God’s Plan Has Always Been to Save Us

“Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story”
Psalm 107:2a

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

Tribe of Reuben: Eliana R., Raina W., Rebecca S., Rebekah P., Zoe A., Pippin, Macaroni

Tribe of Issachar: Ahavah M., Channah A., Eliana R., Emma B., Shelby H., Saute, Mango

Tribe of Dan: Ellie M., Lily H., Sarah M., Shalom M., Talia W., Sherlock, Chip

Tribe of Zebulun: Bailey H., Carrie M., Erica B., Persaeus B., Zoë N., S’mores, Mahoney

Tribe of Benjamin: Isaac P., Jonah M., Joshua B., Ryan H., Samuel S., Stix, Chewbacca

Tribe of Naphtali: Jonathan P., Alex. S., Steven M., Tyler H., Heimlich, Oofnik

Out-of-Cabin Staff: Streetlight, Snapple, Poppins, Sherbert, Yamaha, Esquire, Ewok

Special Guests: Moose, Bazooka, Rocky, Simeon, Acorn, Packer, Sonic, Rocko

Isaac P., Age 10
Tribe of Benjamin

For this article, I got to interview Stix. Here are the questions and answers from my interview. Did you used to be a camper here? Stix said, “Yes.” Next, what is your favorite activity? Stix said, “Wells Fargo!” Next, when did you come to camp? Stix said, “When I was nine years old.” What is your real name? Stix replied, “That is an excellent question.” Why did you come here to camp? “To have fun and get closer to Jesus.” What is your fake name in Hebrew? Stix said, “?” How did you learn how to play the drums? Stix said, “From my dad.” Which team do you root for, Smoggers or Foggers? Stix said, “They both have a purpose.”

Joshua B., Age 9
Tribe of Benjamin

My name is Joshua B. I am nine years old and am in the tribe of Benjamin. At camp, I interviewed Sherbert. She’s an out-of-cabin staff member at Camp Gilgal West. I asked her many questions.

I asked, “What type of ice cream are you?” and she said Sherbert. Also, I asked her about how she got her name and she answered, “My mom ate a lot of sherbet ice cream when I was in her belly. When I was born she named me Sherbert.” I asked, “What is your favorite sport?” She said, “Tennis. I love tennis. I also love baseball.” “What is your favorite color?” I asked. “Orange and blue.” I asked, “Have you ever been injured?” She said, “I sprained my ankle.” “Have you been to space?” I asked. “No, I have not been to space.” I asked, “Have you been to Mexico?” She said, “Yes, I have been to Mexico.” I asked, “Where did you grow up?” This was my last question. “I grew up in Orange County, California.”

Who is Sherbert to you? She is a wonderful woman. Sherbert is really nice.

Raina W., Age 8
Tribe of Reuben

I decided to interview a really cool staff member named Yamaha! I asked him how long he has been going to camp and he said he has been coming for twelve years. Next I asked about his favorite camp food and his answer was the breakfast we actually ate this morning, pancakes and turkey bacon. His favorite worship song is “Holy Moment” and he is our worship leader this year. He has been playing guitar for four years and he played the guitar in the Fourth of July parade in Columbia for us this year. One thing Yamaha likes to do during free time is to sleep. I asked him about his favorite night game and he said that his favorite is Wells Fargo. When he was a camper his first tribe leaders were Sonic, Cosmo, and Gonzo, and his favorite cabin he stayed in was Yankee Hill. His favorite thing about camp is being with all the campers, and he has been a part of the camp staff for five years now. Yamaha accepted Yeshua into his heart when he was in the first grade. I’m really glad Yamaha was here this year and I’m glad I got to interview him!

Rebecca S., Age 9
Tribe of Reuben

Guess what my tribe name is? It is Reuben. A flower is what represents Reuben. On Super Hero Night my tribe was Flower Power. We have flowers on capes, flower hair clips, and everything flowery. For cabin decoration we did the sower and the seed. My cabin mates are: Zoe, Raina, Ellie, and Rebecca P. My tribe leaders are Macaroni and Pippin. On Fashion Disaster Night, we had crazy hair, crazy makeup, and crazy clothes. When it was Mission Impossible, our first clue was to go to the carpetball tables, then we went to the campfire, the gazebo, water tower, volleyball court, and the dining hall. We got second place.

I’m interviewing my staff. First off I asked Pippin. She said her favorite food is potatoes. She has been a tribe leader for two years. Pippin’s favorite camp game is Capture the Degel. When I asked her if she liked being staff or a camper better she said she liked being both the same.

This is about Macaroni. Her favorite night game is also Capture the Degel. Macaroni’s favorite camp food is chicken and vegetables. When I asked her which theme night was her favorite, she said it was Bible Story Night. She likes being staff better than a camper.

Tyler H., Age 10
Tribe of Naphtali

Hi. My name is Tyler and I’m ten years old. I’m going to tell you a little about a tribe leader named Chewbacca. Chewbacca’s tribe is Benjamin. Chewbacca says he is anywhere between five and 25. Chewbacca’s favorite part of camp is Capture the Degel. He likes it because he likes to strategize and sing in the jail circle. Chewbacca’s favorite color is red. Chewbacca’s favorite food is ribeye steak. Chewbacca likes to watch thriller movies. Chewbacca loves sleeping and cooking. Chewbacca once was Camper of the Year. He is proud of it. Chewbacca’s favorite theme night is “What a Mensch” Night because everybody is nice to each other. Chewbacca’s favorite worship song is “Indescribable” by Chris Tomlin. Chewbacca’s favorite drink is an Arnold Palmer. Chewbacca plays the guitar. He’s not very good at it though. When I asked Chewbacca if he had a girlfriend he said, and I quote, “Probably not.” As you can see Chewbacca is a radical dude and a great tribe leader.

Carrie M., Age 12
Tribe of Zebulun

We are the tribe of Zebulun. Our tribe members are Bailey, Zoë, Persaeus, Erica, and Carrie. Our tribe leaders are Mahoney and S’mores. We do almost everything together! For example, we eat together, have Tabernacle together, play night games together, and lastly, we work as a team together. To get to our cabin, we have to walk up a HUGE hill. Since we are the oldest tribe, our cabin, “Grizzly Flat,” is the farthest away. During Tabernacle, we sings songs before Streetlight, the camp director, leads us into our morning Bible study. We usually sing songs we all know, but when we learn a new song, we try to harmonize to it. When it is F.O.B. (FLAT ON BUNK) time, we memorize bits of the Bible that Streetlight assigns for us to get points. At the end of camp, they total our score of however many points we got, and they announce the Tribe of the Year. Then, we have an awards ceremony for all of the campers. Camp Gilgal is a second home for me and my campmates.

Erica B., Age 12
Tribe of Zebulun

A veteran to this glorious camp, a comedian who makes us laugh hysterically, a singer with a beautiful voice, and the thing she’s mostly known for…is being a noodle. I have grown up with Macaroni mostly in winter camp. Although she’s obviously not been in the same cabin as me, I have still witnessed the powerful impact she puts in our lives. Here are some of the things I have learned about her:

The first thing I asked Macaroni was, “How long have you been involved with Camp Gilgal, staff and camper wise?” She replied, “Ten years” in a confirmative voice after silently counting with her fingers. Second, I asked her, “What environment did you grow up in?” She answered, “I was raised in a Christian home.” She also told me, “I became stronger in the faith when I was thirteen at teen camp.” Another question I asked was, “Who do you consider your role model?” She said, “My sister, Hoops.” I also asked her, “What is the most epic moment you have seen God’s presence?” Macaroni responded, “I was at Yosemite and worshiping when a strong wind came and shook the trees… I felt His power.” She told me her future dream was to be a nurse, and I hope Jesus works in her life.

Bailey H., Age 11
Tribe of Zebulun

Oofnik is a very interesting tribe leader. In F.O.B., Oofnik sleeps. Oofnik’s favorite cabin is Dry Gulch and his favorite tribe names are Judah and Reuben. Oofnik’s favorite Bible story is Jesus’ death and resurrection. When I asked him if he thinks his tribe will be Tribe of the Year, he answered: “Maybe…Lord willing.”

Oofnik has an impressive history. He has been part of a Tribe of the Year AND was Camper of the Year!

His favorite movie is Talladega Nights. His favorite animals are dogs and giraffes. When I asked him what his favorite month was, he couldn’t decide between August and December. His most favorite day of the week is Friday.

If you are wondering about Oofnik’s hobbies, wonder no more. While at camp, Oofnik spends his free time watching the campers and playing carpetball. Oofnik told me that his favorite show is Shalom Sesame Street, but he doesn’t watch it any more.

Oofnik’s favorite sport is surfing and his favorite word is “quite.” He likes college-ruled paper much better than wide-ruled because he doesn’t “feel like a kindergartener” when he writes on it. Since Oofnik originated from Shalom Sesame Street I thought it would be appropriate to ask him his favorite Hebrew word and it is Soof-ga-nee-YAH. That means Jelly Donut. Oofnik’s lucky number is 777 and his favorite drink is boba.

Oofnik’s favorite theme night is Utensil Night (because of the food) and he likes Men’s Day better than horseback riding. He “maybe” wants to be out-of-cabin staff someday and his favorite color is pink and his favorite food is pizza. Oofnik is a fascinating tribe leader that you should meet for yourself.

Eliana R., Age 10
Tribe of Issachar

Hi I’m Eliana, I’m ten years old and I’m in the tribe of Issachar. One of my tribe leaders’ name is Sauté. So I decided to interview her. My first question for her was, “What do you like best about camp?” She said, “I love seeing campers worshiping and loving God. I also love night games.” The second question I asked was, “What tribe are you in this year?” She said, “I am the tribe leader of tribe Issachar” (which is the tribe I’m in). The next question I asked her was, “What is the best thing you like about your tribe?” She said, “They are sweet and kind to each other, but the best thing I like about them is that they work together.” Then I asked her, “What night game do you like best?” She answered and said, “That is a hard question. I think the answer to that one is I like them all.” Then I asked her what her favorite ice cream was. She said, “I like English toffee crunch. That is my favorite ice cream.” Then I asked her, “What is your favorite color?” She said, “I don’t know. I like two different colors. One is red and the other is orange.” Then I said, “What is your favorite thing to do at Camp Gilgal?” She said, “I love to do activities with campers and staff.” (That is what I like to do best.) Then I said, “What do you want to do in the future?” “Do dance or art therapy with kids.” Sauté is a very interesting person in my opinion.

Emma B., Age 9
Tribe of Issachar

These answers are the key to success! Did you know that Snapple actually likes Snapple! I asked Snapple what’s her favorite cake and she said, “I love my mom’s red velvet cake with an almond butter cream frosting.” Snapple has been at camp Gilgal for 17 years. Snapple got her name by chipping her tooth on a Snapple bottle and she still drinks it today because it is so delicious! Snapple has never been snowboarding. Snapple used to play softball as a pitcher. Snapple’s favorite food is sushi. Snapple’s favorite camp activity is water balloon volleyball. Snapple’s favorite memory is sky diving with her best friend. Snapple knows sign language. Snapple’s favorite flower is a dahlia. Her job is a stylist when she is not at camp. Her favorite ice cream is mint chip. She wants an olive green Jeep Rubicon. Her favorite fruit is a plum. Snapple has been to Disneyland. She has known Streetlight for 11 years. She has also been on a plane. Her favorite movie is Stand By Me. Her favorite place to shop at is Target. Snapple says that she is good with technology. Her favorite part of camp is spending time with campers. Snapple likes to read. Snapple likes her hair down and wavy. Snapple’s favorite night game is Wells Fargo. Snapple’s favorite theme night is Bible Story Night. She knows Avi in Pentatonix from camp. Snapple has won a game of water balloon volleyball as a camper. I asked Snapple what her name was and she said, “Excellent question.” I hope you enjoyed my Snapple interview!

Channah A., Age 9
Tribe of Issachar

My tribe is Issachar. There are five girls in my tribe. We have lots of fun. Their names are Ahavah, Emma, Eli, and Shelby and me, Channah and my tribe leaders are Sauté and Mango. This year our degel has a big sun on it with our names in the rays. Our tribe did really well with water balloon volleyball. We almost won! It was so fun. During FOB the other ladies and I pass notes to each other and we get a little loud. Our tribe is really close to nailing the memory verse! For Skit Night we did a version of the Good Samaritan. We enjoyed doing it because we worked together as a tribe. My favorite part about our tribe is that we are friends. Kulanu B’Yachad!!!

Channah A., Age 9
Tribe of Issachar

I’m in the tribe of Issachar and this year I interviewed Mango. Mango is one of my tribe leaders. In the first question, I asked Mango, “What is your favorite food?” She said, “My favorite food is mangos,” and that is kind of funny, because her name is Mango. The second question I asked her was, “What was your favorite craft at camp?” She said, “The mosaics,” and that is actually really nice, because we are doing mosaics this year. I asked her, “What theme night was your favorite?” She said, “Stop and Go Night.” We haven’t done that night. But I hope we can do it in the future. Next, I asked, “Do you like being a tribe leader?” She replied, “Yes!” And that’s what I was thinking. I next asked her, “If you could be any animal, what would it be?” She said, “A cheetah or a bunny.” Did you know that cheetahs are the fastest land animal on earth? Last, I asked Mango, “What’s your favorite sport?” She said, “Running.” I enjoyed interviewing Mango.

Talia W., Age 10
Tribe of Dan

Mahoney is a tribe leader here at Camp Gilgal. She is the ATL (Assistant Tribe Leader) for the oldest tribe of Zebulun. She lives in San Diego.

Mahoney’s favorite thing to do as a tribe leader is to be with campers all the time. Her favorite food is matzoh ball soup. She loves Wells Fargo.

She wants to visit Israel and Australia. Mahoney’s favorite books of the Bible are Exodus, Psalms, and Romans. Her favorite song at camp is “Ten Thousand Reasons.”

She really likes What a Mensch Night. Her favorite things to do during F.O.B. are plan devos, write postcards home, and organize her suitcase. Mahoney’s favorite verse in the Bible is Romans 12:9-13.

Her favorite books are Cyrano de Bergerac and I Am the Messenger. She likes to play silent football at free time. Her favorite colors are periwinkle and emerald green.

Elie M., Age 10
Tribe of Dan

This year is Pippin’s second year as a tribe leader at Camp Gilgal. She is the tribe leader for Reuben, the youngest cabin, and Macaroni is her ATL. She’s really good at doing braids and helps everyone with their hair. She’s really cool and I wanted to interview her.

When I asked her if she liked line ups as a camper, she said yes because her tribes always had funny sayings. Her favorite Ladies Day as a camper was her first year because the theme was pirates. During free time she liked to play basketball and carpetball. It wasn’t difficult for her to choose a camp name because according to her, she was born with a love of Lord of the Rings and a need for second breakfast. As a camper she preferred Wells Fargo to M.I. because she always admired the tribe leaders and their accents. Pippin didn’t like F.O.B. at all as a camper. The only thing she did during it was stare at the ceiling.

Pippin grew up into a really great tribe leader and she’s even going to be a tribe leader at teen camp!

Steven M., Age 12
Tribe of Naphtali

My tribe is Naphtali. In the cabin we work together to get things done. In my cabin there is Sasha, Steven, Jonathan, Tyler, Oofnik, and Heimlich. When we clean we work hard until it’s done. We wake up early in the morning and clean to have time to play. We each clean our bed. Then we take turns sweeping. If we work hard enough together we can nail it.

We use teamwork also with water balloon volleyball, which we won. In all the games we stick together. We all get along. To win the Cabin of the Year we must work together and get along. We like to share things together.

Our mascot is the deer because a deer represents the tribe of Naphtali. We saw many deer and gained our courage as a group. We saw four to five in one group right by our cabin. Mission Impossible was a surprise. As soon as we went to bed it started. Our last envelope had a D, so we thought it was dodgeball, but it was dining hall! We always stay together. Naphtali is awesome.

Lily H., Age 10
Tribe of Dan

I am in one of the best tribes ever, Dan. I love being in the tribe of Dan because it’s what me and all my friends wanted to be in. I have four other cabinmates: Elie, Sarah, Shalom, and Talia, and two amazing tribe leaders, Sherlock and Chip. Our cabin is lots of fun because we get to eat lots of candy and play music. I love being with my four other friends because I’ve known them for two years. Our cabin is always full of laughter because, well, there’s a lot of funny stuff! My tribe always likes to be first at line up even if we don’t know what to say. My tribe also has a specific spot we like to sit at for meal times which is the front-right table. I asked one of my cabinmates, Sarah, what’s her favorite thing about being in the tribe of Dan? Sarah likes being with all of her cabinmates/friends. So overall, the tribe of Dan is really fun and probably the best tribe I’ve ever been in.

Alex S., Age 12
Tribe of Naphtali

It is so fun you get to shop, pan for gold, and make candles. Every year we go and march in Columbia. We show people the Lord. And they have an awesome drink called sarsaparilla. It’s so good. It’s like root beer. At Columbia they have a lot of candy. One is a jaw breaker. If you chew it your jaw will break. You have to lick it till it’s gone. There is one store where the gold panning is that sells nice things like rilly guns, stones, fun kid toys, and other things. And there is a store where you make candles. One year I made one and it was so fun. And there’s a pond behind it. And there are poles with money on them that you have to climb but there is grease on the pole so it is very hard. And there is an egg throwing contest one year that I won with my friend Boaz. Every year to start the parade they shoot guns or fire a cannon.

Sarah M., Age 10
Tribe of Dan

One of the camp traditions at junior camp is playing dodgeball. It is optional to play dodgeball, but I play every year at Camp Gilgal. We are split into two teams. There are three games. Whichever team wins the most out of three games will win. This year my team lost.

According to Shalom M., she had a good time except for when she got hit in the face by Carrie M. Chip had a great time besides the fact it was burning hot outside. Shalom and Chip had a great time playing dodgeball.

My personal favorite part about playing dodgeball at camp is when I catch the dodgeball and bring in one of my players back in. I like to be on a team with Esquire because he is super hardcore and throws the ball really fast. I don’t run up and grab the ball immediately, so I don’t become out quickly.

I enjoy playing dodgeball with all of my friends at Camp Gilgal.

Jonah M., Age 8
Tribe of Benjamin

Ryan, what’s the highest price you would pay at the Camp Gilgal Store? “The highest I would pay at the Camp Gilgal Store is ten dollars.” Ryan, what was your favorite thing you bought at the Camp Gilgal Store? “A cool keychain.” What’s the highest you have paid? “The highest I have paid is six dollars.” Ryan, what’s the lowest price you’ve paid? “Twenty-five cents.” What’s the most spending money you have brought to camp? “Forty dollars.”

Now I am interviewing Tyler. Tyler, what’s the highest price you will pay at the Camp Gilgal Store? “The highest I will pay is three dollars. And my favorite thing I have ever bought was my squeaky turkey and it was only twenty-five cents!”

Shelby H., Age 9
Tribe of Issachar

Free time is my favorite time of the day. You can go swimming, and you can play carpetball. There are a lot more things like making friendship bracelets. At free time I usually go swimming. Swimming is a lot of fun. There are a lot of toys to play with in the pool.

Carpetball is a lot of fun. You can play against other people. Carpetball will teach you patience and strength.

And don’t forget about making friendship bracelets. This activity takes patience and concentration. My tribe leaders make good friendship bracelets.

Erica B., Age 12
Tribe of Zebulun

It was a hot Saturday in Silver Spur… We were practicing for the Fourth of July Parade which was just two days away, when suddenly, Streetlight took a turn into the dining hall… When we saw the incredibly large dessert. The 20 foot long sundae had been presented to the campers.

Everyone scrambled to the small styrofoam bowls placed on the table and began piling ice cream into our bowls. When everyone finished serving themselves, we sat down to enjoy the delicious treat. Now, I will interview Zoë in what she thinks about the event. I asked her, “What was your favorite part of the 20 foot long sundae?” She replied, “Ooh! Me chugging down the ice cream!” It was amazing how just a small event can create such joyful memories. It’s funny how we can tell people we ate out rain gutters.

In conclusion, we had a ton of fun enjoying the ice cream, and having a mini dance party with wild music playing in the background. It was truly amazing and exciting. We all absolutely LOVED IT!

Bailey H., Age 11
Tribe of Zebulun

Mafia is a game we love to play at camp. The narrator secretly chooses a Mafia, Sheriff, and Doctor. Everyone closes their eyes. The Mafia can kill who they want by tapping them on the shoulder, the Sheriff can accuse who they want, and the Doctor can save whoever they want. If the Doctor saves the person the Mafia tried to kill, that person will not die. I interviewed some people about the game Mafia to see what they thought of it.

Chip
Q: Do you like to play Mafia?
A: Yes.

Q: What’s your favorite role to play?
A: Mafia.

Yamaha
Q: Have you played Mafia yet since camp started?
A: Not since camp started.

Q: Do you think you are good at Mafia?
A: Nobody’s good at Mafia.

Emma B., Age 9
Tribe of Issachar

I am going to be talking about what Camp Gilgal does in Hebrew. We do booklets, shrinky dinks, and other activities. With the booklets we get stamps when we say a Hebrew word on a page in the booklet. Once we get ten stamps we get a small prize or candy. When we finish all of our pages we get a big prize or more candy. Shrinky dinks are little plastic boxes with drawings that get shrunk into necklaces or bracelets. I have done my name, my tribe, and a Magen David. One of our other activities was braiding licorice to make a Havdalah candle. I made a fish tail and a regular braid. Usually Heimlich, Ewok, Esquire, Sauté, Mahoney, S’mores, and Pippin are in there. We are using Hebrew words all throughout camp. For example, during the food line we say “Ken todah” which means “Yes thank you” and if we don’t want something we say “Lo todah” which means “No thank you.” Learning Hebrew is so fun; getting to use the Hebrew we learn is awesome.

Ahavah M., Age 9
Tribe of Issachar

So here’s how it started. It was my second year and I got there and me and my sister, Shalom, went to the “Awesome” POOL! Also, the pool gets cold! But… then it’s… WARM!!!!! And when it’s warm I play with all of the noodles and then…BAM!!! I throw the ball to Sherbert and BAM!!!!!! Again she throws it back and then… we just keep throwing to each other. It’s so fun that’s why I’m writing about it. I love <3 to write also. But let’s get back to the story. But then after I swim for a very long time, I go out and play carpetball. It’s so fun when I get out and play I play against Tyler. That’s all for my pool story. I <3 the pool!!!

Jonathan P., Age 12
Tribe of Naphtali

Worship is a very important part of Camp Gilgal. Not only does it give you the opportunity to come closer to God, but you get to do that while singing and having fun. I love singing! One of the good opportunities of this is getting to praise the Lord through our voice. We get to sing to Him and tell Him how much we love Him. Worship is very important. My favorite part of worship is the variety of songs that we get to sing. One of my favorite songs to sing during worship is “Your Love Never Fails.” I like other songs too though. So worship can be really fun especially to sing with the rest of camp. I really hope the next year we get to learn a lot more fun songs and praise God. Heimlich says, “Worship is a great way to connect with God.” I agree. I really hope that you enjoyed my article.

Bailey H., Age 11
Tribe of Zebulun

The Fourth of July Parade is a privilege for all campers and staff. First, we go to Columbia and we practice our marching, singing, and chanting all together. Then, we fully get ready to march. This is a long, tedious process, because waiting in dusty hot weather isn’t always too fun. But soon we get to march in the parade and represent Yeshua and His love. And even better… on the Fourth of July!! Afterwards, we sit down to eat lunch. This year, my family drove all the way up to Columbia to surprise me so I got to eat lunch with them too! The Fourth of July is a memory I will never forget, or any of the other campers.

Lily H., Age 10
Tribe of Dan

Ladies Day is a very fun day because we (the ladies) get to have the whole camp to ourselves. On Ladies Day the men leave the camp while we have fun doing activities based around the theme for that year. We had “Around the World” as our theme this year.

It was really fun because we could travel to five different places which were Israel, Japan, Costa Rica, France, and Spain. Each country had a little station where you could do a little activity. We also got a little passport that we brought with us to each country to be stamped.

My favorite place that I went to was Japan because we got to make candy sushi with Poppins. In Israel we got to make a sugar scrub. To make the scrub we combined sugar, coconut oil, and essential oils. I used it on my lips to make them softer.

At France we got to take pictures at a photo booth. Costa Rica and Spain were in the pool so we got to swim from one country to another on gondolas (pool noodles).

Ladies Day lunch was also really good. We travelled to Mexico and had a nacho bar and danced to songs. I asked one of my cabinmates, Shalom M., her favorite thing to do during Ladies Day. Shalom likes swimming in the pool best because there’s no boys.

So in conclusion, Ladies Day was super fun and probably one of my favorite days!

Talia W., Age 10
Tribe of Dan

The ladies went horseback riding when it was Men’s Day. My horse’s name was Tornado. He was splotched with brown and white like a cow.

Now I will interview Lily about horseback riding. Lily’s horse’s name was H₂O. H₂O was a nice horse but liked eating grass. Lily had a lot of fun horseback riding. It is her favorite thing to do. Lily’s horse trotted once. Thank you Lily for the information.

I will now also interview Shalom. Shalom’s horse’s name is Booper. Her horse wasn’t the nicest horse. She didn’t trot once. Horseback riding is her favorite thing to do.

Horseback riding is fun for everyone. I love horseback riding. It is so much fun. Thank you for reading this Gazette article on horseback riding.

Sam S., Age 8
Tribe of Benjamin

First we have a tree for creation. That was first. Then we have this nice house for the Garden of Eden. After that… this… juicy looking fruit. But don’t let this fool you. That’s when Adam and Eve sinned. Alright moving on to this rainbow! You know. The flood. Oh! This big tower. The Tower of Babel. The one where the different languages began. Sigh. Ah. Abram. Now known as Abraham. The father of many. Next a flag. This is a nation. Ah yes. Abraham’s son. Isaac. Next a ram. Sacrifice! Jacob. Uh. A deceiver. The next sign means when Jacob stole Esau’s birthright. But then he wrestles with God. I wish I lived in that tent. But no time. Ah. Joseph’s robe. You know the story. Next an Egyptian pyramid. Now to Exodus. The rules. The Ten Commandments. Now someone’s hands giving the Ten Commandments! Rocks! A hammer. Not for hammering nails. It’s a judge’s hammer! I wish I had this crown. But it only fits kings. Lamb. Not to eat kids. Because it’s David and Goliath. Jewelry in a chest! Solomon! David’s son. These punching thingies. A fire. Maybe a campfire. No I’m messing with you. Elijah. E-l-i-j-a-h. The sacrifice to prove God is real. These nice grapes. Who gave these to me? A nice T-shirt. I’ll keep this. Am I moving away? But…I haven’t finished. Okay. Ah. Another house. Babylon? A colored lion’s mane. Daniel! And the lion’s den. Yes! I get to go back! I get another chance. Okay. This thing. I guess it is Esther. A coffee maker or cabinet. I don’t know. Anyway a wall. A sturdy wall. THE LAW IS SPOKEN! Now the last one.

Actually it’s not the end. Streetlight’s favorite subject is Camp Gilgal! Her favorite food is sushi. Her favorite book is the Weight of Glory. Her favorite show is The West Wing. And she has been part of Camp Gilgal for ten years. Wait. What? You can read it up top? Oh. Looks like you can. Well my job’s over. Peace or shalom.

THE END.

Talia W., Age 10
Tribe of Dan

This year we chose to be in the tribe of Dan. We made a snake curled up with grass around it. The color of the degel is maroon. We put our names on the mountains. We used red and white for the snake. We did black for the writing of Camp Gilgal 2016, and Dan in English and Hebrew. We outlined the mountains with tan and grass green. We also outlined the snake with black. The red and white stripes were vertical on the snake. When I was going to write camp the black exploded. It went all over my hand. I went and washed it off. The degel looks amazing. Lily, who’s in my tribe, gets to take the degel home. Degel making is really fun. Everyone in my tribe loved making it. I will now interview Lily. She likes to look at it when it is finished. She wrote 2016 in black. Lily had a fun time making it. Thank you for reading this Gazette article.

Tyler H., Age 10
Tribe of Naphtali

Hi. My name is Tyler and I’m ten years old. I’m going to tell you about water balloon volley ball. It all started when Streetlight brought us to the volleyball court. Then she told us the rules. Your tribe had to get a tarp and fling a water balloon over the net. Then the other team had to catch the water balloon in their tarp. You had to pass back and forth until one of the teams drop the water balloon three times. Whoever missed it three times lost. Every tribe can only lose two times. If you lose two times you are out of the tournament. This year when I played our team started out vs. Zebulun, the oldest ladies tribe. They beat us three to two. Then we were vs. Issachar. We had a long game. We won the game three to two. But then Issachar complained that they weren’t ready so we got the last point again. For our final battle we were vs. Zebulun again. They were undefeated so if we were going to win we would have to beat them twice. Also on the final battle you have to get five points to win. So we had to get ten points to win. It felt like the battle went on for hours and finally Naphtali (my tribe!) overcame Zebulun with points and won the game.

Ryan H., Age 8
Tribe of Benjamin

At the campfire you sing camp songs and have worship. You can roast marshmallows too. After you roast a marshmallow you have to wait till everybody has had a marshmallow to have another one. One of the camp songs you sing is “Hinei,” and another song you sing is the yodeling song. You are supposed to wear long pants and bug spray for the campfire. After the campfire you go to your cabin and get your pajamas and get soap and a toothbrush then take a shower with soap then you brush your teeth for teeth inspection then go to bed. I interviewed Yamaha with some questions. Yamaha said his favorite part of the campfire was Sauté leading worship and he ate one marshmallow.

Rebekah P., Age 8
Tribe of Reuben

Camp Gilgal is awesome! We had a theme night called Skit Night. My tribe’s skit was about Esther. I was Haman. I got to go on a fake cell phone and got to shout at Morty, short for Mordechai. Rebecca S. was Esther. I found it funny she was the main character and had no lines. Ellie R. was Asher, short for Xerxes. Zoe was Morty and Raina was Queen Vashti, and a dancer. I love the way we changed it! It was in our time. It started with a verse. Many times God uses an ordinary person in extraordinary ways. At the beginning of the skit, Vashti and Asher danced, then he stepped on her foot and she quit. The great Asher wanted me to tweet that Asher wanted a new dance partner and all the ladies prepared for their dance. Asher picked Esther because she was kind and a good dancer. The next day I was walking and Morty bumped into me and got hurt and I said, “A plague on you and your people, I’ll break all their legs!” Morty talked to Esther and Esther told Asher. And I was about to break their legs but Asher said stop! And the Jews were saved. I think that Skit Night is fun! I asked Ellie R. what she thought about Skit Night and she also said, “It was really fun.”

Eliana R., Age 8
Tribe of Reuben

Theme nights are a big part of camp! On Feed Your Friend Night you have to switch plates and drinks and you can’t eat your own food. Also you take turn feeding each other and my partner was Rebekah. I interviewed Rebekah to get her side of the craziness. First, I asked her what the hardest food to feed me was and she said, “The hardest was definitely the bread.” Then I asked her what was the funniest thing that happened and she said, “When she spilled water on me.” Also I asked her if she got enough food and she said, “Actually, yeah.” Then I asked her, “Were you afraid I was going to bite your finger?” It was funny because I bit her finger. Feed Your Friend Night was such a fun night we were laughing the whole night and I can’t wait till we do it next year.

Persaeus B., Age 11
Tribe of Zebulun

I was in my cabin, we were all talking about what we were going to do tomorrow, when all of a sudden, the power went out! We all started screaming our heads off! While it was still dark we still had to change for the game. Our tribe leaders have a clue and decoder to start with and wherever it says to go you go for the next clue. Once you go through all the clues, the last one will say go to the dining hall and that’s when you finish. You and your tribe have to be really quiet or else you will get sent back to your cabin and then pick up where you left off. This year we couldn’t get caught on purpose. For example: if you’re at the soccer field and it say to go to the ladies restroom you wouldn’t have to be quiet going to the restroom. When my tribe (the oldest) went in the dining hall we tied with the youngest ladies, and the youngest men won. Today, I’m going to be interviewing Sherbert, one of the spotters.

Q: Where were you spotting this year?
A: At the water tower.

Q: Do you help put out the clues?
A: No, I don’t.

Q: On a scale of 1 to 10, how good was this year’s M.I.?
A: 11.

Q: Have you ever fallen or tripped in the dark?
A: Yes, tripped and fell.

Q: What was your best year of M.I., and what happened?
A: This year because I got to dance all night.

Zoë N., Age 13
Tribe of Zebulun

During the game of Wells Fargo, the campers (the Outlaws) are against the Faithful and Loyal Wells Fargo Agents which are the camp staff. How this game works is the Faithful and Loyal start out with the gold and the campers have to try and steal the gold without getting tagged. If the Faithful and Loyal tags you then the campers who get tagged have to walk back to their base and count to one hundred. If a camper manages to get a bag without dropping it and getting tagged then the bag becomes the campers for that round. How we determine who won that round is by counting the bags and whoever has the most bags wins that round. Only the campers are to steal the gold on the Faithful and Loyal’s base which is where the bags of gold are scattered everywhere not in one individual place. The Faithful and Loyal have to protect the gold from being stolen by campers. Now if a camper drops a bag by tossing it to another camper or just dropping it then the Faithful and Loyal take it back to where it was first picked up. Every year the campers always win the game of Wells Fargo but now this year the Faithful and Loyal won which has now made Camp Gilgal history of 2016. When this happened all of the campers wanted a rematch but we couldn’t because it was too late at night. The campers shall take back their victory.

Persaeus B., Age 11
Tribe of Zebulun

What a Mensch Night is a dinner theme where all the tribes make up nice, funny, and clever puns. The point of the night is to be kind to everyone. “Mensch” is Yiddish for being a good person. For example, one of the tribe leaders is Mango so we said, “Mango more like mangorgeous.” If a tribe says something nice to another tribe you usually say something nice back. Throughout the whole night staff and campers offer to take cups, plates, and utensils, and also to wipe down the tables. This theme night really inspired campers to be mensches throughout the rest of camp. Being mensches shows love, kindness, caring, and compassion for others. I asked Mango what her favorite part of Mensch Night is and she said, “I love being kind to others and I think it’s a very special thing.” I also asked my friend Carrie and she said, “I think it is nice when people are mensches to others.” The most important thing I think is knowing that God loves us, cares for us, and knows that we are precious to Him.

Zoe A., Age 7
Tribe of Reuben

Super Hero Night is a theme night that the tribes dress up as super heroes. My tribe dressed up as flower power heroes. We had headbands with flowers on them and bracelets with flowers on them.

I am interviewing Macaroni: What was your favorite part of super hero night? Answer: “My favorite part was getting to dress like a flower because we are the tribe of Reuben.” After line up they took pictures of every tribe. The other tribes were dressed as super nerds, super market, super preppy, super puppet show, and The Incredibles. Everyone looked really good. Besides my tribe my favorite tribe was the tribe of Zebulun because they dressed as The Incredibles and one camper was Frozone. The one I thought was funniest was the tribe of Dan because they were super nerds and on the back of their shirts it said “Kick me.” The most creative idea was from Issachar because they were foods from a super market. I loved Super Hero Night.

Shalom M., Age 11
Tribe of Dan

After dinner and tribe time, Snapple and Streetlight blew the whistle and we went down to the basketball court and they said to go and get our “bathing suits, towels, and sunscreen.” When I asked Talia W. “What do you think it is?” she said, “I think it is the waterslide.”

I asked Sarah M. what was her favorite subject during night swimming and her answer was water basketball. The reason why was because she was defense. That was also my favorite subject too.

The whistle blew and everybody ran and lined up so we saw Snapple and she said, “Follow me if you are ready to go night swimming!” We were going down to the pool and it got dark and most of us were playing water basketball first. We did teams then we did tribe leaders vs. campers.

It was finally time for us to leave and Heimlich asked me if I wanted to get the last ball. So I said yes and I jumped in and I saw Sherbert had the ball. After that we did lost and found. Then we left. That night was so cool.

God Will Gather Us and Bring Us Home

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

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

Tribe of Issachar: Raina W., Rebecca S., Channah A., Ahavah M., Acorn, Chip

Tribe of Judah: Talia W., Elisheva M., Sarah M., Shalom M., Yadi, Mango

Tribe of Asher: Erica B., Persaeus B., Claire C., Mia G., Bailey H., Waffles, S’mores

Tribe of Simeon: Fiorella M., Carrie-Fu M., Sophia M., Zoe N., Elizabeth R., Sh-boom, Pippin

Tribe of Dan: Samuel S., Isaac P., Conner M., Tyler H., Yamaha, Oofnik

Tribe of Benjamin: Steven M., Jonathan P., Alex S., Samuel C., Ewok, Taco

Tribe of Gad: Elijah Y., Nathan B., Isaiah L., Michael K., Stix, Heimlich

Out-of-cabin staff: Esquire, Poppins, Rocko, Snapple, Sonic, Superduck, Streetlight, Moose

Elizabeth R., Age 11
Tribe of Simeon

I chose Waffles because she is sweet, patient, compassionate and has an amazing personality! Waffles focuses on the needs of others. Whenever someone is homesick she is willing to step right up and help them!

Waffles got her name because her golden hair reminded her parents of waffles! Waffles is a veteran Camp Gilgal member. She first started camp in 2003. Waffles’ best experience at camp was meeting people who are now her best friends. Those friends are Acorn, Snapple and Bazooka. Waffles’ favorite night game is Capture the Degel.

Now here is some basic information about Waffles. Her favorite colors are blue and green. Her favorite animal is her sister’s dog because it is cute. Right now Waffles is preparing to apply for a master’s program in nursing. Waffles has wanted to be a nurse since she was little.

Waffles is an amazing person who loves to be at camp and with Yeshua.

Elijah Y., Age 12
Tribe of Gad

The tribe of Gad is comprised this year of Stix, Heimlich, Nathan B., Isaiah L., Michael K. and myself, Elijah Y. We live in a tent (just joking, we have a cabin) and we are the oldest cabin. So far, we have made many, many tent puns. Heimlich, if you’re wondering, is not named after the Heimlich maneuver but after the caterpillar in Bug’s Life, who turns into a “beautiful, beautiful butterfly.” Our degel is a three-dimensional tent with the sun at the edge of the horizon. We chose a “coffee-with-lots-of-milk-and-cream” colored cloth for our degel. One fun experience was in Columbia at the Douglas Saloon. We got nachos and sarsaparilla and Nathan joined a biker gang. What really happened was that somebody in a biker gang who was sitting next to us suggested that one of us wear his vest and tell Stix that they had joined the gang. Well, Nathan jumped at the opportunity. It was kind of funny seeing Nathan in the biker’s vest. Of course, that was only one of my cabin’s fun experiences, but it is one of my favorites. I believe that I have an amazing tribe and that I am lucky to be in it.

Nathan B., Age 12
Tribe of Gad

I interviewed Yamaha. He started playing piano in kindergarten. His favorite food is grilled cheese. He says he is 100 years old. He’s been coming to camp for 11 years. He likes carpet ball. His tribe leaders were Gonzo, Sonic and Cosmo for his first year. His favorite super hero is Heimlich. His favorite staff when he was a camper were Sonic and Brickhouse. I asked him his favorite type of soda and he said “Dr. Pepper.” His favorite cabin is Rawhide Ridge. Yamaha’s favorite night game is Wells Fargo. Yamaha also said cliff jumping was his favorite activity in adventure camp. His favorite name for a tribe is Levi, which is the breastplate. Yamaha’s favorite adventure camp was whitewater rafting. He loves to worship at junior camp and even said it was his favorite activity. In his free time he said his favorite activity was sleeping. When asked what his favorite type of guitar was he responded, “A Yamaha, of course.” Yamaha is a great tribe leader.

Samuel C., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin

My tribe is Benjamin. We play cards in our cabin. We go to the pool together. The people in my tribe are Taco, Ewok, Steven, Sasha (Alex), Jonathan and me. Our degel is a wolf howling to the moon on a mountain. Our cabin is at Peddler Point and has four bunk beds with mattresses. We have one rule in our cabin inspection – we always clean our bunk beds first. Sasha (Alex), Jonathan and Steven play cards but Ewok and Taco just rest. At free time everybody in our cabin goes to the pool. Taco likes to sing with Ewok. We have a Doctor Snaggletooth that checks our teeth every night. We have a verse in our cabin, Psalm 147:1-11. We do Hebrew and craft after Tabernacle. In Hebrew we made Shrinky Dinks. In craft we make our boxes. In horseback riding we do frolicking in the field. Also we ride on horses and eat our lunch there. In Columbia, we went to the gold rush area and after that we ate ice cream. Men’s Day was so much fun for me and my tribe. I hope you now know our cabin.

Isaiah L., Age 12
Tribe of Gad

Heimlich has been going to camp for ten years. He has to drive eight hours to get to camp. His favorite food is sushi. His favorite soda is Diet Coke. He said his favorite tribe leader when he was a camper was Maverick. His favorite night game is Wells Fargo. His hobby is reading. He also enjoys going to New York City. Also, his favorite sport is water polo. He likes to play carpet ball, which is a game which is only here at Camp Gilgal. His favorite part about being staff is the campers because he likes spending time with them. I asked him how old he is and he said that that is an excellent question. That is what all the staff say when they don’t want to answer a question. He likes to listen to Christian music. He likes to sleep and enjoys participating in CrossFit. He likes adventure camp more than junior and teen camp. He likes to go on hikes every once in a while.

Carrie M., Age 11
Tribe of Simeon

We are the tribe of Simeon. There are seven of us in the cabin with eight bunk beds. As a tribe, we do everything together.

Most years we go to Columbia in cool buses. There, we witness to non-believers by marching and singing in the Fourth of July parade. As a tribe, we do cabin clean-up. Cabin clean-up is where we clean the cabin till it is spotless and then we get points. If we get the most points for different things, then we win Tribe of the Year. If you win Tribe of the Year, the whole tribe gets $100 to spend on anything you want. Lastly, as a tribe, we go on waterslides and go night swimming. But that’s not all, I just don’t want to spoil all the fun we have at camp!

The people in my tribe are Sophia, Elizabeth, Zoe, Fiorella and my tribe leaders, Pippin and Sh-boom. Together we have F.O.B., which stands for Flat on Bunk. That’s when we take a nap because we do so much! We also have devotions and Tabernacle together. That’s when we grow closer to Yeshua/Jesus.  We also do campfires together where we roast marshmallows and eat s’mores. There are these people called Morty and Minerva. They are really funny old people and they make kids laugh so much. We are the tribe of Simeon and we always stick together.

Sarah M., Age 9
Tribe of Judah

My tribe is Judah. Judah means lion in Hebrew. The people in my tribe are Shalom, Talia, Eli, Mango and Yadi. Our cabin name is Fiddle Town. We enjoy staying in our cabin. Our degel is white and has a golden lion that is roaring. In our cabin at night we have devotions, and we read lots of verses before going to bed. One time we found a humongous June beetle. My tribemates were very scared but it was okay because I was there and I caught it. I also found a very big locust. Also, one night we thought it was Mission Impossible and got all dressed in black and fell asleep in running shoes. Our tribe is very nice, and we all care for each other. When one of us is feeling sad or hurt, we help each other out. My tribe is very happy and funny, and we have lots of laughs and giggles any time we are all together. Our cabin is very caring and loving to each other. My tribe is my favorite tribe because I have all my friends and my Camp Gilgal family. This year has been a blast with the tribe of Judah.

Elijah Y., Age 12
Tribe of Gad

Moose has been camp director for all of Camp Gilgal. He first joined Jews for Jesus because he wanted to be involved in helping others to know Yeshua as their Savior. He chose the name “Moose” because “If the name fits, you wear it.” His favorite Camp Gilgal game is a three-way tie between Wells Fargo, Capture the Degel and M.I. His favorite part of camp is the campers. The biggest change he has seen in camp is the fact that at the beginning of camp Moose had to do everything by himself, but now many campers have grown into leaders and have taken responsibility. His favorite food is sushi. Before he retires from the position of camp director he would like to say that “Camp Gilgal is my family and always will be, and my greatest desire is that all of us would stay close to Jesus all the days of our lives. He is what is most important.”

Erica B., Age 11
Tribe of Asher

I chose Snapple for my Camp Gilgal Gazette feature because Snapple is my role model at camp. I want to have her kindness and her patience. As I began to examine her I realized I didn’t know much about her personal life. I asked questions and received answers. So here it is!

Snapple’s favorite color is green because she loves being outside. She has one brother named Brickhouse. He serves camp and she does, too! Snapple’s favorite food is sushi and she thinks everyone should try fresh, warm, out-of-the-oven brownies.

Snapple’s favorite camp out of junior, teen and adventure is junior camp. Why? Well, she said, her favorite part about camp is the campers and she loves seeing us learn about God at a young age. Her favorite childhood memory is being at camp and being an outlaw for Wells Fargo.

Claire C., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

My tribe contains seven lovely ladies, Waffles (my tribe leader), S’mores (my assistant tribe leader), Persaeus, Baily, Erica, Mia and I. We learn to work together and how to be a tribe.

Persaeus is 10 years old and loves the name of Asher because it sounded cool. She has experience in a tribe. She loves camp and her favorite color is mint.

Baily is 10 and loves foursquare. This is her second year at camp. She loves camp and bananas.

Mia is 10 and happy. She is not homesick. It is her first year and she is having a blast!

Erica loves the tribe. She has gone to camp before and her favorite color is black.

S’mores’ first year of camp was 2007.  Her favorite color is pink. She does not play sports. She became camp staff because she loves camp.

Waffles’ favorite color is seafoam green. She runs as a sport and plays tennis. She is a tribe leader because she has fun and wants to encourage us in our walk with Yeshua.

Our tribe does almost all of the activities at camp together, like craft, Hebrew, cabin clean up, Capture the Degel, M.I. and much more! Every day our cabin cleans so we can get points for cabin of the year, which is when one tribe from each side (boys/girls) gets $100 to spend any way they want. My tribe rocks!

Ahava M., Age 8
Tribe of Issachar

Rocko and Snickerdoodle came up with Sonic’s name because he’s so fast. Sonic has been at Camp Gilgal for 17 years. He leads worship in the dining hall for Tabernacle. He sings songs and shouts it out. First he says the song title. We sing two songs every day. His favorite song is “To Our God.” Sonic has one brother and one sister. His wife is Rocko. He said that his favorite activity at camp is Capture the Degel. He was the boss for all the other staff. Sonic loves wildlife and seeing it during night games. As a camper, he liked Capture the Degel, Wells Fargo, and Mission Impossible. He likes camp because his best friends are there and God is there. Sonic really likes playing the guitar and worshipping God. He likes the guitar because it sounds nice. When Sonic gets mail he gets excited and does flips. When other people get mail, he claps for them because he wants to be nice to them. He knows it’s the nice thing to do. When he tells about his life at campfire, sometimes he has sad stuff in it, but he told us God is with him and he believes in Him. I like that Sonic helps people and is kind. He treats people the way he wants to be treated no matter what because he knows it’s the right thing to do. He also helps people when they fall. When I think of Sonic, I think of him being nice to us and being funny. Sonic is a good person and is the best staff I’ve ever seen.

Channah A., Age 8
Tribe of Issachar

I am in the tribe of Issachar. We chose the tribe name Issachar because it means Sun. We have lots of fun together because we are a family. My tribe leaders’ names are Acorn and Chip. The other girls in my cabin are Rebecca, Ahava and Raina. For all of us, it is our first year of camp! We are all having a great time. We love going to the pool as a tribe. Every night we get to have devotions together. We read the Bible and pray. We all help each other feel better about ourselves.

During Ladies Day, as a tribe we went swimming and made shell clips for our hair. We got to have a boy free day. When it was Men’s Day, we got to go horseback, riding and our tribe got to ride horses on a trail. When we were done we went into a field. At F.O.B. we pass notes to each other or get to rest for later on the day when we do activities. As a tribe, we get to have cabin clean up and help each other do different chores to get points. If we get enough points we can get tribe of the year. We got to memorize a verse, Psalm 147:1-11, and say it in front of the whole camp as a tribe. We almost have it. The tribe of Issachar loves to be together. I hope to be with all of them next year because we love the way we’re always helping each other as a family.

Michael K., Age 13
Tribe of Gad

I’m interviewing Stix this year because he is one of the best tribe leaders I ever had. He has been serving as staff for three years, including this year. He likes to be with campers and minister to them. His favorite night game is Wells Fargo. Reasons why he likes Wells Fargo are chasing the campers, having a Texas accent and hiding bags of gold from campers. He loves to worship in Tabernacle and playing the box drum. One other thing he loves about camp is swimming in the pool. He enjoys throwing the campers around in the pool and having the campers attack him. His favorite food is Chinese. His favorite sport is wrestling. He has been part of Camp Gilgal for ten years and has been camp staff for three years. Stix got his name because he likes drum sticks. His favorite meal at junior camp is enchiladas, although he likes most foods and will eat all kinds of foods. I think that Stix is an awesome tribe leader and I hope that anyone who goes to camp gets a chance to meet him.

Bailey H., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

Rocko started camp when she was eight years old. Her first tribe was Naphtali. Her favorite night game is Wells Fargo and her least favorite is Snag-A-Staff. Her favorite tribe leader that she had was Pepper. Rocko has been a tribe leader also. Her favorite part of being on staff is building meaningful relationships with the campers.

Rocko has three siblings. Her favorite restaurant is In-N-Out and her favorite food is eggs. She loves Coca-Cola and Raisinettes. She enjoys the color yellow. Her favorite grade is senior in high school. She is most fond of the state of California, which is in her favorite country – the USA! Her favorite song is Transatlanticism. Rocko’s favorite verse is 2 Kings 6:15-17 because it is a reminder that God is with us even in the difficult moments and even when you can’t see Him. Rocko is super cool and an awesome leader, especially in crafts. Thanks for reading my article.

Persaeus B., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

Hello readers. I interviewed Superduck, who is a staff member and serves as out of cabin staff. Superduck has been on staff since 2013. He wanted to be on staff because he likes kids and it’s super fun. His favorite food is definitely not duck, but is sushi. Superduck didn’t grow up in camp. His favorite color is green. His job here at camp is to get campers excited, set up games, take pictures/videos, and throw campers into the clouds in the pool. Superduck’s favorite night game is Capture the Degel. He currently lives in San Francisco. His favorite verse is Colossians 2:13-14. Superduck’s favorite sports are spikeball, wrestling, and basketball. I think Superduck is really fun to be around. It’s Superduck’s first year as junior camp staff. Superduck is very good at volleyball and it is fun to play that with him. He is really good at working with technical devices. He is always taking pictures/videos of the campers. It was an amazing summer having Superduck on staff!

Claire C., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

I am interviewing the S’mores. S’mores is a human. Her favorite color is pink. She loves s’mores….obviously. She has a beagle-pit bull mix named Duchess. S’mores is awesome. She has glasses. Her favorite food is mac n’ cheese. She was eight when she started camp. Her favorite night game is M.I. S’mores’ eye color is hazel. She loves every camper.

S’mores is nice, sweet, patient, kind and cool. She LOVES CAMP. Camp is her favorite thing. S’mores’ best friends are Mango, Skye and Abbey and Lindsay. Her horse this year is Poncho. We love S’mores.

S’mores Fun Facts: Her first year horse was Hobo and he was my horse this year. Her tribe leaders her first year were Bazooka and Dynamite. Her favorite theme night is Super Hero Night. She was super small, but mighty, her first year. She is awesome and a great person. She is my assistant tribe leader and AWESOME.

Talia W., Age 9
Tribe of Judah

The 25^th anniversary of camp is very fun. Everything is fun. We have played Capture the Degel and Wells Fargo. Games are fun but this year for me is super fun and it is more biblical for me. It’s more about God than anything else. This year there are a lot more people joining the Camp Gilgal family.

Ace, Squirt, Tank, Big Tuna and Snickerdoodle all came back for the 25^th anniversary. Many of the visitors have been going to camp longer than some campers have been alive. The visitors brought gold balloons that were a two and a five. We got to take our picture with the Wells Fargo stagecoach and tribe pictures. At Shabbat, they shared one thing they learned at camp, or a way that camp influenced their lives. Moose has been serving for 25 years. He is kind and encourages others. This will be the last year Moose will be serving as the camp director.

Sasha (Alex) S., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin

My name is Alex but I go by Sasha. I’m 11 years old. I’m in the tribe of Benjamin. There are rules and throws and plans. The Rules: If the ball goes off the table you are out. You put five balls on the table. To win, you knock all five balls on the other side. You lose if the other player knocks your balls out. Throw: You can throw the ball many ways. We call them names. So far, there are three that have names. People have many ways to throw the ball.  Here’s Nathan’s point of view. He said the Heimlich is the best. Plan: There are many plans in carpet ball, like how you place the five balls. One way is put three on one side and two on the other. Or, another way is to put all five on one side, or four on one side and one on the other side. Opinions from Jonathan, “It’s a lot of fun and cool.” Steven hates carpet ball.

Jonathan P., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin

Hebrew is really fun! You get to learn lots of things like Ima is mom and Abba is dad. Also, you get to learn an entirely new language! You also get to fill out books that teach you Hebrew words. Two of the books I have completed are named Family and Days of the Week.

You also get to earn prizes if you get staff to stamp the page for learning Hebrew words. Every time you get ten stamps on a page you earn a small prize, but when you fill out a book you get a large prize!

You can learn a lot of things in Hebrew, and you get to use the words you learn in lots of activities like writing to your parents or pointing out wildlife.

One of my favorite things to do during Hebrew is to collect all sorts of stamps. My favorite stamp is Heimlich’s, which is a caterpillar. One of my other favorites is Superduck’s, which of course is a duck.

Anyways, I really enjoy Hebrew and it was an amazing topic to use for the Gilgal Gazette. Hebrew is really, really fun and I think that Hebrew is awesome. It can teach you so much. And also, imagine if you go to Israel – you can always use Hebrew there.

Tyler H., Age 9
Tribe of Dan

At Camp Gilgal we always do crafts. In 2015 we are making a tzedakah box. We start by drawing our design. When we are done with the top of the box design, we get a piece of tin and a scratch-awl, and we punch holes in the tin. Then, when you are done with the top you draw the side designs. When the sides are done you wood burn the designs. Wood burning is when you burn wood. Finally, we paint our boxes. To paint the box we had to put on wood conditioning. Then we had to choose the color. There was rustic red, desert brown, natural and American chestnut. And when you are done with all of that, the craft is finished. My favorite part of making the box was painting it because when I painted it, it looked a lot cooler. The color was American chestnut. American chestnut looks like a very dark brown. And that is how you make a box for anything.

Conner M., Age 8
Tribe of Dan

I like to swim in the pool and I brought things for the pool including goggles. I like cannon balls in the pool. Some people swim in floaties and lots of people like to be thrown in the water. Claire wanted an inflatable salamander but it had a hole in it. We do whirlpools. We go around in the pool. When it is hot you could go to the pool because the pool is cool for you. Yadi is a tribe leader and a lifeguard. She holds a big red buoy for when you need help. One time, I found a quarter in the pool at four feet deep and Tyler helped me get it from the bottom. The pool is my favorite part of camp because we can swim and cool off and it is just so much fun. Some people buy pool toys from the Camp Gilgal store and sometimes people will buy something to swim on in the pool to have fun.

Isaac P., Age 9
Tribe of Dan

I am Isaac. I’m going to tell you about Men’s Day at my camp. First, we built two forts out of chairs and blankets. We were in two teams. Then we went outside and played Pop the Balloon. We ate pop rocks and drank soda. I did not like it. Vultures came when Moose put out raw chicken for them to eat. Then we went to the pool. I had a donut floatie and a small surf rider. I created a tank out of them both. Then we made cones out of different candies and chocolate chips and marshmallows and the others put it on the fire. I made three cones. Then we made bombs to scare away the vultures.

Interview with Yamaha:

Q: What did you use to make the bombs?
A: We used dry ice, water bottles and hot water.
Q: How do you get dry ice?
A: You buy it.

And that is what Men’s Day was all about.

Tyler H., Age 9
Tribe of Dan

Every year we do dodgeball and it is 2015 when I had my favorite dodgeball game. So in the beginning of the dodgeball game, the other team was winning and only me and my friend were left. Then, suddenly, my friend was out. It was all on me to catch the last ball. Then, suddenly, I came up with a plan. So the strongest dodgeball player was trying to catch a ball, so I fake threw it and he didn’t know till I actually threw the ball. Then he was out. After he got out all the people threw the ball and I caught one so my whole entire team got back in. Finally, we all had a comeback, and they only had one person left. But she caught the ball so her team was back in, and one by one our team got out. In the end, we lost but it was fun. The most fun part was catching balls. And that is what happened this year. The End.

Bailey H., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

Slip, slip, slip and slide! The waterslide at Silver Spur Camp and Retreat Center is so fun. When you first get to the waterslide, an expert on the slide explains the rules.

#1 Always go down the slide with a mat.
#2 Fold up your mat like a taco to have a better water slide experience.
#3 Don’t go down the slide until an adult tells you that you can.
Next, you form a line, and the fun begins.

One by one campers go up the slope to the top of the slide and one by one they come down with a smile. The actual water slide starts with a small drop and then has a few turns. At one point, staff can dump water on your face with a pan. Unfortunately, this year the contraption didn’t work.

The waterslide is a great addition to the camp. I look forward to it every year. Thanks for reading my article.

Carrie M., Age 11
Tribe of Simeon

Horseback riding is so much fun! At camp we first put on long pants, sunscreen, we bring water and go to the bathroom because it is a long ride there. Then we go in cool vans and drive about an hour to get to the stables. When we get there we first put on helmets and pick out a horse. After everybody gets a horse we ride! You have to not be afraid of a horse because they can sense fear. The ride takes about an hour. When we get up to the mountain it is such a beautiful view. It is amazing! You see many trees, mountains, hills and the bright sun. We get to see this beautiful view for about a minute. When we get back, we eat snacks and play with the dogs that live there. Then we play in the big meadow that they own while we wait for the other group to come back. When they come back, we go back to the camp and take a small nap before dinner. At dinner, we get to talk to each other about our horses and their personalities and names.

Elisheva M., Age 10
Tribe of Judah

Friday, June 25th, 2015, began as any other day. The only clue that something was different was that we were told after breakfast to put on our Camp Gilgal shirts and sunscreen. During Tabernacle we looked outside the windows and saw a line of vans and cars waiting for us. We were quickly shuttled into the vehicles, still wondering what was going on. Then, slowly, we started driving down the curvy road. It was a 106 degrees out. What could we possibly be doing?

After driving for 45 minutes we saw that we were going to Columbia. As we all shuttled out of the vans, you could feel the excitement in the air. We all found our tribes then headed into Columbia to eat lunch. There we met Tour Guide. It was such a blessing to meet him. He used to be and still is a big part of Camp Gilgal.

After lunch, we as a tribe decided to go candle dipping, which was really fun. I liked all the colors that everybody put on their candles. Afterwards, we went to the candy shop. I bought soda gummies. Then, we went down to the gold mining store where I got a switch pocket comb. Finally, after that, we went and bought sarsaparilla. It was delicious. Since we still had some free time, we went across the street to go bowling for free. Fifteen minutes before we had to leave, we went into the jewelry store. I saw a backscratcher and I just knew I had to buy it. Then, it was time to leave so we slowly trudged over and went into our designated vans for the drive back to camp. Overall, it was a really nice day in Columbia, despite how hot it was.

Shalom M., Age 9
Tribe of Judah

When we got to play Snag-A-Staff, Talia, Sarah and I tried to get Superduck, who was a monkey. When we would try to get close, sometimes he would grab our hats or bracelets and he would just sniff them, and then would throw them. Also, sometimes he would pretend we had bugs in our hair and eat them. He grabbed my bracelet and glasses and Isaac’s flashlight and then ran off. He put Isaac’s flashlight high inside the gazebo and my glasses in a hole, but I got them. He was climbing in a tree with my bracelet.

How you play Snag-A-Staff is all the staff pick an animal or a thing and you have to wait till they find a spot to hide, then when you hear a whistle you run out to find them. When you find one, if they are an animal, for example, a dog, you would probably be a cat. So you would run and the staff member would chase you into the cafeteria or by the benches. Then, when you would get them there, you go find someone else.

We only had one counselor left, which was Taco, who was an armadillo. We had to get bugs but nobody knew that, so that is why he was the only one left. You would probably love the game because I do and I can’t wait till next year.

Rebecca S., Age 8
Tribe of Issachar

On Ladies Day all the men left camp for the day and the women got to pick something fun to do. All the ladies got to go into the dining room first. There was seaweed and jellyfish in the dining room. We went into the pool. We also had cheese puffs as beach balls and pudding as the sand on the beach. We had small umbrellas in 7-Up as a beach. I played a fishing game for the treat of the day. I got a notepad and pen in a set. Then all of the girls went to a photo booth and Acorn took the photos. We found toy fishes in the pools. Then we made shells into hair clips, but mine broke. After that, we went back to the pool for 15 minutes. Eventually, the men came back and the rest of the day went on. We played Capture the Degel as a night game. Later in the week it was Men’s Day and the women went horseback riding. I can’t wait till Ladies Day next year.

Talia W., Age 9
Tribe of Judah

Making the degelim was awesome! The color of our degel is white. Making the degelim means you also get to pick a tribe name. There are twelve tribes of Israel in the Bible to choose from. Out of the twelve, seven were chosen. On the ladies’ side there is Issachar, Judah, Asher and Simeon. On the mens’ side there is Dan, Benjamin and Gad. My tribe’s name is Judah. We got to design our degel and paint it. It was so much fun!

You must never leave your degel behind. Sometimes you can leave it in your cabin, like during Hebrew and crafts. But for everything else you must bring it with you. This includes bringing it to breakfast, lunch, dinner and Tabernacle. Some other things you should know is that you should never let your degel fall or leave it outside on the ground, and never leave it down at the dining hall. This is very important. Another thing is that you should never let your degel get dirty.

In order to make your degel you must have a tribe name, your degel color and you must write your tribe members’ names on it. I hope you have fun making your degel!

Sarah M., Age 9
Tribe of Judah

Yesterday was M.I., Mission Impossible. We had a lot of fun playing the night game. Let me tell you what we did. We were in our cabin and were finishing up devotions when all the lights turned off. Then, we all knew it was M.I. so we changed into black clothes and headed off in the pitch blackness of night. First, we read our first clue. It was by the campfire. We had to be very fast when Superduck came by and we had to lay down very quickly. When we laid down Superduck almost ran into my face. When he walked past we got our next clue which said to go to the girls’ bathroom, so we ran past Streetlight and went to the bathroom. Then we kept finding clues. Our last clue was in the dining hall. Then we realized we came in first place and won Mission Impossible. All in all I had a great and fun time playing the night game Mission Impossible.

Raina W., Age 7
Tribe of Issachar

Creek Night was different because we usually eat on tables and at the creek we ate on rocks instead of tables. Poppins and Snapple sat with us. I walked along the rocks with Superduck. I got burrs all over me. Some of the boys were even catching fish. Sasha got a big long catfish. Some of the campers and staff were playing silent football. Even though there wasn’t much water, we were all laughing and playing and having a great time. It was different than most dinners because we ate from paper bags and sat with people from other tribes. After everyone finished eating, they had time to play around. That was different from normal dinners because we didn’t have to clear our plates or wipe down our tables with rags and wait. Creek Night was a lot of fun.

Rebecca S., Age 8
Tribe of Issachar

On Feed Your Friend Night, I fed Raina. We were laughing most of the time. We ate tacos and cookies. It was hard to not spill so in the end it was very messy. Feed Your Friend Night is where you feed a friend. It was very messy.

The tribe of Asher was on sweeping duty, which meant your tribe had to sweep the dining room. Moose was fed by Yadi and he had plenty to eat. That was one of my favorite theme nights. There was ground beef, cucumbers, onions, tomatos, etc that can go in a taco. Ahava and Chip fed each other. Acorn fed Streetlight. Each person fed someone else instead of feeding themselves. Most people were laughing. The food was good. We had fun. It was different from normal dinners because you couldn’t feed yourself. You should try to do a Feed Your Friend Night. I love Feed Your Friend Night. We never know when it’s going to be Feed Your Friend Night. Superduck fed Sh-boom. If you do it, I hope you have a good time.

Isaac P., Age 9
Tribe of Dan

I am Isaac. I am telling you about Capture the Degel. (Degel means flag.) The rules are: Get the flag.  Hide your flag. If you are out, go to jail. Try to let someone get you out of jail.

We went to the barbed wire fence on the left of the dining room to hide the flag. Then, we sent Conner, Tyler and Yadi as bait. Then the offense went out, including me. I snuck around the girls’ cabins. It looked like almost all of my team was captured. Finally, I came close to the top of the hill. Suddenly, Yamaha spotted me. I started to run away. I kept going up and running down, and finally I got captured. That’s when I came up with the phrase, “Take risks, get messy!” When Sonic went by, he freed me, but Heimlich caught me. But he ran away. It was awesome.

Interview with Sonic:

Q: How did you get past Yamaha’s defenses?
A: I waited until Yamaha and Ewok started walking away, and then I ran out from hiding in the bushes.

Q: Did you get caught in the end?
A: After we escaped with the degel, I got caught just before the line.

Q: How?
A: There were a lot of people and Superduck escaped with the degel and I thought we had won, so I let myself get caught.

Baily H., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

Campers by day. Actors by night. That’s how the campers here at Camp Gilgal are when Skit Night is coming up.

Skit Night is a time when each tribe performs a skit that they’ve worked on together. That skit is judged by creativity, teamwork and biblical content. The maximum amount of points you can earn for each section is 50. While you’re doing your skit, it is important to keep under eight minutes or else, you’re done.

“I love the acting,” Claire C. states. “I love the snacks and the funny lines…” says Carrie M. “I like it when my tribe does well,” Taco explains, “because then we get good scores and my tribe is happy.”

In the middle of Skit Night, there is an intermission. You can buy snacks from the Gilgal store.

Our skit was about Adam and Eve and how sin came into the world. Two news reporters examine the story as it goes along.

Skit Night is an awesome part of Camp Gilgal that all tribes practice and look forward to. Thank you for reading my article on Skit Night.

Erica B., Age 11
Tribe of Asher

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go back in time? Well, here at Camp Gilgal we have something called Throwback Thursday. Throwback Thursday is a theme night when every tribe dresses up like something in the past. It’s almost like hopping in a time machine!

In 2015, my tribe dressed up as girls from the 60s! We were in a small little box and we made a mini little black and white film! This theme night is a good experience to see the history of this world. I’d encourage everyone to have this fun experience.

Now we are going to hear from a couple of members from the Camp Gilgal family. Here are Claire’s words: “I love how we get to see the potential of the other campers.” I agree with Claire, but let’s hear from a staff member! Taco’s words: “I think Waffle’s and S’mores’ tribe had a very good and creative idea.”

Everybody has a different perspective of TBT. What’s yours? Do you think this sounds fun? How would you like to participate in this theme? The fun begins when you come to Camp Gilgal. See you there!

Erica B., Age 11
Tribe of Asher

Is it the running, the game, the excitement or just the fun that makes this night game so awesome?! Hi, I’m Erica and my Camp Gilgal Gazette article is based on one of my favorite activities that goes on here at camp. What is this adventurous event? We call it Wells Fargo.

Here at camp we have many night games, such as Capture the Degel, Snag a Staff, Mission Impossible and Wells Fargo. I am going to be asking my friend Bailey what her favorite part about Wells Fargo is. Her words are: “Getting the bags of gold.” That is also my favorite part. However, it’s way different from a staff member’s perspective. These are Moose’s words: “I love scaring and catching the outlaws.”

This year we had a special visit by the one and only Wells Fargo stagecoach.

Now, we are going to hear one of Moose’s war stories from Wells Fargo. “I was using the element of surprise on one of the outlaws. I crouched down behind an oak tree and waited for the outlaw to come closer to the bags of gold. I walked behind the camper very slowly, three seconds later….Boo! And I caught the camper!” Thank you for reading!

Tyler H., Age 9
Tribe of Dan

I’m Tyler and I’m going to tell you what I did for Animal Night.

First of all, the people told me that I needed to get ready for Animal Night.  My tribe ran back to the cabin. Our tribe leaders had something ready for us. Then I found out it was a red, fat, hippo head. All of us rushed to tape red stuff taped on the hippo. It was hot and hard to move but it was AWESOME! We had to walk on the rocks. We almost fell but we didn’t. Finally, we got in line. They called other people, then they called us. We did our cheer. Then they took a sick picture of us looking under the red stuff. We all walked right inside the door. We sat down, took the stuff off and ate dinner. That is what we do on Animal Night at Camp Gilgal.

Steven M., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin

I am writing about the campfire! The campfire is when we are together. The staff members come and tell us their story and that we need to trust God. We sing great camp songs. It’s a great way to enjoy camp. At the end we roast marshmallows and eat s’mores.

The campfire is very touching. You can grow closer to God! You can feel the nice warmth of the fire. All the tribes are on the tables in a circle. The fire is in the middle.

Last, the two staff talk about their relationships with God. It touches your heart. We do it for a while till it’s dark and the s’mores are gone. It’s a very nice way to enjoy a nice time at camp!

Claire C., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

Utensil Night is when everyone gets their food but doesn’t get any forks, knives or spoons. Then, some out-of-cabin staff come around with a huge bucket full of crazy utensils like spatulas, pie servers, tongs and everything you can imagine! The only utensils not in the bucket are the basic utensils like forks. When the bucket comes around you close your eyes, put your hand in the bucket and pull one out. And voila! The utensil that you picked is what you eat with. The food is always spaghetti, so it makes it difficult to strategize your technique for eating!

Now for interviews: my tribe mate Mia said, “I like Utensil Night because I got tongs so it was easy to eat with.” Another tribe mate, Erica, says, “I like the experience of trying something new.” Even people out of my tribe LOVE Utensil Night, like Tyler, a tribe mate of Dan. “I like trying hard to eat. I had to stab stuff and eat it.”

This year, I got a spatula… It was really difficult to eat! And you don’t necessarily need to eat with your utensil. Some eat with their hands instead! Utensil Night is mostly on your first night. Utensil Night is AWESOME! The End.

Zoe N., Age 12
Tribe of Simeon

Arriving at camp is very exciting. When you first go up the hill the staff are hiding and then they come out and start drumming on the cars. Then you get out of your car, the staff give you hugs and you get to see all of your friends. Every year there are new campers and staff. When you get all your stuff out of the car you get to go swimming, play carpet ball and ping pong. After your parents leave you, you go and see what cabin you’re in, meet your tribe leaders and the campers you’re staying with in your cabin. They then tell you the girls stay on their side and the boys stay on their side. You cannot go on either side or you will make purple.

Sometimes on the first day after you bring your stuff to the cabin, you have Utensil Night. How you do it is you close your eyes and pull out an item from a pot and use it to eat. After dinner you go outside and choose a tribe name from the twelve tribes of Israel. Then you choose the color and a design on your degel. This year for our tribe we did a flaming sword for our tribe Simeon.

The first day at camp was very exciting for a first start of camp. The first day of camp gives you an exciting start for the rest of the two weeks. The theme verse for our camp is Joshua 1:9.

Fiorella M., Age 12
Tribe of Simeon

At our camp we do a thing called Cabin Inspection every day. We have to clean and organize our cabins. Then Morty and Minerva “the old people” check our cabins and later in the day they give us points on how clean and organized our cabin is, like 85 points.

If your cabin gets the most points, then you get like $100 for your whole tribe to spend on something fun. You can get ice cream, go fishing, bowling, or lots of other fun things.

Morty and Minerva are hard core, like if you leave one shoe a little bit out of order you get an infraction, which makes you get less points. I personally think that it’s hard to not get an infraction.

You can leave Morty and Minerva a note for them to find in your cabin and then they will read it aloud when they are grading your cabin. I think that Cabin Inspection is a fun way to earn points. Thanks for reading my article about Cabin Inspection.

Fiorella M., Age 12
Tribe of Simeon

At our camp we do a thing called Dental Inspection. We do it almost every night at camp.

Dental Inspection is basically someone checking your teeth, but it’s Tabitha Plaquewhacker checking your teeth.

Tabitha Plaquewhacker takes away points if you don’t brush your teeth, and if you do brush your teeth, Tabitha gives you points.

Tabitha can tell if you brushed your teeth because she checks the inside of your teeth and your breath.

If your tribe gets the most points of all tribes, the tribe gets to spend $100 on something fun. That is why you should brush your teeth. I think that Dental Inspection is an easy way to lose and win and lose points. Tabitha has an accent and big black hair. She carries around a flashlight and a bug swatter. Thank you for reading my article.

Sam S., Age 7-1/2
Tribe of Dan

Welcome to Sam’s Art! Starring your host Sam S.! And your contestant, Conner!
First Event! “Card of you!” Awards – Maximum Hilarity and Compassion.
Years you’ve been here: One.
Next event! “What you like!” Pizza!! Popcorn!! Chips!! Dinner??
Third Event! “What do you want to do when you grow up?” Robot builder!

Welcome to Sam’s Art! Starring your host Sam S.! And your contestant, Tyler!
First Event! “Card of You!” Awards – Leadership, Dapper Dan-ery, Camper of the Year!
How many years have you been: Two!
Next event! “What you like!” Friends, candy, Camp Gilgal, pool, crafts!
Third event! “What do you want to do when you grow up?” Chemistry, science!

Welcome to Sam’s Art with your host Sam S. and your contestant, Israel!
First event! “Card of You.” Awards – Joyfulness and Boulder Pro.
Year you have been here. One!
Second event! “What you like?” All animals!
Third event! “What do you want to do when you grow up?” Artist!

Sam’s Art, your host and contestant Sam S.!
First event! “Card of you.” Awards – Game Engineering and Courage!
Years you have been here: One.
Second event! “What you like!” Ice cream! Pizza! Pasta!
Third event! “What you want to be when you grow up?” Author: fiction.

Sophia M., Age 11
Tribe of Simeon

Our God is great, strong, healer, and amazing in power. These are four out of one million things the Lord is to us and we get to experience these elements and get to learn about God every day during Tabernacle through singing, teachings, reading the Word of the Lord and memory verses.

We sing to God to thank Him for many miracles He brings to the world. Talking to God is an amazing privilege, but singing is praising and thanking Him through our voices. Many favorite songs are “The Happy Song,” Bailey H. exclaims to me, and “Blessed Be,” Sasha S. says to me. Worshiping God is an opportunity to talk to God through singing during Tabernacle.

Every day we get taught by our wonderful one and only Streetlight. We learn that God never gives up on us and that we live in a broken world with our broken selves. We also learn that one day we will have a future home in heaven because of what Yeshua has done for us.

In conclusion, Tabernacle is our way of thanking God for all He has done for us by song with praise and learning about our history. God is alive and is our main focus at Camp Gilgal. Our relationship with God grows more and more throughout camp like our height throughout the years.

Bailey H., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

Letters! Spinners! Bonus Rounds! Mail Call is exciting for everyone, if you get mail or not.

Mail Call starts with the exciting banging of the table. Screaming and pounding is encouraged.

Next, Snapple chooses a courageous volunteer to be a spinner.

If you become a spinner, your job is to jump in a circle and shimmy your wrist above your head. If you can successfully complete this difficult challenge you are very talented. But, the trick is, you only spin when staff is called, so you have to be a good listener to have this role.

One of the most exciting parts of Mail Call is the bonus round. The first round, where you get letters, is okay, but the bonus round is spectacular! For the bonus round, if you are called, you have the honor of receiving a package. “I felt amazing the first time I got a package. I mean, there were cheese puffs in it!” states Claire C. “My favorite part of Mail Call is the bonus round!” Sophia M. exclaims.

Mail Call is one highlight of the day here at camp and I always look forward to it. Thank you for reading about Mail Call.

Bailey H., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

Swimming? Carpet ball? Campfire? What’s your favorite part of camp?

Claire and Tyler love Wells Fargo. It is their favorite thing about camp.

Zoe and Carrie love night games. “I like night games because they’re fun and you get to play with your friends.”

Pippin loves worship and Capture the Degel. Persaeus’ favorite part is learning about Yeshua.

Taco’s favorite part is hanging out with all the campers. “It’s my favorite because…it’s just fun to me,” Taco explains.

“M.I.,” Isaac P. decides. “M.I. – I call it Mission Completed,” Sam S. says.

Snapple loves “hanging out with the campers.” Acorn agrees.

Mia G., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

I wrote about special guests for my Camp Gilgal Gazette article because I wanted to learn more about them and what it was like growing up in the Camp Gilgal family. Every guest grew up in the Camp Gilgal family. Tank has been coming to camp since 1994. He is kind, funny and likes to play music. Shalom and Ahava are his nieces. That’s Tank.

Riff is a guest. He used to be a staff member. He likes to play sports, he’s musical and also very smart. He told me, “There is nothing more satisfying than Riff.” Well, that’s all you need to know about Riff.

Snickerdoodle is also a guest. She cares a lot about people, she is also very generous and a lot of fun. She has a wiener dog named Stella. And that’s Snickerdoodle.

Here’s Big Tuna. Big Tuna is gentle and very tall. Some of his tribe names were Simeon and Judah. He cares about people and likes to cook. I’m done with Big Tuna.

Squirt is a guest. When she was a camper she got sick but persevered. She is very kind. Some of her camp friends were Dynamite, Rocko and Sonic. Squirt, Ace and Waffles are siblings. That’s Squirt.

Now Ace. Ace would always make sure his cabin was perfectly clean. He would be everyone’s friend and he’s very nice and very smart. He sleeps in a lot. That’s Ace.

Sparkler is a guest. She is afraid of fireworks and she is very kind and funny. She really likes to make videos and she has a lot of animals. That’s Sparkler.

Waldo is a guest. He was at the very first Camp Gilgal ever. He likes games and crafts a lot. He always wanted to follow God.

The end!

The Lord Looks at the Heart

“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the hear.” 1 Samuel 16:7b

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

Tribes:

Tribes

David R., Age 12
Tribe of Dan

 The tribe of Dan is very “unique.” Elijah is 11 and was born on August 12th; his favorite food is lasagna and he hates coffee. He loves reasoning and he hangs out by the carpetball area.

Danny is 12 and was born on May 16th. His favorite food is sushi. He hates all condiments except for hot sauce. His favorite activity is skateboarding and he hangs out in the tree.

Daniel is 11 and was born on September 7th. His favorite food is shish kabobs. He hates sushi, his favorite activity is free time and he hangs out near the pool.

David (the author) is 12 and was born on March 2nd. His favorite food is pancakes. He hates cats but likes kittens, his favorite activities are soccer and basketball, and he hangs out in the basketball court.

Professor is “as old as the hills.” He was born on September 1st. His favorite food is authentic Italian, and he hates broccoli and cauliflower. He likes reading and writing, and he hangs out by the pool.

Heimlich is “younger than the moon but older than Professor.” His birthday is February 31st. His favorite food is broccoli cheddar soup. He hates traditional Italian, his favorite activity is water polo, and he hangs out by the pool.

Nonetheless I love everyone in my tribe and they’re like family to me.

Lizzy N., Age 12
Tribe of Asher

The tribe of Asher is like a tree: we look chaotic, but really we are nice and organized. We are in the cabin called “Grizzly Flat.” The people living in it are Toto, Heinz, Shannon, Mekerah, Monique, Sam, Lizzy, and Sarai. What is it like being in our cabin? Well, Sam says, “It’s awesome but smells bad.” Shannon says, “It’s fun and a lot to sweep.” Sarai says, “The cabin is big and amazing.” Monique says, “Being in our cabin is a good experience but the only thing is that it smells bad.” Lizzy says, “It’s really fun and the cabin is amazing.” Mekerah says, “Very quiet and more mature.”

In our tribe, most of us always share clothes; it’s fun in the morning doing kind of a fashion show with each other’s clothes. “Our counselors are amazing and they really inspire me,” said Lizzy. “My favorite memory of camp is the entire skit night,” explained Sam. “I liked the energy and the skits—it was just a really fun night.” Lizzy adds, “When I leave camp I’m sad to go but happy to see my family.” “The CIC (Cabin Inspection Cheerleaders) are hilarious and I love their cheers,” says Sarai. Monique thinks the CIC’s job looks very exhausting. We are the tribe of Asher.

Persaeus B., Age 9
Tribe of Reuben

There are five girls in the tribe of Reuben 2014 including myself. There is an A.T.L. which stands for Assistant Tribe Leader Scout, and also a Tribe Leader, Acorn.

Carrie was born and adopted in China and then moved to Florida. After four years she moved to California. She still lives there today. Carrie went to summer camp for three years and winter camp for four years.

Angela was born in Van Nuys. Angela does not have a favorite color but she likes rainbows and loves camp Gilgal. Angela is in the cabin Hardrock Mine just like the other girls. She has never been to winter camp and 2014 is her first year at Camp Gilgal.

Claire was born in Santa Monica. Then she moved to Idyllwild, then to Los Angeles, then finally moved and still lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. Her favorite activity is FOB and favorite night game is Wells Fargo. She has been here at summer camp for three years and has not been at winter camp.

This is Bailey’s first year at camp. She was born in Oceanside, then moved to Escondido, then moved and still lives in Temecula. Her favorite part about camp so far is the night game Wells Fargo.

Erica has been to summer camp for three years and winter camp for four years. She was born in Daly City, then moved to Colorado Springs, and now lives in Folsom.

That’s the tribe of Reuben!

Samuel C., Age 10
Tribe of Judah

At camp, you get to have a tribe and you get to have two leaders and four members. Well, let me tell you how it goes. You have to sign up to go to the camp. They put you into a tribe. When you arrive at camp you have time to have fun. When one of the staff calls every camper to the picnic tables, you have to go to the picnic tables. Now one of the staff is going to call every camper to their tribe leader. Now that is how a tribe is born.

Now about our tribe: we are the tribe of Judah. Our tribe has a tribe leader and assistant tribe leader and four campers. Our tribe leader is Stix and our assistant tribe leader is Troubadour. It’s fun being in our cabin, and you get to choose your own bunk bed. You can dress up in any celebration. The name of our tribe is Judah and its symbol is a lion. I like that because I like lions. We are in the cabin called Peddler Point. The cabin is on the men’s side. My tribe members are Michael, Isaiah, Nathan and me. Stix and Troubadour are nice, Nathan is funny, Michael is a swimmer, Isaiah is strong. I like our tribe a lot.

Talia W., Age 8
Tribe of Issachar

 My tribe is really nice. I love my tribe leader and assistant tribe leader. Their names are Galaxy and Sherlock. In my tribe there is Cookie, Lily, Shalom, Elie and me. Everyone in my tribe are friends and the best time I had with them was during FOB. I have worshiped with them and all kind of things. I like my friends very much, they’re the only friends I have at Camp Gilgal, and they are very nice and loving. We do lots of fun things together. They are the nicest tribe I have ever met. I was already friends with one of them before camp. My tribe and I are having fun, so much fun. We made crayola signs for the theme for dinner. Sarah’s favorite color is blue, Elie’s favorite thing to do is M.I., Lily’s favorite color is blue, and Shalom’s favorite thing to do is archery.

Jonathan P., Age 10
Tribe of Simeon

 I’m in the tribe of Simeon, and we live in the Chili Bar cabin. The campers in our cabin are me, Sasha, Tyler and Arthem. My tribe leader is Yamaha, and my assistant tribe leader is Omaha. This is my cabin interview.

Jonathan’s favorite sport is football, his favorite night game is Capture the Degel and he likes carpetball. His favorite free time activity is swimming, shopping and wood burning. Arthem’s favorite sport is swimming, his favorite night game is Capture the Degel, and he likes carpetball. Arthem’s favorite free time activities are swimming, carpetball and playing. Tyler’s favorite sport is football, his favorite night game is Mission Impossible, and he likes carpetball. Tyler’s favorite things to do during free time are climbing trees, carpetball and walking around. Sasha’s favorite sport is swimming, and his favorite night game is Wells Fargo. His favorite free time activity is bug catching.

Zemeira W., 12
Tribe of Manasseh

I’m in the tribe of Manasseh, as well as Sophia, Maddie, Laney, Zoe and Elizabeth. Our tribe leader and assistant tribe leader are T-Rex and Yadi. We have had a good time at camp so far.

We were the first ones to nail cabin inspection. Our skit is about not being tempted and staying faithful to God. We didn’t win Mission Impossible but we never got caught. Our cabin is Fiddle Town. We decorated it in songs and called it the worship room. Our cheer is M-m-m-Manasseh. We say it whenever they call on us for cabin inspection. We all agree that if we win Cabin of the Year that we’ll spend it on pickles and sarsaparilla! I love my tribe!!

Fun Days

Shalom M., Age 8
Tribe of Issachar
Every year at camp we do archery. Everybody has to meet at the basketball court and then we all walk down to the range. The range has a lot of grass, and at the end of the field are targets. They have a lot of holes on the front and back. Those are from the arrows.

When you are shooting arrows you always try to make bull’s-eye. It’s really hard! You have to aim at the middle of the red part. I have done it twice! You might want to wear light gloves so it won’t hurt your hands when you are shooting.

The things I like about archery is you get to use awesome bows, and the sound it makes when I hit the target. I also like that I get to hang out with my friends and do something that we don’t get to do often. I’m really glad we get to have archery in summer camp!

Arthem S., Age 9
Tribe of Simeon

 My name is Arthem. I am nine years old. This week we crafted a challah plate. We first had to draw a picture to design the challah plate. We had to get a wood burner and trace the design, and then we could see the wood burner make a mark. It is fun. It takes a while to make. This is how you really make it: first you first get a piece of paper. Then you need to do a design, and then you need to draw it again on the plate. When you are done you have to get a wood burner, then you are done!

Daniel C., Age 11
Tribe of Dan

Hi, I’m Daniel and I will be doing an article about swimming. Swimming is fun! fun! fun! fun!! You can do a whirlpool, cannon jump, pass and races!

I like to play with my friends. The pool supplies us with noodles. I interviewed Maddie about the pool. Her favorite activity at the pool is swimming. At the pool what she usually does is chillax. Her favorite pool toy is the red ball. Her favorite memory at the pool was the whirlpools.

Now I’m going to interview Professor. He enjoys spinning fast. At the pool he usually gives campers piggy-back rides. His favorite activity at the pool is also to chillax. His favorite pool toy is the noodle.

We are going to interview Heimlich. He enjoys swimming at the pool. His favorite pool toy is the football. He usually passes the football to other people.

All in all, the pool is fun!

Elie M., Age 8
Tribe of Issachar

Carpetball is really fun! It’s my favorite camp activity so far! I love lots of things about it; I love the sound the balls make when they clack together, I love how everyone watches and cheers and I love how it’s a game that’s only played at camp. Another great thing about it is that even if you lose, you still have a great time playing.

To play carpetball you need a big long table covered in carpet with a pit on each side. You also need 11 pool balls, and two players. Each player sets up five balls on their side, and then takes turns throwing the 11th ball back and forth, trying to knock the other player’s balls in the pit. The first player to get all the other person’s balls in the pit wins. It’s hard to win because the ball bounces off the sides a lot and messes up your throw.

Whenever free time is called, everyone runs to the carpetball tables, which means you get to meet a lot of the campers from other tribes. I played against my sister, Sarai, and her tribe mate, Lizzy. I also played against Laney. The only time I don’t like carpetball is when it rains, the carpet gets all wet. I love all the games we play at camp, but I’m glad I get to play carpetball every day.

Talia W., Age 8
Tribe of Issachar

My whole tribe was doing lanyards so I decided to make one too. I started making one and it was lots of fun. You make two loops and then you take the other two strings and take one and put it over one of the loops and then take the other string and put it over the other loop and pull it. Make sure the strings aren’t twisted and have fun. I did green and blue, Elie did blue and clear, Sarah did black and yellow, and Lily did blue and purple. Have you made a lanyard with more than two stings? I bet you will have fun making lanyards too.

Night Games

Michael K., Age 12
Tribe of Judah

 Degel means flag in Hebrew. Teams go like this: male campers and female staff make one team and female campers and male staff make the other team. Capture the Degel is really fun. Last year, Sonic was hiding in the grass beyond the boys cabin. I went next to him and he told me to distract the girls. It worked well and a few minutes later I heard Sonic yell out jailbreak, then later me and a group of boys ran as fast as we could and all of us got caught or most of us got caught. Then later J-box yelled out, “Capture the Degel!”

 This year me, Heinz, David and Isaiah were making a diversion. Heinz, David and Isaiah would distract the girls while I run down and yell jailbreak. At first it worked well but I didn’t make it, but I was so close. I interviewed Stix about Capture the Degal. He ran as fast as he could to the degel circle, grabbed the flag and ran to the dining hall.

 I asked Professor what his role was in the game. Professor waited until most male campers were caught then at the right moment he ran up the hill with Troubadour and called jailbreak. Stix took the flag and the game was over.

Sarah M., Age 8
Tribe of Issachar

 When we got back from a campfire it was night time. I was in the bathroom. Then the light turned off and all of the people were screaming. Then a car came down the hill and was playing M.I. music. We got out flashlights and started to change into dark clothes. Sherlock got our first clue, and we had to crack down the code. The first clue was at the amphitheater. Brickhouse was rapping, someone farted in our tribe and the tribe next to us started laughing and got sent back to their cabin. Then Poppins started to ask her husband Esquire for a kiss. She was singing, “I want a kiss in the moonlight.” Par-Par started to make hand shadows with her flash light. We were the first tribe to get all of our clues. Our prize was a huge bag of candy. Mission Impossible was very fun.

Sasha S., Age 10
Tribe of Simeon

 My name is Sasha. I am in the tribe of Simeon. The point of Wells Fargo is to take the bags from the faithful and loyal Wells Fargo agents. The agents are the tribe leaders. It is fun because they chase you and you have fun playing the game. I got the first round of bags. On the second round I got one bag, and on the third round I got one bag. I asked Nathan how he like the game and he said he “loved it.” His favorite round was the third round. He got zero bags in all rounds. The campers win Wells Fargo every time. After a game is over the agents line up and they put their hats down and we say boo.

When we were playing Wells Fargo I made a record of bags. Some staff were singing. Professor said he got six campers and started on the ladies side. He said some outlaws (which are the campers) took three bags away from him. He was trying to scare campers. Arthem said he got caught one time. He got three bags in all the rounds. All in all, Wells Fargo was really fun and I had fun writing about it.

Only At Camp