe of Gad

I had so much fun riding horses this year. I rode five times in a row without stopping. It drank a lot of water. Its name was Mabel. It was fast. It was kind of big. It was a brown horse. We fed it grass. Me and Sarah were the first ones to get to ride in the tribe. We got to pet the horses. It was fun!

Animal Night

Liza C., Age 12
Tribe of Reuben

Animal Night is by definition a night of animals, and there sure were a lot of animals in the dining hall that night! Here are the percentages and names of the human-animal population of the Tribe of Reuben.

Forty percent of the tribe (Heinz, Ketzia, Zoobles, and Lydia) were seen as bunny rabbits. Ten percent (Johannah) were in a parrot-like fashion. Ten percent more (Kaitlyn) looked like a chipmunk. Ten percent (Elizabeth) blended as a chameleon. Ten percent (Liza) looked poodle-ish. And last, but not least, as a joke, ten percent (Hannah) dressed up as a middle schooler (they are animalistic at times…).

And so, Animal Night was fun for all!

Archery

Taliah S., Age 9
Tribe of Gad

Archery is a very fun activity that is not as easy as it looks! I had archery for my third activity and I thought that it would be so easy because that is what people said. But then, when I tried it, I couldn’t even get the arrow on the bow!

Our Pool

Eliana S., Age 11
Tribe of Naphtali

Too, too cold! Say the campers at Camp Gilgal. This cold pool might seem cold to you, but think about those hot days when it’s like Heaven!

The pool area here is really a great thing! On hot days, you can be in the pool having fun, or on cold days in the game room having fun. So either way, the pool area is fun.

The pool might seem like it has horrible rules, but it’s better than most pools.

1. We (girls) don’t have to put our hair up.
2. We can cannonball into the shallow end.
3. You don’t have to take a shower before you get in.
4. They aren’t strict about yelling.

So those are four great reasons why the pool is great!

Horse Day

Nathaniel D., Age 10
Tribe of Benjamin

Horse Day is when you get a helmet (one that fits you) and you let the person in charge see how tall you are, so they can choose the best horse for you. If you are 10 and older you go on a trail. If you are nine or younger you will ride the ponies. I had a horse named Mabou. He might have been a pony. I rode him on the trail though. Mabou had his mom with him on the trail. Someone else rode Mabou’s mom. So, sometimes I didn’t have to steer Mabou because he was trained, and he followed his mom.

Then there were water games/water balloon volleyball. The point of the game is to keep a water balloon safe from falling. You would have to use a tarp to toss the water balloons over the net. Our team lost because most of the water balloons dropped. We tried to catch the water balloons with the tarp.

Finally, we did drama games. There was a game called Wax Museum. There is one person who is It. They are supposed to catch people moving when they look at them. The game is hard, but fun.

I hope we do horseback riding next year!

Archery

David H., Age 11
Tribe of Simeon

Archery is really really fun and the thing that is fun is you get a bow and arrow to shoot at they target. The thing you have to fire at is the eye.

In order to use a bow and some arrows, you have to follow the rules.

Rule 1) Before you knock an arrow you must point the arrow down at the ground.
Rule 2) Do not point an arrow at a person. They could hurt or kill a person.
Rule 3) Treat the archery equipment the way you treat people.
Rule 4) Do not point an arrow at staff members.
Rule 5) Do not fire until staff tell you too.
Rule 6) Do not fire an arrow into the woods.
Rule 7) This is God’s mountain. Treat it with respect.

Remember, have fun, follow the rules, and be careful.

Basketball

Joey S., Age 9
Tribe of Judah

I used to not know how to dribble a basketball, but now I do. I also learned how to get perfect aim while shooting. You have to have perfect aim to get it in the basket, otherwise you don’t get the point. I’m glad I got to see how good I was because I used to play, too. I also think Shades plays basketball really good too.

All About the Campout!

Isaiah H., Age 8
Tribe of Judah

One day after fourth activity, my tribe leader said we were going on a campout and I was very happy. Then we got all our things. Then we started to head out and we went on a big hike. Then we got to our campsite. Then the fun part was building the tent. At night, we made a bonfire. When we were alone a dog came. We played fetch with the dog. We played games, and made s’mores. Then we went to bed under the beautiful stars and the moon. When we woke up, we went near the fire and got warm with Twitch. Then we took down the tents and went on our huge hike again. When we were hiking, God was speaking to me through the wind and it was cool. I felt very special. When we reached camp, we started a new clean day and it was fun!

Snack Shack

Keane R., Age 10
Tribe of Simeon

The Snack Shack is a place at the pool where they sell candy. They sell lots of candy. All the candy is really cheap. They sell ice cream for three dollars and that’s a big scoop! All the candy is really good. They have Skittles, Twizzlers, Ring Pops, and even milk shakes. I like the Snack Shack. My favorite candy is Skittles.

All About…Fashion Disastah Night!

Isaiah H., Age 8
Tribe of Judah

After fourth activity, RedSox yelled, “Get ready for Fashion Disastah Night!” When I heard her, I yelled at the top of my lungs and so I got into my outfit, except this year my outfit was too hot. So then after Fashion Disastah Night I got out of my hot outfit. But there’s more to tell you. My outfit was a blue sweater and a green top with mismatched shoes. I had my Camp Gilgal shirt on top of my green sweatshirt. I had one sock up and one down and my hair was weird. My blue sweater was tied on my belly and the hood was on my head! The thing I like about Fashion Disastah Night is I like seeing people in different and weird clothes.

Horse Day

Ethan M., Age 8
Tribe of Judah

On Horse Day, we had times to ride on horses. We played games and learned Hebrew. There were water games. We played water balloon volleyball. I can’t wait to do it again next year!

It was very hot on Horse Day, but it was not too bad because we played water games to cool us down. Games like water balloon volleyball and some water relays. In the water relays, we didn’t get too wet, but water balloon volleyball kept us nice and cool. Lots of kids rode horses, but I was feeling afraid of heights so I didn’t ride. I hope to try to ride next year.

On Horse Day, we had a barbeque for lunch up at the sunset spot. RedSox cooked hot dogs and hamburgers for the whole camp! There was a special guest on Horse Day named Improv. Improv is very funny. He was a surprise at mail call and RedSox had to sing for him. Horse Day is a great day at Camp Gilgal!

Swimming Time

Nathaniel D., Age 10
Tribe of Benjamin

When you want to swim in the swimming pool, you would first have to take a swimming test. If you don’t want to then you automatically get a red bracelet (it means that you can only swim in the shallow water.) To pass the test, there are some things to do. First, you have to do front kicks to the other side of the pool. Then, you have to swim on your back to the other side without stopping or touching the ground. Then you would go to the deep end and tread water for one minute. If you made it, you would get a green bracelet. (That means you can swim in the shallow water, the medium water, and the deep end.) It’s fun! Try it!

Rockwall

Sarah H., Age 8
Tribe of Gad

Rockwall is when you go on a wall and it has lots of rocks on it. First, you need a helmet. Then you need a harness. A harness makes sure you are safe. First, go on the easy wall which means the beginners wall. Then when you’re done with that wall you go on to the medium wall. Then you can go on the HARD wall! I was almost at the top of the easy wall and then I had to jump down. To jump down, you put your feet flat on the wall then you push yourself off and jump down. I thought Rockwall was fun and I think you will too!

Campfire

Taliah S., Age 9
Tribe of Gad 

Campfire happens every couple of nights and what we do is we usually have an all-camp game right before campfire. Once we get there we sit around the fire. Then three or four of the staff come up and we sing some songs like “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” and “Oh When the Saints Come Marching In” and “I’m Gonna Sing, Sing, Sing” and we usually sing some songs like that. And then we sing some more mellow songs like “Be Thou My Vision” and then we pray. Then one of the staff comes up and they give what is called a campfire talk. What they do during the talk is either read something from the Bible that relates to their lives or they talk about something that happened in their lives. Then, after maybe another song, we all go to the side of the mountain and watch the sunset! I personally think that it is the best way to end campfire ever!

Only at Camp Gilgal

FOB, a Poem

Rebecca T., Age 12
Tribe of Reuben

FOB is a bore
It makes me snore
I hate FOB
I feel like a slob
It’s now 4 o’clock
I hear it go tick tock
There’s nothing to do
I’m playing with my shoe
The whistle blows
It’s time to go out and
Put on normal clothes

Camp 2010!

Ketzia B., Age 11
Tribe of Reuben

This year, Camp Gilgal has been very different. One of the reasons why is because we have switched our location! It’s a great place, and I think we all like it a lot.

For the boys, this has been a big improvement. Last year, their cabin was gross. One time they even found a live bird in there! For the girls, the only bad thing is the washrooms are outside. The cabins are bigger and more comfortable.

We have lots of space and the Mishkan is pretty much the same. The Hebrew room and infirmary are smaller, but that is okay. We have more space and really, we’re right across the road!

Letter to Parents

Yael P., Age 9
Tribe of Gad

Dear Parents,

Camp Gilgal is an awesome place to send your children. I can go on and on about how much fun I had at camp. First of all, Camp Gilgal teaches good Bible studies. I have learned so much in my two weeks at camp. I also really enjoyed archery, drama games, and horseback riding. I also made a lot of good friends at camp. I live in the city and it is very hard to make friends. But when I came to camp I met many people.

Sincerely,

   Yael

Tabernacle

Hannah D., Age 11
Tribe of Reuben

In the mornings, all of us wake up, go to breakfast, have cabin clean up, and then, we have Tabernacle. Tabernacle allows many people to get closer to God. First, we worship with the worship team. My favorite worship songs are “Prince of Peace” and “The Happy Song.” These two songs are fun and have a real meaning to them.

After worship, we all listen to a brief message given by Twister. This year we are learning about Sh’vuot and how a lot of things have to do with it. Overall, Tabernacle is really fun and it also brings us close to God.

FOB

Taliah S., Age 9
Tribe of Gad

FOB is a very debatable time. Most people hate it, but I absolutely love it! FOB stands for flat on bunk and you don’t really have to be flat on bunk, you just have to be in your bunk. The staff came up with FOB for the campers to sleep, but if someone fell asleep at FOB it was a big surprise for everybody!

Hebrew

Alyssa C., Age 9
Tribe of Gad

H – Heroic
E – Education
B – Best language I learned
R – Rocks the Alef-Bet song
E – Education
W – Wisdom

Hebrew is a fun and easy language to learn! These past two weeks we learned the alef-bet, numbers from one to ten, colors, and how to write and say our names in Hebrew. We learned how to write the letters and vowel sounds. We also learned how to say “ani rotsa esser adom dubi b’vakasha” which means, “I want 10 red gummy bears please.” We also learned “Ma shlomech” which means “How are you?” and answers like “lo tov” (not good), “tov” (good), “kacha-kacha” (half-n-half) and “sababa” (cool). And last but not least, we learned the V’ahavta. I had lots of fun when I learned Hebrew this year.

Cabin Clean-Up

Devora W., Age 11
Tribe of Naphtali

Every day at Camp Gilgal we have Cabin Clean-Up. Cabin Clean-Up is when we clean up our cabin. Twister, RedSox, or Strings checks to see if there are any infractions, like an askew Bible or a shirt “tossed like salad.” Every cabin has a turn to clean the bathroom, but if you get a 60 or under, you have to clean the bathroom anyways. We all try to get a 100 so we get more points for the party at the end of camp. Sometimes Cabin Clean-Up can be hard, so we always try our best!

Theme Meals

Devora W., Age 11
Tribe of Naphtali

Have you ever eaten dinner with a pack of dogs, a blue jay, a tiger, or hippocolors? Well, I have. If you’re wondering what a hippocolor is, this is it: It’s part hippo, it’s colorful, it’s a creature that eats lions and loves curly hair.

Here at Camp Gilgal, we have a lot of theme meals, like Animal Night, Crazy Hair Night, Fashion Disastah Night, Red, White and Blue Day, Canada Day, and Backwards Night.

We have a lot of fun on Animal Night because we all dress up like animals. For Animal Night, I was a dog with a few other girls in my cabin. On Crazy Hair Night, we all do our hair really crazy, and on Fashion Disastah night we all dress up really funny. For Fashion Disastah night I wore my swimsuit over funny clothes. On Red, White, and Blue Day we all wear the colors of the flag for the 4th of July. On Canada Day, we dress in red and white. Finally, on Backwards Day we wear everything backwards. The only thing I don’t like about theme meals is that there’s not enough of them!

M.I. (Mission Impossible)

Yael P., Age 9
Tribe of Gad

At Camp Gilgal we play this game called Mission Impossible or M.I. What we do is some camp staff go hide clues. You are handed the first clue. Then you try to get all the other clues. But there are guards guarding the clues so you have to try not to get spotted by them. When you get all the clues the clues make a picture. The first group of people to get all the clues wins. M.I. is so fun. What I like about M.I. is this: One, you play it in the dark. Two, you have to work together in the group you are in or else your group can’t win. M.I. is also challenging. You have to run really fast to get the clues quickly. The first time I played M.I. I loved it. The last time I played M.I. my tribe won. It was a really long time since my tribe won M.I.

                                                Sincerely,

                                                Yael

Making a Degel

Simona B., Age 8
Tribe of Gad

At the beginning of camp you make a degel for your tribe. But first, you need to choose a tribe name. Here are your choices: Issachar, Gad, Dan, Judah, Benjamin, Zebulun, Reuben, Naphtali, Simeon, Asher, Levi, and Joseph. These are all the tribes of Israel. You and your tribe decorate it in any way you want but it has to have the symbol of your tribe name. Your degel has to have your tribe name on it and also the members of your tribe. It’s your degel so be creative and have fun with it!

Shabbat

Simona B., Age 8
Tribe of Gad

Every Friday night you have Shabbat. You need to dress up pretty if you’re a girl and handsome if you’re a boy. You need to wear clean and fresh clothes. You have to say more blessings than you usually do. The bread is called challah. You pass the challah around your tribe table and you each get a piece of it. You have a tribe time before it so you can take showers and get dressed. Enjoy Shabbat – it’s fun!

The Gilgal Gazette is published by Camp Gilgal campers for Camp Gilgal campers and their families and friends!

Setting Our Minds on Things Above

(Colossians 3:2-4) 

Campers:

Staff:

Coco, Duke, Pebbles, Rockstar

Directors:

Family and Friends

Pebbles Interview

Shoshana Z., Age 13

Q. What’s your favorite movie?
A. Princess Bride

Q. What’s your favorite food?
A. Avocados and raspberries (but not together)

Q. What’s your favorite memory of camp?
A. Getting caught in the tornado

Q. What’s your favorite ice cream?
A. Chocolate moose tracks

Q. What’s your favorite kind of animal?
A. Giraffe

Rockstar Interview

Megan M., Age 13

Q. How do you like your eggs?
A. Sunny side up

Q. What are three things you would bring onto a deserted island?
A. Book, a knife, and a picture of Duke

Q. How long have you liked Duke?
A. Since I first laid eyes on him.

Q. Longest time going without a shower?
A. Five days at adventure camp each year

Q. Favorite drink?
A. Light blue Gatorade or Dr. Pepper

Q. Favorite fast food?
A. In-N-Out burger

Q. What would you put on a sandwich?
A. Roast beef, provolone cheese, lettuce, green peppers, mayo

Q. Favorite color?
A. Midnight blue

Q. If you could invent an ice cream flavor, what would it be?
A. Chocolate superman

Coco Interview

Moriah C., Age 13

Q. What sport do you like the best?
A. Football

Q. What do you like better, milk or water?
A. Water

Q. Did you ever go to junior camp?
A. Yes, for four years

Q. Do you like cheese on your burgers?
A. Yes

Q. What’s your favorite movie?
A. Indiana Jones

Adventures and Games!

Canoe Trip

Lauren C., Age 12

One day our camp went canoeing and I was paired up with Justice. We were the third person closest to the place that we needed to go to but we were kinda far away from the place too. So we were paddling and we both leaned to the side by accident and we tipped over and I bumped my head on the canoe. Then I fell in the water and so did Justice. Then Shoshana and Chiclet came and they had to hold the boat and turn it upside down and I got really wet.

The Tornado!

Justice L., Age 12

At Camp Gilgal 2010, there was a tornado near Camp Mack, in Warsaw, Indiana. One Camp Mack employee ran down the walkway that leads to the Gilgal cabins, which are in Mission Village, sprinting and yelling for everyone to “get inside the basement of the main building.” The tornado did not actually hit Camp Mack, but it barely missed it. While we were in the basement, we prayed that the tornado would not hit us and it did not hit us.

Arcade Room Fun

Raveena L., Age 15

We drove from camp for about 20 minutes to an arcade place. We each had twenty tokens. Some of us bought extra tokens. We could buy stuff with the tokens like snap bracelets, rings, hacky sacks, small water balls, candy and other little junk. The arcade had two floors. The second floor had laser tag. One game I enjoyed was kind of like bowling. Another was where you put a coin in, then a ball comes bouncing down and drops into one of the moving holes. For the bowling game you would throw the ball up a ramp and try making it into different holes worth different amounts of points.

Ropes Course

Ariel C., Age 14

We were going to the woods, and we all had to work together to win. It was really funny because we were all sitting on the rope, and then we were falling because we went back to trying to stand up. And when I kept standing, I kept falling down. It was really funny! Also, it was really funny because we all worked together.

Rock Climbing

Ben S., Age 13

Rock climbing was awesome. There were firewalls and they started from easiest to hardest. It was fun because when you get to the top, there’s a zip line 30 feet in the air that you jump off of, and it’s fun! Rock climbing is the best!!! It’s my first year and I am coming back!

Only at Gilgal….

Capture the Degel

Kendall M., Age 13

The second night at camp we played Capture the Degel (flag). My team consisted of Pebbles, Rockstar, Duke, Elijah, Josiah, Ariel, and Lauren. We waited half an hour. Me, Rockstar, and Pebbles were guarding the degel. And Taz’s team won. My favorite thing I did at camp was seeing all of my old friends and getting new ones. Camp Gilgal is just the greatest camp. I don’t even want to go to any other camp. My most favorite event was Capture the Degel (flag). It was just the coolest thing. We lost, but it was still super fun.

Decathalon

Kayla P., Age 15

While we were all packed in the car we stopped at many different stops. First we stopped somewhere very random to have a paper rock and scissors challenge and we picked names for teams, the Cupcakes and the Awesome Blossoms. My team, the Cupcakes, had Duke, Lauren, Justice, Elijah, Pebbles, Kendall and Ariel. The Awesome Blossoms had Rockstar, Coco, Megan, Moriah, Ben, Shoshana, Raveena and Josiah.

The judges were Chiclet and Taz. After the paper scissors and rock contest that the Cupcakes won, we went to Wal-Mart and we did a cheer, had a cracker challenge and drank a 12-pack of pop. We had to stack them up and make the tallest tower. Afterwards, the score was 2-2 and we went over to a park. There we had a donut challenge and had to make a mummy. The score was now the Cupcakes 2 and the Awesome Blossoms 4. Next, we went over to an ice cream shop for a break. It was yummy. Next, we played team-mafia. Score was now 5-2. We also had a build-a-cup challenge and the Awesome Blossoms won 2-7. Also, Elijah and Megan had to retrieve a ball that was thrown into the lake, and Elijah won, allowing the Cupcakes to gain a point.

But at the end, the Awesome Blossoms were the best, winning 7-3.

(Colossians 3:2-4)

Setting Our Minds on Things Above

(Colossians 3:2-4)

  

The Gilgal Gazette is published by Camp Gilgal campers for Camp Gilgal campers and their families and friends!

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Campers:

Andrew B., Angela G., Ashley S., Ben L., Benjamin W., Bonnie O., Brighton G., Brooke A., Daniel E., Dimitri S., Dottie P., Elaine B., Elizabeth G., Ellis S., Erik G., Gal C,. Greyci R., Hadassa M., Hannah Y., Isaac R., Jason R., Joel R., Kaleb F., Kezziah W., Lielle A., Lina N., Maya C., Michael M., Mitch B., Moriah J., Nathan H., Noah P., Olivia W., Pomai B., Psalm R., Renee V., Tamar P., Tirzah W., Victoria V., Zachary S.

Staff:

 Amp, Bazooka, Jet, Nacho, Pixie, Poppy, Shoe, Snapple, Sonic, Streetlight, Talon, Yoshi

Directors:

Moose and Spike

 

Family and Friends

Amp Interview

By Daniel E., Age 13

Hi, my name is Daniel, and it’s my first time at Camp Gilgal. I want to interview Amp because he is a cool guy and is also my tribe leader.

1. Do you like sports? Yes, football and track.
2. What are your favorite movies? The Last Star Fighter or War Games.
3. How old are you Amp? Old enough!
4. What is your real name – you need to answer! That is an excellent question.
5. Do you have any brothers and how many? Yes, one brother
6. When is your birthday? February 13
7. Do you like Camp Gilgal? He loves Camp Gilgal
8. Where do you live? LA
9. How long have you been to Camp Gilgal? Nine or ten years Semper fi

Interview Nacho

By Zachary S., Age 13

Q: What inspired you to become a tribe leader?

A: Because I grew up in Camp Gilgal, it looked like fun and I wanted to help change people’s lives.

Q: How has Camp Gilgal helped you in your walk with God?
A: I first accepted Y’shua at Camp Gilgal, and it has given me insights on how to live as a believer.

Q: What is your favorite thing about Camp Gilgal?
A: As a camper I liked jet skiing as a teen camper, and as staff I liked to play Wells Fargo. Q: Why is your name Nacho?
A: I was weaned on nachos.

Q: Rating from 1 to 10, how much has Camp Gilgal affected your life?
A: 10

Q: How many years have you gone to Camp Gilgal as a camper? Do you wish you had gone to Camp Gilgal as a camper for more years than you went?
A: 10 years. No, I think 10 years is pretty good.

Q: What is the main difference between going to Camp Gilgal as a camper and going as staff?
A: You have more responsibility.

Q: Have you made any lifelong friends at Camp Gilgal? If yes, who, and how have they affected your life?
A: Yes, Shoe. He’s been a good friend and we both help each other get through difficult situations.

Q: Were you scared the first time you came to Camp Gilgal? Why?
A: Yes, because it was the first I was away from home.

Q: Did you get over your initial homesickness? If yes, how did you?
A: Yes, I interacted with the staff and fellow campers.

Poppy

By Tamar P., Age 14

Q: Why did you pick the name Poppy?
A: The staff were all sitting down eating dinner and Poppy didn’t have a camp name yet.

After about a dozen suggestions that she thought about and many suggestions from other staff, it came to what was Poppy’s favorite flower. After much deliberation she decided her favorite flower was a poppy. Thus she was dubbed Poppy.

Q: How many years have you been a tribe leader?
A: Poppy has been a tribe leader for a total of four years. However she missed the year 2008.

Q: What has been your favorite activity that you’ve done at camp?
A: It’s a tie between two sport events. One is the killer game of paintball in which she almost lost her head. The other is the wonderfully relaxing jet skiing in which she gets to throw campers off the jet skis.

Q: What brings you back to camp every year?
A: The campers bring her back every year because she likes getting to know them. Plus she likes helping them in their walk with Y’shua.

Tied for First!

By Nathan H., Age 13

Camp is such an amazing place! I have to wonder why such a small amount of people attend. Finally, in 2010, we have tied 2004 for the largest amount of campers at 40! Here are random quotes. Noah: You! Greyci: I’m not as random as you think I am. Ben W.: WOW! Gal: If you don’t want paint on your shirt, follow me. Tirzah: Hold on!!! Elaine: I’m really glad I’m here. Joel: Camp is really fun. Ben L.: It’s great to be a part of camp. Hadassa: Jet skiing is fun. Brooke: Bass Lake is awesome! Brighton: I like snow cones. Lielle: Trees are good. Maya: Bass Lake was awesome. Ellis: Dude, where is my car? Dimitri: Purple Drank. Pomai: Paintball is really painful. Victoria: How’s it goin’? Hannah: A large flamingo wearing hot sauce dances the tango. Bonnie: Something. Tamar: I don’t know. Kezziah: Hi. David: Camp is awesome. Almost 40 quotes from the most amazing campers ever! In my first year of teen camp, there were so few campers. I thought it was the last camp ever. This year there is so much more fun because there are more people to connect and have fun with. The games are way more exciting and fun. People are what camp is all about. I am hoping for bigger camps in the future. Go camp!

Interview with Sonic

By Greyci R., Age 15

I’m Greyci and I did an interview with Sonic. It was so much fun to get to know him better.

Q: What is your name?
A: Sonic

Q: What is your favorite color?
A: Green

Q: Do your quills hurt you when you sleep?
A: No, I’ve gotten used to them.

Q: How long have you been with Camp Gilgal?
A: Since 1999, so 12 years

Q: What is your favorite brand of shoes?
A: Converse All-stars

Q: How many times did you get hit in paint ball?
A: Three times

Q: What is your favorite part of camp?
A: Paintball or Capture the Degel

Q: What do you like most about coming to camp?
A: To get away and to focus on God

So there you have it. That was my interview with Sonic!

Interview Pixie

By Renee V., Age 13

1. Do you like junior camp or teen camp better? For teen camp she loves the activities and junior camp she loved theme nights.
2. Why did you pick Pixie as a camp name? She liked pixie fairies and the name fits her.
3. What is your favorite color? Blue, and sometimes purple
4. How is teen camp going so far? Most excellently.
5. Who was your first crush in middle school? No comment at all.
6. Who were your tribe leaders at junior camp when you were a little girl? Rickshaw and Gidge
7. What is your embarrassing moment at teen camp? I can’t really remember one. Hopefully I haven’t had any.
8. What is your favorite memory as a camper? Her favorite memory as a camper was her first year as a camper. The new excitement and the newness of it all was something that she’ll never forget.

Foxglove Cabin Shoe

By Ben L., Age 14

This year I was in a cabin with Ben W., Brighton, Michael, Mitchell, Erik, Jason, Isaac and Dimitri. My tribe leaders were Shoe, Sonic and Talon.

Shoe was great, Sonic was great and Talon was also great!

The past few days our cabin has grown to be like a family (laughs). Every night we would have devotions and pray. We have had very interesting conversations that apply to teen life. I am going to talk about some favorite things that happened in our cabin.

1. Cabin Clean Up: In the mornings we would wake up at around 6:30-7:15am. On the first morning of camp, Jason came in around 6:00 and started waking everyone up and making us work to clean. After that he locked everyone out of the cabin until cabin inspection.

2. Devotions: At night right before bed we would do devotions. The way that we found out what to talk about was we put suggestions in an empty coffee tin. We would then pull out the suggestions and talk about them. Sometimes it even took two hours. But in the end, we all felt happy, relieved and pretty close to each other. I felt very blessed to be in cabin Foxglove.

3. Campers and staff: In Foxglove cabin, the tribe leaders were Shoe, Sonic and Talon. Shoe is related to Jackie Chan (I think). What’s cool about him is he always has time for everyone. Sonic is great because he is in a band. He also, like Shoe, has time for everyone. Talon is new to this, but he is already great. He is into birds very much and he also has a sense of humor.

Also in the Foxglove cabin was Ben W., Brighton, Michael, Mitchell, Erik, Jason, Isaac, and Dimitri. Along with being real nice, all of my fellow campers had some special traits. Ben W. was smart. Brighton was cool. Mitchell had an ingrown toe nail (laughs) and was a leader. Erik was quiet, but also smart and funny. Jason was a born leader. Isaac was real smart. Dimitri was just plain hilarious. Michael was also funny and willing to help.

Looking back I feel so blessed to be in the cabin of Foxglove with my tribe leaders and friends.

Yoshi

By Dotti P., Age 13

Q: What’s your favorite memory as a teen camper?
A: Oh! I am indecisive about these things. I think one of my most important and memories as a teen camper was the Vernal Fall hike, especially with Bazooka.

Q: What brought you to Camp Gilgal?
A: Three older siblings went to camp and she just couldn’t wait to come!

Q: Why did you pick the name Yoshi?
A: I have two older brothers who play video games and Yoshi was just awesome. Wait! What?! I mean I was born with it.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to do at camp?
A: As a tribe leader, interacting with my campers.

Q: What’s your favorite worship song?
A: I can’t pick an overall favorite song but I like “Always Forever.”

Q: Do you have any “hidden” abilities?
A: Well, guitar was one, but not so much now since I played on worship team the other day.

Q: What do you miss about being a camper?
A: Not feeling so exhausted, but the exhaustion is worth it.

Snapple

By Kezziah W., Age 13 I chose to do an interview with Snapple because I’ve known her ever since I was a camper and I feel like I can tell her stuff about my life. And she is just fun and one of my favorite people!

Q: Do you like junior camp or teen camp better?
A: I love adventures and teen camp has a lot of them.

Q: What are your favorite games at camp and why?
A: I like Wells Fargo. It was my favorite as a camper too, so I just always liked it.

Q: What is your favorite type of Snapple?
A: Lemon tea, Diet Peach tea, Trop-A-Rocka

Q: What are your favorite hobbies?
A: I love going to the beach, making scrap books, and going on adventures.

Q: What do you like to do in cabin time?
A: I like talking with my cabin and getting to know them better and laughing and just having fun.

Q: What staff are your best friends?
A: I am pretty close with all the staff but when I was a camper I was best friends with Bazooka, Yoshi, and Tutu.

Q: What is your best memory of camp?
A: It was at adventure camp when we had worship and stuff like that and it was just fun.

Q: How old were you when you gave your heart to the Lord?
A: The first time I gave my heart to the Lord was at junior camp, but the first time I understood the gift of salvation, I was 14 years old.

Adventures and Games!

Food Times

By Dimitri S., Age 15

When you think of camp food you are probably thinking of sloppy joes, beans from a can, or even meat that you are not quite sure what it is and you have to drench it with ketchup. This is not the case at Camp Gilgal. Here the campers can’t wait for meal times. The chefs cook really gourmet food. An example of this was when all of the campers arrived on the first day. After traveling for hours on the road, we had a nice meal of brisket and mashed potatoes. The food was awesome like this all week. Not only was there food intake at meals but also in the cabins. There have been accounts of people eating animal crackers at 2am. Other campers made their own things such as Purple Drank. Fellow camper Ellis got hooked on this substance called Purple Drank. Overall, food is very evident in a camper’s day at Camp Gilgal.

Flume

By Michael M., Age 16

Well, when I first went on the flume the first thing I had to do was take a swim test and then you grab a mat and GO. Daniel thought the speed near the middle was the best part of the flume. Andrew thought he liked the air part. Now when I asked people if they liked going on their backs or their stomachs, most of them said that they liked going on their backs rather than going on their stomachs for safety reasons. When I asked some campers how much they liked the flume they answered that they somewhat liked it, loved it, and Elizabeth even said that she thought it was “awesome.” Not to mention my own opinion – my opinion of the flume was that the swim test was kind of useless but then you grab the mat and GO. Also the 20 ft drop off was a lot of fun.

The Giant Swing

By Elizabeth G., Age 14

On my third day of teen camp a group of us campers did the giant swing. It was about 45 feet in the air, and to get up to the platform you had to get harnessed and someone belays you. You climb a ladder and then some giant staples. When you reach the top you sit on a platform where an instructor straps you in. At first, I was afraid. But Streetlight, the campers and the staff at Calvin Crest helped me and I eventually made it to the top. Going down it at first was scary because you have to jump off. It’s like free falling but then you just start swinging. It’s very scary but very exciting. At the end you have to climb down a ladder to get to the ground. All in all the swing is very fun. I personally won’t be going again anytime soon. The good thing about this experience was being able to say that I did the giant swing. With this activity I went against my comfort zone. But guess what, I did it!

Yosemite

By Lina N., Age 15

On Tuesday morning, the campers drove to hike a mountain. It was a kind of long hike, but really pretty so it was worth it. It was hard to hike up, you also have to look down where you walk. When all the campers were on the top of the big mountain, it was an unforgettable moment. You could see trees and really beautiful clear water falls. It was amazing. God made the world so beautifully that people from all over the world come to see this place. We also saw the Three Sisters and the Sentinel Dome. The Sentinel Dome had a crack in the middle of it. There were some cute chipmunks there. On the way back it was easier to go down the mountain than going up. It was an amazing experience. Even Angela, my friend, loved it and wants to climb the Half Dome. Interviewing Angela: How did you like Yosemite? Angela: It was very pretty and was really fun to hike. Would you go again? Angela: Yeah, I would definitely go again.

The Bass Lake Experience

By Andrew B., Age 13

On Thursday, the fourth full day of Camp Gilgal teen camp west, all 40 of us packed our towels, donned our swimsuits, applied sunscreen and hopped into the vans to go to Bass Lake. After a 30 minute drive and a brief delay when Sonic had to turn around get the video camera that we forgot to bring, we arrived at the lake. When we arrived there, we could sunbathe, swim, jet ski, and even ride a banana towed by a ski boat. Now, let’s hear some firsthand experiences. First, we hear from Joel, on the banana boat spill ride. “The banana was really fun and exciting. I fell off a lot!” Now, we hear from Elaine, who rode on a no spill jet ski. Fortunately, she didn’t fall off at all. But it’s an adventure all the same! Their high speed was a whopping 35 miles per hour! Elaine says, “Amp was a really good driver! He went very fast, but didn’t let us fall even once.” She went on to say that it was the most fun she had all day! Finally, we heard from Talon on action photography for the banana rides. He said, “It was fun riding on the ski boat.” He also says that he was greatly amused by all the people that were constantly falling off. I saw a shot he took of a group of people in mid flip. He really is a great photographer! And thus concluded our exciting day at Bass Lake.

Calvin Crest vs. Oakhurst

By Ben W., Age 14

It all depends on a person’s opinion, whether Calvin Crest or Oakhurst Camp is a better camp ground. So let me tell you my opinion.

I personally believe Calvin Crest is a better campground. Things are better like food, drink, area, and much more. If you don’t believe me maybe you’ll believe others.

Pixie: “Calvin Crest, because it’s more beautiful, better food and I know people.

Greyci: “I like Calvin Crest better, though I kinda miss the old activities. But the food is better.”

Trust me, these aren’t the only ones. Most of camp likes Calvin Crest better. I don’t regret the change.

The main reason for most is the food. Others like the area, the activities, and the beauty. For example, there’s a lake to go boating in, unlike Oakhurst. I think teen camp has a great opportunity at Calvin Crest.

All together the conclusion is that Calvin Crest is a better campground. People are looking forward to next year.

The Dock Wrestling

By Kaleb F., Age 13

Dima, Isaac, Erik, Ellis and I were dock wrestling on our trip to Bass Lake. We all had a corner and the winner previous to that game would call go. Then we would battle it out. We had no set rules, but we all knew not to hit, kick or elbow each other. Dima and I would win a lot. The main strategy was to get Dima and me off the dock. My strategy was to get Dima off the dock. I usually would push in the stomach area, but some people would go for the legs. I interviewed Sonic. He also said me and Dima were the best. Dima said he was the king of the purple drink and the dock but I think I was the king of the dock. Ellis said it was epic and he hopes we play next year. He also said it was fun pushing people off the dock.

Free Time

Psalm R., Age 13

Free time at Camp Gilgal teen camp is awesome! Although they do not have carpetball (best game ever!) they pretty much have everything else. The swimming pool is cool and refreshing (with a waterslide) and it even has a diving board! There is a really cool crafts hut where you can decorate visors and make cool crafty things. There is also a coffee bar. Need I say more? You can get smoothies, milkshakes, ice cream and pretty much everything else related to coffee drinks. The snack bar sells not only snacks but t-shirts and jewelry. It’s a snack shop and a souvenir shop rolled into one. I can’t accurately write about the pond because I haven’t been there yet. Andrew B. went on the enormous water slide (“the flume”) and reports, “I went down the slide at 20 miles an hour and stayed in the air for seven seconds after the jump at the end.” There are also kayaks and paddle boats. Renee says about the boats, “It was the bomb! We went on one and we almost tipped it over because half of it was filled with water!” Other than that you can either play basketball or wander around. The scenery is beautiful and you will have a great time no matter what you want to do.

Yosemite, a Place of Worship

By Bonnie O., Age 15

Sentinel Dome at Yosemite is a place of praise and to find God. If you have never been there, you ought to go on up and see exactly what I am talking about. If you can’t and are reading this article then try to picture this. Our camp (Camp Gilgal) took a hike up to Yosemite National Park. Everywhere you look, there is nature: trees, broken branches, grass, distant mountains, etc. Even in the city you barely see anything like it. Hiking up can be difficult unless you help each other or find a strong stick. There is a hill where you get a great view. The problem is getting a muscle cramp. That often happens. I’m going to skip the “how many miles” and get to the main point. Once we got up the mountain we looked all around and what we saw was amazing! There were mountains with green trees, or no trees, the Half Dome that looked like God had karate chopped it (or so Amp imagined for himself). There was a valley at the root of those mountains. The cars below looked like toys. And I forgot: there on the mountains were two different waterfalls. Seeing it all under the clear afternoon sky made me think of the third day of creation, and I knew that none of this could evolve by itself unless someone higher was at work. God, the artist, painted all of this and us. Thinking about it makes me praise Him and acknowledge Him as God. This all is the reason I say Yosemite is a place of worship. You remember your Creator, and love Him for His work. If you ever go up and see everything, remember who is God.

Free Time Basketball

By Victoria V., Age 14

Today at free time one of the options was basketball. Basketball is a fun game to play. I really love it because you can play on a team or by yourself. I would usually play with people because you can make new friends and it teachers you about teamwork and honesty. The rules are you can’t travel with the ball, you have to pass it to your teammates. In addition, you need to dribble the ball until you shoot the ball or pass it. Finally, you can play with one or more people. It’s more fun with lots of people because it can be more fun with lots of friends or family. I think basketball is a good sport to play. I also think basketball is life changing because lots of people become stars from playing it. The refs can be nice, but if you’re not playing right you will get yelled at by the refs. Lots of people go everywhere to play championships. One day I want to become a basketball player. I think basketball is the best sport to play at free time. At free times I love the part when you win the game because it’s the best thing ever.

Paintball

By Lielle A., Age 14

One of the best things about camp – paintball! A time where you can use your aiming skills and just shoot people and have fun. Personally I think paintball is the greatest game ever. We played 8 on 8 split strike. I love how we can just shoot people with a reason and it’s kinda like a battle. Pretty exciting. When we played this year I played in the advanced game with Amp. He’s going to the Marines and has guns so he knows what he’s doing. Unfortunately, I was playing against him and he shot me on my hand. I also got shot on my chest, my arm and my stomach. It was intense. The people on my team were Sonic, Jason, Noah, Tirzah and others. Amp is a really good paintballer. He’s meant to be with the Marines. So that was paintball for this year’s 2010 teen camp.

Building Memories at the Lake

By Maya C., Age 14

If you have ever spent time in God’s creation, you most likely know how beautiful it is. While going to Camp Gilgal this year, I had the opportunity to experience the same thing at the lake our new facility had. There are many things to do at the lake. You can have a peaceful quiet experience, or you can have an exciting, thrilling experience. The nature in and around the lake can be gigantic and majestic or minute and complicated. Overall, the lake provides an enjoyable experience and great camp memories for any and every kind of person. An example of a very peaceful experience at the lake would be to float in a boat and admire all the little fish that swim in it (if you stick your toes in the water, they will come and swarm around you, and may even try to nip you!), and all the big sequoia and redwood trees that surround it, as well as the small purple flowers that grow near it. You can steer your boat (there are two kinds – paddle boats and kayaks) to the island that rests in one end of the lake and sit in your boat admiring it. There are trees and flowers, as well as grass, and these really are pretty, low growing leaves. Also, if you are lucky, you may see a bright red dragonfly or two flying past you to and from the island’s purple flowers. If admiring nature doesn’t interest you, you can also go the lake with a friend and race them in the lake. Something more thrilling for the more hardcore camper that the lake has to offer is what they call the “flume.” The flume is a very tall, long, and fairly steep waterslide that will send you into the lake at very high speeds. You must first pass a very simple swimming test in order to ensure that you are able to safely go on the flume. Once passing this test (it is very easy, and you are most likely capable of passing it), you can take a mat and climb up to the top of the flume where a person who works at the facility will safely send you down the flume and into the lake. It is thrilling, exciting, and fun, and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. All in all, the lake has a wide variety of activities to offer for all kinds of people that help create camp memories to cherish and remember for a life time.

Teen Camp

By Ellis S., Age 14

A huge wall erupts 30 feet above the earth just waiting for eager campers to put their arms and legs on to attempt to get to the top. There were six levels of climbing ranging from easy to very hard. I want to climb the medium hard. Some campers don’t make it to the top because the challenge of reaching the top is too difficult for them. Mitchell did the wall and said, “It looked easy but it was challenging.” Other campers speed through the wall and reach the top in under four minutes. You may wonder, as climbing 30 feet above the ground sounds a little unsafe, but a harness is attached to the campers for ultimate safety. The wall itself is challenging and makes you nervous only by looking at it. Pushing your legs high above the ground makes it even more difficult. The wall may be tough, but it gives you joy when you make it.

Jet Skiing

By Brighton G., Age 13

Jet skiing is one of my favorite camp activities. My favorite part about it is the speed. Today I went with Jet. We fell off three or fourtimes, and one of the times me, Noah and Jet fell off. Angela says that her “crew” flipped the jet ski on a sharp turn, and that it took ten minutes to flip it back over and get back on. Tirzah says that she and Dimitri went with Bazooka on the ski and Tirzah says, “Let’s spill!” So they went five more minutes and finally spilled. She also says that she saw me fall and make a very weird face. Isaac says, “It was great!” That’s why jet skiing is one of my favorite things to do.

Sentinel Dome

By Angela G., Age 14

This year at teen camp we hiked to Sentinel Dome in Yosemite. The hike was about 45 minutes up and about 30 minutes down. Once at the top, the view was amazing. We saw El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, the Three Sisters, Half Dome, and Nevada Falls. They were very cool to see from higher ground. We read some verses out of the Bible and learned how Yosemite was made. After we read the verses we all had the opportunity to take pictures at Yosemite Valley and all the beautiful sights. Most people got some pretty cool pictures. While everyone was taking pictures and taking in God’s wonderful creation, Amp was chasing a chipmunk that was running around the rocks. The hike up might have been hard but the hike down was easy. Hiking is one of my favorite things to do and the view was amazing. This hike will make this year’s teen camp very memorable for me.

L.A. Vans

By Noah P., 13

I wanted to write about the LA vans because I knew lots of friends who were on the vans. I also met new people. Someone who was not in the vans previously was Bonnie. Most of the time she was reading her Bible. Bonnie said that “the ride was great.” What happened in the vans was at first we had to stop to get someone’s application for camp. When we got going again, Lielle had a couple things that the people in the van could do together like truth or dare. It was fun and funny what people would do when they got on a dare. Then later we stopped for lunch. I went to In and Out with some other people like Greyci. Greyci said, “In and Out was awesome.” After that, we were on the road again, and the drivers of the van took a wrong turn. Of course, we turned around and went the right way. When we got to camp, as usual the tribe leaders would drum onto the van with their hands. Then we got out and we greeted campers and had the most fun time at camp.

Paint Ball

By Jason R., Age 15

It started out one day at lunch. We all were in suspense of what activity we were going to do that day. Being a veteran, I knew what we were going to do but I was just as excited as ever. When Spike announced what we were playing I leaped for joy. I knew for the first time I was going all out, and I did. We went down to the paintball arena, we got into our teams, went into the arena and got our gear together. Unfortunately, we were faced with the biggest challenge in paintball history, Amp, a ruthless Marine who is a merciless opponent. The whistle was blown, and we proceeded with a plan of attack. We split into our teams and went off in all directions.

Sonic and I went on a man hunt for Amp because if we got him out we would have won the game. We went to find our friend and Sonic spotted him through the brush, fired a couple times and missed. I went around the left side with Noah and fired a couple times, but also missed. He returned fire and I was forced to take cover. Sonic continued firing as Amp crept around the side I was on. I was forced depart from Sonic in full confidence that he would finish Amp. Sadly, it wasn’t as easy as I previously thought it would be. I met up with Brighton and fired at Mitchell and Isaac. They had great cover and worse, Amp was behind me… I was shot at, took cover, he took Brighton out and he fired at me and hit me three times, once in the stomach, once in the arm and once in the neck. I was out. His team proceeded to victory.

Bass Lake

By Ashley S., Age 15

Bass Lake is one of the most fun experiences at teen camp. There are many options to choose from. For example, there’s the banana. The banana is a floaty device that gets pulled by a ski boat. It is extremely fun and very fast. Another activity is the jet ski. The jet skis can go fast. You can fall off very easily. I have yet to go on a jet ski. There is also a snack shop. They have really yummy treats like smoothies, coffee, ice cream or water. Or you could just swim in the lake and enjoy the view. Olivia – Would you go back to Bass Lake? “Of course.” Moriah – What is your favorite part of Bass Lake? “The snack shack” Angela – What are you most excited for? “The jet skis!” You should go to Bass Lake because it’s fun and exciting.

Riding the Banana

By Pomai B., Age 14

Riding the banana at Bass Lake was the most fun thing for me at camp. For the two years that I’ve been going to teen camp, the banana is what I always look forward to. The long drive to Bass Lake always makes me more excited to ride the banana. I love it when Moose drives because he drives the boat really fast. He always makes you flip off the banana and into the cool lake water. It’s a lot of fun trying to hang on when you know the banana boat is going to flip over. Lielle thinks that riding the banana at Bass Lake was intensely fun and she loves it a lot. Olivia feels that riding the banana is really fun and loves going on it over and over again. Streetlight thinks the banana at Bass Lake is awesome. She loves sitting in the boat and watching everybody have fun. Maya thinks riding the banana is awesome! She loves falling in the water. In conclusion, riding the banana is epic.

Free Time at the Espresso Shop

By Olivia W., Age 13

For free time, one activity everyone goes to is the Espresso Shop. At the shop, you can order anything from milkshakes to cold or warm coffee drinks. After choosing your drink, waiting in line and paying you wait in suspense for your drink. While waiting in line, it’s nice to converse with fellow campers and tribe leaders. After waiting for a couple minutes you get your drink and take your first amazing sip. Here’s what Ashley thinks about the Espresso Shop: Q. Have you been to the Espresso Shop? A. Yes, I have. Q. What are your favorite and least favorite parts? A. My favorite part is the coffee drinks and the least favorite is the long line. Q. Last question: would you go back? A. Yes! In conclusion, the Espresso Shop is an excellent activity to do in free time.

Only at Gilgal…

First Time Camp Gilgal Campers

Joel R., Age 13

When you are about to go to a new camp most people feel pretty nervous. That’s how I felt about going to Camp Gilgal for the first time.

The campsite is pretty big, which is one of the first things I noticed. There were about 35-40 other campers which was smaller than I was used to. The cabins fitted twelve people divided into two halves, with three bunk beds in each half, and one kid on each bunk.

On the first day I was at camp, we went to Yosemite. We did a long, tiring hike. Just about everyone looked exhausted, but it was fun.

The next day of camp was even better. We started with adventure courses in the morning. I did the rock wall which was really challenging but lots of fun. Later on in the day, we went paintballing! It was lots of fun to everyone. Camper David says, “It was ultra, extremely, awesome.” That evening, we played “Wells Fargo.” It was tons of fun. The “Outlaws,” or campers, beat “faithful and loyal Wells Fargo agents,” or tribe leaders, two to one. Altogether it was a great day.

For a first time experience, Camp Gilgal has been great. It is unique but in a good way. It has also helped me build a closer relationship with God which I never really had. So altogether, camp has been great to me.

Junior Camp and Teen Camp

Brooke A., Age 13

Moving on from junior camp to teen camp can be a giant step. Even though teen is less than half the time junior camp is, teen camp is jam-packed with a continual flow of exciting activities. Teen camp is located in a completely different place than junior camp, which makes it an adventure. The activities for teen camp surpass all activities in junior camp. Some of the best activities are the adventure activities. The adventure activities include the rope course, rock wall, and giant swing. These exciting activities are not available at junior camp. Tirzah said, “We did scream tests on the giant swing.” Renee likes “teen camp because you have more activities and you go to Bass Lake.” Also, in teen camp you get to go to Yosemite. Yosemite is a beautiful place where you can see Half Dome, the Three Sisters, and other landmarks. You go on a nice hike, too. Hadassa says, “Yosemite was awesome.” Unlike junior camp, teen camp has no “camper of the year” or “tribe of the year.” In fact, there are no tribes in teen camp, only cabins, which means no flag making. Dotti says, “I am fine without tribes but I kinda miss having them.” Even though teen camp is very different from junior camp, it is very fun. People who are at junior camp have a lot to look forward to at teen camp.

Traditions

By Hannah Y., Age 14

Aaaahh…. traditions, the very fiber of Gilgal. Cuppage, mail call and C.I.C. are very familiar terms to us. There are the ones we hate and the ones we love. Upon “graduating” to the chaotic world of teen camp many beloved and hated traditions were shed. So the nagging question remains, which is which? What do we mourn the loss of, and what do we rejoice the death of? Are there some traditions we still wish we didn’t have to go through? To answer this we must delve into a conclusive process of questioning. What will our esteemed campers say? Here are the answers:

What traditions do you miss most from junior camp? If you could bring one back what would it be?

1. Gal: Wells Fargo would be the one I would bring back.
2. Zach: Cuppage
3. Dimitri: Wells Fargo
4. Tirzah: I miss theme nights and FOB I would bring back FOB
5. Greyci: Probably Wells Fargo?

Are there any traditions from junior camp that do not exist here at teen camp, that you are glad are gone?

1. Gal: Utensil Night!
2. Zach: Nothing
3. Dimiti: Skit Night
4. Tirzah: Big Night
5. Greyci: (Laughs) Utensil Night

Are there any traditions at camp in general that you once hated that you have grown to love?

1. Gal: At junior camp, Stop and Go Night
2. Zach: No!
3. Dimitri: Gilgal Gazette
4. Tirzah: This year I really did not want to play paintball!
5. Greyci: Nothing

Overall what is your favorite tradition?

1. Gal: Paintball
2. Zach: Cuppage
3. Dimitri: FOB
4. Tirzah: Worship!
5. Greyci: Giant swing

Term Index:

• Cuppage – A loud slamming of cups against meal time tables. This tradition usually causes sensitive ears to be covered with trembling hands.
• Wells Fargo – A game where the tribe leaders, a.k.a. the loyal and faithful Wells Fargo agents (boo), dutifully protect their gold from the campers, a.k.a. the outlaws.
• Big Night – A theme night where we enlarge our bodies to drastic sizes.
• Utensil Night – At random we select different unknown eating utensil to consume our food with. Try eating pasta with a spatula!
• F.O.B – Flat on bunk. Usually ends in candy-induced dancing fits.

Capture the Degel and then *Scream!*

By Tirzah W., Age 14

After the new campers learn the rules and the veteran campers hear them again laughing at the reenactments of line dancing and flag dropping, and the teams are divided, the real fun begins! After a storm of *screams* and a small walk the degel (flag) is up and the battle starts. Pomai, Hadassa, Psalm and I begin walking to the boy’s side (after Streetlight blew the whistle). One of the girls ran into the barbed wire fence which was almost invisible (until too late). Shortly after the game began we decided that we should send someone to the boys’ jail so the flag could be found. I instantly volunteered. So I ran to the boys’ side and suddenly saw three guys crouched (possibly attempting to look like rocks). I did not want to let them think I was up to something and pretended I didn’t see them. One of them, Erik, nearly knocked me to the ground. I gave a little *scream* and was walked to the jail. Once inside I began screaming like a maniac! (Much to the annoyance of Moose.) After *screaming* non-stop for nearly a half an hour (and trying to get the other girls to *scream* louder), Amp, who was on our team, came crashing through the woods and called a “jailbreak.” After running to the degel circle, attempting to escape and then getting lost in the woods, Amp finally brought their degel back to our base. Singing Joshua 1:9 and getting back to the Mishkan I found that our team had won!

Cabin Devotions

By Erik G., Age 14

Every night our cabin has devotions. Our cabin consists of Mitch, Jason, Dimitri, Isaac, Ben, Ben, Brighton, Michael and me Erik. We talk about subjects like peer pressure and what’s right and what’s wrong with issues like alcohol and drugs. Our talks can run for 30 minutes to one and a half hours. The devotions at teen camp are way better than junior camp because it is more of a discussion than just the tribe leaders talking. It’s very open and we say what’s on our minds. Mitch loves it because he can’t talk like that at home. Every day we put topics in a coffee can and we talk about them. The open discussion really helped me about that topic because everybody gave their own opinions. Everyone pretty much loves devotions and doesn’t care how long it lasts, except Michael, who is always very tired at night. He just falls asleep. Devotions really helped me clarify some issues because of Sonic’s, Talon’s, and Shoe’s wisdom. In all, devotions are awesome!!!!!!!

Teen vs. Junior Camp

By Gal C., Age 12

Junior camp and teen camp are two totally different places! Hi, I’m Gal and I’m going to be interviewing people who have experienced both. Lielle:

Q: What are you glad is gone from junior camp?
A: FOB daily

Q: What would you bring back from junior camp?
A: Theme night

Q: What’s your favorite thing at teen camp?
A: Paint ball Shoe:

Q: What are you glad is gone from junior camp?
A: The general unwillingness of campers to wash

Q: What would you bring back to teen camp if you could?
A: FOB

Q: What is your favorite thing at teen camp?
A: My favorite activities at teen camp are paintball and Bass Lake, and my favorite thing overall would be meeting new people and hanging out with campers. Kezziah:

Q: What are you glad is gone from junior camp?
A: Nothing

Q: What would you bring back to teen camp if you could?
A: Theme nights

Q: What is your favorite thing at teen camp?
A: Wells Fargo is my favorite thing at teen camp because people make funny accents. This year I went to both camps so in my fresh memory I will interview myself! Personally, I’m glad that I no longer have to do theme nights and I would love to have back FOB daily. Finally, I love paintball and Bass Lake and I wouldn’t give them for any junior camp activity. The End

Wells Fargo

By Isaac R., Age 15

Wells Fargo is one of the many highlights of camp. The object of the game for the Outlaws is to steal the bags of gold from the faithful and loyal Wells Fargo agents. If they tag you, you have to go back to the outlaws’ hideout and count to 100. As soon as you count you are free to move back into the game. The agents saved the gold ingeniously, popping out of bushes, from behind cabins and trees, or they just stand in the open, waiting for someone to rush them. It is a very rewarding feeling when you get all the way back to your hideout with a bag of gold. Kezzie’s opinion is that it is “fun and intense.” All in all, Wells Fargo is one of the best parts of camp.

FOB

By Moriah J., Age 15

Does anyone know that teenagers need more sleep than little kids? So then why do junior campers get FOB and not us? What is FOB? FOB stands for Flat On Bunk, which is basically like naptime (which we really needed). Last year we were allowed some naptime but everyone besides the tribe leaders and one camper stayed up and ate junk food. This year we were all begging for FOB, but we knew it wasn’t likely. We were all sitting around pretty sure nothing like that would ever happen again when Moose announced that our next activity was FOB! There was plenty of cheering which was understandable, especially when you consider the fact that we didn’t get much sleep the night before. My cabin had a little trouble sleeping at first, with all the snacking and giggling going on. I messed with my personal digital assistant for a while, but the craziness dissipated, and we finally got some rest. When it was time to get up, I didn’t really want to, and I’m pretty sure no one else did either.

Here’s what some other teen campers had to say about their FOB experience:

Q: Did you get any sleep, and what else did you do?

Ashley: “Yeah, I did. I slept for about 40 minutes, woke up, tried to go back to sleep but couldn’t. I ate cheetos and almond pecan caramel things.”

Kezzie: “Yes. And I ate candy.”

Lina: “I didn’t sleep. I read a book.”

Zachary: “I read and rested and laughed at some of Kaleb’s jokes.”

Tamar: “Slept and ate hot cheetos.”

Conclusion: Personally I think. FOB was great because I was really tired but I spent the first 15 minutes or so just giggling at everything with Tamar. Still, I’m glad we had it. It was a chance to catch up on sleep and have lunch afterwards. FOB is a great time to just chill.

Worship

By Hadassa M., Age 14

I have had a really fun time at camp so far, but one of my favorite things was worship, mostly because it was when I felt closest to God but also because I really like music.

I have decided to ask some of the girls in my cabin what song was the most meaningful to them and why it was. Elaine said that her favorite one was “Blessed Be Your Name” because “it is a great reminder that God is with you no matter what.”

Maya said she liked “Here I Am to Worship” because “it’s really beautiful and I can really relate to the lyrics.”

Bonnie likes all the songs that describe God as holy and majestic, because “it really makes me really want to worship Him.” One of my many favorite worship songs is “Prince of Peace” because the words are so true.

Praising God is really important and worship is an awesome way to praise Him. Camp is really amazing because every day we get to worship together. One really fun thing I got to do at junior camp was be part of camper worship. Overall, worship at camp was really amazingly, awesomely, totally fantastically spectacular.

Capture the Degel

Elaine B., Age 14

Capture the Degel is a game where two teams are each given a flag (called the degel) to hide in an open space. To win the game, you capture the other team’s degel without getting caught and without letting your own flag be caught. Strategy, speed, and sleuthing around are all important factors in Capture the Degel. But why are strategy, speed and sleuthing around so important? Is it because they all start with the letter “s” and sound really cool? Is it because these skills are actually important? It is actually both of these reasons. Strategy is important because it will decide what a player does. Most players either do offense, where you go into enemy territory to try and capture their flag, or defense, where you try to guard your team’s degel and prison. (While on defense, two girls named Angela and Lina saw a boy named Isaac. Only he did not look like a boy. Isaac was wearing all black so only his head could be seen. Angela and Lina thought he was a floating head.) Speed is also important because when you have speed, you can either run away from someone who is trying to chase you because you are in their territory, or you can catch someone that you are chasing because they are from the other team and trying to get your degel. Another important thing in Capture the Degel is sleuthing around. Sleuthing around is important because when you do it you cannot be detected. When asked, Brighton says, “Sleuthing is very important because if the opponent hears you coming, you are a goner.” As you can see, strategy, speed and sleuthing around are very important. I suggest that you use these skills next time you play Capture the Degel.

Oylimpics

By Mitchell B., Age 14

On our first complete day of Camp Gilgal the entire camp dressed up in their swim gear and headed to the pool. Much to our surprise we were told we were going to play a game called Oylimpics. We were divided into teams and according to cabin and were instructed to come up with a team name. Our team name was Sonic and the Hedgehogs. We were named this because one of our tribe leaders was named Sonic.

The first game of the Oylimpics was called Uncle Marty. It involved picking up a camper and carrying him or her across the pool. When you reached the other side the rest of your team would switch spots and carry him back across.

The second event was called Go Gefilte Fishing. For this two campers from each event would jump off the diving board and try to get a fish from a pole dangling in the middle of the pool. We won this event also.

The third event was dive jump or bagel flop. For this you would do commands that Streetlight gives. The trick was that you were told what to do just before you jump off the diving board. We won this event as well.

The fourth event was named Hanukah Spoon Schlep. For this event each team picked one person to play this game. Bells and spoons were dropped into the pool and spread out. The spoons were worth ten points and the bells five. You had a time limit to gather as many of these objects as you can. At the end of the time limit the points were counted and the team who had the most points won. This event was also won by my team.

The last event was synchronized swimming. We had two song lengths to figure out our routine. On the third time it was time to perform. This event sadly we did not win.

The Oylimpics was a fun game that used teamwork and brought out individual skills in all of us.

Setting Our Minds on Things Above

(Colossians 3:2-4)

The Gilgal Gazette is published by Camp Gilgal campers for Camp Gilgal campers and their families and friends! 

Campers:

Tribe of Asher: Chloe N., Esther C., Masha K., Noa G., Rachel S., Rena B., Simone P., Strings, Skittlez

Out-of-Cabin Staff:

Co-Directors:

Red Sox and Twister

Family and Friends

Strings

Strings is an awesome person. She loves Jesus. Strings also likes Justin Beiber. Justin Beiber is weird. He is always squinting. If you shaved his head and covered him in feathers, he would look like a squinting finch. A finch is a type of bird. Strings likes birds, especially finches. Strings also likes smiley-faced French fries, which I kept stealing from her at dinner. Strings has awesome sunglasses. Throughout the entire white water rafting trip, I stole Strings’ sunglasses. I eventually stopped and Strings was happy. Now Strings lives in peace somewhere in Canada.

Tribe Time with Asher

Masha K., Age 12
Tribe of Asher

For tribe time at camp, my tribe went to the ropes course at Camp Pinnacle. We had a great time! There were some really hard obstacles to get through but we all worked together and made it through.

One of the obstacles was a spider web with bells in it. The point was to get through the main hole in the web without ringing the little bells hung all around it. In our cabin, no one made it through the hole, but Esther came really close. She had two people on each side holding her and trying to help her through and she almost made it, but couldn’t get all the way through.

There was also an obstacle that was just a long, plain wall without any grips or anything to climb on. For this obstacle, you have to try to help each other up and over the wall. To get up the wall, we had Noa, Rena, and Strings standing on the ground helping push people up the wall. Esther was the first one to get to the top, and she helped pull people up. After she got there, I got up the wall and so did Simone and Noa.

Another obstacle was this long pole with a tire on the top. We were supposed to take the tire off the pole and put it back on, but we couldn’t really do this one. When we tried it, we had Rena and Noa on the ground, pushing people up so they could try to reach the tire and push it off. It didn’t really work. So we went to another one.

The last one we tried was the tightrope. On the tightrope, each person took a turn walking across the rope with two people on the ground holding their hands and holding them up. When Rachel went, Esther and I were holding her up, but she fell. She tried again and made it across the second time! When Chloe went, she made it all the way across and then went backwards too! It was so cool!

It was definitely a cool way to spend our tribe time together. In each part of the course, we had fun and stayed together because everyone had to help each other out. It also made the whole course easier and helped us get used to being together. It was a lot of fun and you should go try it too!

Ace

Adventures and Games!

Modeling with Tank and Strings

Noa G., Age 13
Tribe of Asher

Ode to Paintball

Cyndi R., Age 14
Tribe of Gad

Paintball, you hurt me so bad
Paintball, you make me so sad
I went there to have lots of fun
But you ended up putting me on the run

Oh paintball, you flew through the air
With not the slightest hint of a care
And faster than I could see
You came in contact with my knee

And then there was pain
More than I thought I could maintain
I seriously felt that I was going to die
But then I realized – I was fine

So paintball, I’m writing this letter
Just to tell you, I’m getting better.

Soda Soda Soda and More Soda

David Mo., Age 14
Tribe of Naphtali

My Experience White-Water Rafting

Micah M., Age 14
Tribe of Naphtali

There isn’t much more to write about, as the rest of the trip was the same. Extremely fun, but nothing worth writing. That is, until we started surfing. Raft surfing is extremely fun, and wet. We did two side-surfs (where the raft is facing sideways against the waves), and then we did our last surf, a front surf. This requires the entire team to throw themselves to the front of the raft in order to stay in place.

Special Times at Gilgal…

Me and God

Rena B., Age 14
Tribe of Asher

Over the week of Camp Gilgal, I feel like I got A LOT closer to God. Every night before bed, we had devotions with our cabin, which helped me with living like God wants me to. All of the Tabernacle lessons and Bible topics were really good, and got me thinking about God more than ever before. The worship was also really good, and made me feel really happy and close to God. I had a conversation with some staff and campers. We talked about everything from relationships to peer pressure, and they gave me a lot of good advice, and made me think about my life and relationship with God. I feel like I really needed this time to grow in God’s spirit.

Singing In Worship

Camp Gilgal

Sabrina M., Age 13
Tribe of Gad

Jam Session

Worship

Kyle S., Age 15
Tribe of Naphtali

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Inside This Issue:

	Junior Camp East
Teen Camp East
	Teen Camp Midwest
Junior Camp West
	Teen Camp West