“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Inside This Issue:
Category: Gilgal Gazette 2014
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:
| Tribe of Reuben | Angela A., Erica B., Persaeus B., Claire C., Bailey H., Carrie M., Acorn, Scout |
| Tribe of Issachar | Lily H., Talia W., Sarah M., Shalom M., Galaxy, Sherlock |
| Tribe of Manasseh | Madison H., Sophia M., Zoe N., Laney P., Elizabeth R., Zemeira W., T-Rex, Yadi |
| Tribe of Asher | Monique L., Sarai M., Elizabeth N., Shannon O., Mekerah P., Samantha S., Heinz, Toto |
| Tribe of Simeon | Tyler H., Jonathan P., Sasha S., Arthem S., Yamaha, Omaha |
| Tribe of Dan | Daniel C., Danny G., Elijah Y., David R., Professor, Heimlich |
| Tribe of Judah | Nathan B., Samuel C., Michael K., Isaiah L., Stix, Troubadour |
Out of Cabin Staff |
Brickhouse, Dynamite, Husky, Pocahontas, Esquire, Poppins, Par-Par, Streetlight, Moose |
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.
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 heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7b)
The Gilgal Gazette is published by Camp Gilgal campers for Camp Gilgal campers and their families and friends!
Tribes:
| Tribe of Benjamin | Gavyn R., Elliot A., Asher W., Josiah O., Trent F., Elron, Taco |
| Tribe of Judah | Daniel C., Erik A., Ephraim L., Shai K., Strider, Hiccup |
| Tribe of Levi | Naomi W., Penina S., Hannah K., Rachel H., Kaelee F., Sydney F., Watson, Cookie |
| Tribe of Reuben | Alana F., Halie F., Netanya W., Eliana W., Sitruce, Ruski |
| Out of Cabin Staff | Twister, Red Sox, Beardo, Scooter, Floyd, Anonymous, Baby Carrots, Nature Valley |
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.
Called To Serve
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
The Gilgal Gazette is published by Camp Gilgal campers for Camp Gilgal campers and their families and friends!
| Campers: | Mekerah P., Taliah S., Dinah N., Haneen R., Emmalee S., LaTanya H., Zion M., Mia C., Abbey M., Lindsay M., Skye R., Amanda R., Vika S., Leia B., Julia K., Samuel F., Daniel P., Isaac H., Rain M., Andrew A., Reuven R., Elias B., Logan G., Elliot K., Emmanuel R., Nathan P., Jacob S., Jeremiah H., David S., Benjamin R., Emeth P. |
| In-Cabin Staff: | Acorn, Bazooka, Pocahontas, Sprout, Gilligan, Geronimo, Professor, Rocky, Husky |
| Out of Cabin Staff: | Moose, Streetlight, Speedy, Pi, Heinz |
All About the Tribes
Our Camp Family
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.
Josiah O., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin
The tribe of Benjamin rocks. Our tribe includes five campers and two leaders. Our tribe leader, Elrond and assistant tribe leader, Taco are awesome. Elrond is filled with fun and silliness and Taco is super strong, cool and kind, but I’m sure he doesn’t taste like a taco. Our campers consist of Gavin, who is silly, Trent, who likes to sleep, Asher, who is always playing sports, Elliot, who likes playing games, and then there’s me and I’m sure I like everything about camp. We all eat a lot and like to crack jokes during FOB (Flat On Bunk). We are all awesome and probably are coming back next year.
Erik A., Age 10
Tribe of JudahOur tribe “Judah” is the best and awesome. The reason why we’re the best is because we’re the most improved tribe. Our tribe has four campers and two staff. The tribe leader is the “Awesome Strider.” Really he is awesome! The ATL is the magnificent Hiccup. The four campers’ names are Erik, Shai, Daniel, and Ephraim. All the reasons why the tribe of Judah is cool is that we’re smart, clean, and organized. We are all very good at sports and talents. And we’re friendly. This is why we’re the best tribe!!!!!
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.
Ben R.
Age 15
This year at camp a new Gilgal family member joined and I had the pleasure of being his camper. His name is Rocky and he was born in Denver, Colorado. He was raised in a believing home. He has two brothers and three sisters and they are all very close. He has very supportive parents who raised him with good Christian values and educated him in Christian schools. After high school, he went to Concordia University located in Wisconsin. He majored in Spanish and pre-seminary studies. Other than education, Rocky enjoys a wide variety of activities including all kinds of sports and outdoor activities, hiking the mountains of his home state, photography and playing the piano.
He is married to Bazooka, another tribe leader who he met while attending college in Wisconsin. Through Bazooka, Rocky met Moose and others, leading him to become a tribe leader at teen camp. Rocky said that he absolutely loves being at camp, spending time with all the staff and campers, learning from them, and teaching them as well.
Called to Serve
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
The Gilgal Gazette is published by Camp Gilgal campers for Camp Gilgal campers and their families and friends!
Tribes:
| Tribe of Dan | Malkiel A., Gregory V., Michael K., Daniel C., Jacob A., Strider, Longshanks |
| Tribe of Levi | Daniel V., Keane R., Colton Z., Zeven Z., Josiah G., Swank, Goliath |
| Tribe of Naphtali | Isaiah H., Alex J., Joseph S., Noah L., Scooter |
| Tribe of Asher | Alyssa C., Abigail O., Liora S., Nena K-W., Hannah P., Nature Valley, Watson, |
| Tribe of Judah | Lydia C., Kaylie L., Ana H., Sierra K-W., Hannah M., Leah M., Bologna, Gus |
| Tribe of Zeubulun | Juliana C., Simona B., Eden A., Naomi W., Maria A., Rebekah C., Ruski, Diamond |
| Out of Cabin Staff | Twister, Red Sox, Baby Carrots, Blewish |
Alana F., Age 10
Tribe of Reuben
Hi, we are the tribe of Reuben!
We have so much fun. We sing, dance, laugh, and make jokes! We love Camp Gilgal. We have to make a degel (flag) and our degel looks good. We have a flower with a Star of David in the middle of the flower and we all made our own flowers and wrote our names and we bring the flag to breakfast, dinner, and Tabernacle. Tabernacle is when we sing about God and how wonderful He is and then Twister or Red Sox tells us a story in the Bible. The people in the tribe of Reuben are Eliana, Netanya, Alana, and Halie. The staff are Ruski and Citrus. They are great leaders.
Only At Camp
Zion M.
Age 14
This is Zion reporting for the Gilgal Gazette and today I interviewed Bazooka. When I asked her what her real name is she responded, “Excellent question.” She responded the same when I asked her age. So my guess of her name and age is 33 years old and that her real name is Abigail.
Here are some fun facts about Bazooka: her favorite color is sea foam. Her favorite animal is the red panda. Her favorite food is pad thai and she was born in San Francisco. Her most favorite thing to do is go to camp. Acorn and Snapple are her best friends. When asked whether she prefers Coke or Pepsi, she said Coke. Her favorite Bible verse is Joshua 1:9. It’s been nice getting to know Bazooka. Peace out.
Zemeira W., 12
Tribe of ManassehI’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!!
Zeven Z., Age 14
Tribe of LeviA 16 hour car ride is how long it takes from Midwest to East Coast. You would think that it would be long and miserable, right? Wrong! To me, it’s actually one of the most enjoyable things at camp. In the car ride you really get to connect on a more intimate level. You get to stop on the way for snacks and breaks and whatever you need. People you ride in the car with become your best friends, not just at camp but for life as well.
Nathan P.
Age 14Hi. I am Nathan and I am interviewing Moose for those who do not know who this wonderful person is. He is our leader of all camps on the West Coast for Camp Gilgal. Moose got involved with Jews for Jesus by going to school with a Jews for Jesus missionary. He thought it was super cool that people were bringing Jewish people to Jesus. He also says he met his wife Swedey at this school.
Moose grew up in Southern California. Moose’s camp counselor told him about Jesus and he saw a difference in his counselor’s life so he prayed with his counselor to surrender his life to the Lord. His next biggest decision was to ask his wife Swedey to marry him.
Halie F, Age 7
Tribe of Reuben
Reuben is a flower.
We are smart.
We are great and love art.
We have a degel!
My tribe leaders Ruski and Citrus are cool.
We like cats and horses.
We win at stuff.
Love, Haile
Fun Days
Reuven R.
Age 14
Speedy has been a Camp Gilgal tribe leader for 12 years. Speedy’s favorite part of camp is seeing people grow spiritually, mentally and physically. He has been married for 21 years to another tribe leader named Sloth. His favorite Bible verses are 2 Peter 1:5-8. He is about 5’ 6” when he is wearing shoes.
His favorite camp activity is going on field trips. On these trips he has been to baseball games, white water rafting, sailing and much more. He was born in Berkeley, California, and lived there for 18 years. He has one older brother and two younger brothers. He went to two colleges, one is called Brooklyn College in New York, and the other is in Portland, Oregon. Speedy is a nice tribe leader who helps campers in need and I hope I seem him next year.
Sydney F., Age 11
Tribe of Levi
Levi is a tribe that lives to encourage each other. We really love the memory verses and our degel, even though we sometimes forget it in the dining hall. Sydney loves 
the food at camp, and she learned gaga ball this year. Penina’s favorite part of camp is swimming in the pool on hot days. Kaelee plays softball at home, and she really likes the wish-bang-zip game. Naomi really loves sports, especially running and doing flips. Rachel loves to sing and especially loves Tabernacle. Hannah dances ballet at home, and her favorite part of camp is tribe time. Levi’s tribe leaders are Watson and Cookie, who love F.O.B. and talk to each other in ASL (American Sign Language) when trying to confuse the campers about the schedule. Even though the ladies of Levi are very different, we all get along great.
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!
Isaiah H., Age 12
Tribe of Naphtali
Tribe time is the best. Some days we will play Nukem or card games, and Bible studies. My favorite is Nukem because you just throw a ball and catch over the net. You can play barefoot because it’s on grass. Everyone plays it so it can get intense. When you play with your tribe you feel very good because you are bonding as a tribe.
My tribe is Naphtali and when someone forgets our name we strike a deer pose. Our tribe devotions have been from Mark and it is so great to have more time to discuss together.
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!
Skye R.
Age 15
I decided to interview Sprout. I just met Sprout this week and so far I really enjoy being around her. She is really interesting, funny, and kind. First I asked, “How old were you when you first came to camp?” Sprout replied, “I was 15 at Camp Gilgal WWW (Wonderful Winter Weekend) South.” I then asked if she enjoyed being a camper or tribe leader more. Sprout said she enjoys different things from both positions. “What is your favorite camp experience?” I asked. “My favorite camp experience was worshiping on the houseboat during the sunset,” Sprout answered. I asked if anyone from camp had influenced her life and she replied, “Yes, Galaxy. She is an awesome, godly girl.”
I then asked what she looked forward to most at camp. Sprout said, “I look forward to worship and being in fellowship with other believers.” Lastly, I asked if she had any funny camp stories. Sprout answered, “At adventure camp we were about to get off the very top of the boat and to get down we had to jump. It would take me ten minutes to finally jump because it was so high.” I am very glad I got to know Sprout this week.
Only At Camp
Greg V., Age 15
Tribe of Dan
One time during Nukem I was playing a game with staff vs. campers. The campers were losing and only four campers were left including me. And as soon as one of the tribe leaders threw the ball I caught it, but then lost grip of the ball but then caught it again! And then it happened again and again! Until I slipped and painfully did the splits. Everybody laughed and I laughed also. So if any of you want to have any Nukem games with me, I’d love to play and make hilarious memories with you.
Netanya W., Age 10
Tribe of Reuben
F
or one of the theme dinners we had Fashion Disaster Night. It was so much fun!! Fashion Disaster Night is when you put on any clothing like a shirt on your arm, or different shoes on your feet, and so much more!! There are also more theme dinners like Animal Night. I don’t want to go ahead and say anything to ruin the surprise; you can find out if you go to Camp Gilgal!
Misha K., Age 15
Tribe of Dan
A very fun part of Camp Gilgal is an awesome game
called “Project Runway” in which we would pick models to dress up in toilet paper! Each tribe was given two rolls of toilet paper and we needed to use all of it without using any other materials to dress the models. The point was to dress the models in formal wear with accessories and we were given about twenty minutes to come up with ideas and make the costumes.
The best part was when the models strut their stuff. The music would go on and they would show off for the judges. The models were judged for the durability of their costumes, the creativity and their walk. In the end, there was a lot of laughter, fun and of course, fashion! This was a great addition to teen camp!
Rain M.
Age 13
On an average day, our cabin wakes up around seven o’clock and get ready for breakfast. At breakfast we usually sit with the same people that are in our cabin. After breakfast we go to Tabernacle. In Tabernacle we worship God by singing. Also we learn the memory verse: Philippians 2:5-11. Sometimes there is a staff member 
that goes and tells us their story and how they got to know God. After Tabernacle we go either to the giant swing or the ropes course depending on the day. I didn’t go on the giant swing but I did go on the ropes course. The ropes course was fun.
In our cabin there was Andrew, Logan, Geronimo, Sam, Daniel, Isaac, Elias, Professor, Reuven, and (myself) Rain. My favorite part about our cabin is that there are a lot of friendships going on. At lunch, we pray and chant the liturgy then eat. After that we have free time, then more activities, and then dinner. After dinner we have more activities and then sleep. One of my favorite things about our cabin is that we have good staff and campers.
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!
Rachel H., Age 10
Tribe of LeviWhen you hear the words, “Hebrew class,” what do you think of? If you answered, “learning Hebrew,” you’re not alone. But the Hebrew class at Camp Gilgal is a little different. For instance to learn the colors, we used Skittles and we had to say, “I have x amount of x-colored Skittles!” in HEBREW! Even though it was a little hard, the “game” was really fun!! We learned the “Days of the Week” song in Hebrew, and we asked for cheese (gevina) or peanut butter (asur) crackers to improve our Hebrew sentences. Out of all of the wondrous activities at Camp Gilgal, I would say that Hebrew class is one of my favorites.
Emmalee S.
Age 13
Everyone has a cabin, and my cabin is in Fern. I have two leaders, Sprout and Bazooka. The people who are living in Fern with me for this week of teen camp are Haneen, LaTanya, Dinah, Taliah, Mekerah, Zion and me! So, we are basically like a big happy family of girls, and we all have our parts in this family of ferns.
Haneen is the generous one, Dinah is the stretcher of our family. LaTanya is the fun, crazy one, Zion is the nice one, Taliah is the wise one and Mekerah loves to read. All together we are one big happy fern led by our amazing leaders Bazooka and Sprout whom we look up to! We like to share, and overall we are probably the messiest, loving fern out in this world!
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.
Daniel V., Age 14
Tribe of LeviAs the days of camp go by and the activities are being chosen, Bible study is always going to be one of the options. It’s actually quite fun, the different Bible study activities, even though there are usually just a few other campers. You get to talk to the staff about your life of believing in God and how you might want to change the relationship. Every day, the activities for Bible study always change and it’s not the same.
You can talk about: how to understand/read your Bible, building a prayer life, sharing your faith, sharing your testimony, dealing with doubt, serving God. It’s really easy to get comfortable with the staff. Even when you’re not in the activity, you can talk to anyone when you’re free or during another activities. One time, I went to “serving God” and we were talking about how we want to change our ways with God, our previous lives with Him, and how we can make Him more central in our future, and show and talk to others about Him. As we were talking, we came up with an idea how we can improve our relationship with Him and spread the gospel. My ways were to pray, read the Bible and do projects to help others. I hope I keep growing in faith after camp.
Abbey M.
Age 15
Pocahontas. Not your stereotypical Disney princess. Despite her internal love for giraffes, her kind and caring love for others does in fact exceed her love for animals. Pocahontas’ favorite book of the Bible is James. She describes it as “very practical. It covers so many different things.” Pocahontas is the ideal traveling partner on all occasions. Having visited 14 different countries, she decided she favored Italy most. “I love the food and I really admire the colorful, vibrant cities,” she explained.
Out of the countries she’s lived in, she has liked living in Israel the most. Here’s what Pocahontas has got to say: “In Israel, I feel at home. Everybody accepts you. There, people are very open and honest and you can just be yourself.” Her hobbies 
include hiking, traveling, baking and blogging. She favors music that has sort of an indie, alternative feel. Pocahontas particularly likes Foster the People and Mumford and Sons. Her favorite color is mint, or a really light blue. She enjoys shopping in smaller stores and boutiques with different vintage selections. Hands down, Pocahontas absolutely looooves coconut ice cream with chocolate Belgian ice cream (they have to be together!). Her favorite books are from the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers.
Pocahontas considers Mother Theresa a great example of a servant and a hero she often looks up to. She admires her because “she gave her whole life to serve without expecting anything in return.” She defines a servant as “someone who’s constantly humble without expecting praise or anything in return, and is always willing to give.” With that in mind, I can faithfully say that Pocahontas lives as a true servant of God. This teen camp, she and her husband, Husky, have devoted their time to learn from the staff at camp so that they can travel back to Israel and help a camp similar to ours for Jewish believers in Jesus.
Leah M., Age 14
Tribe of Judah
This is my first year at Camp Gilgal and I had a great time. I wasn’t expecting to have such a good time because the day before I was really nervous I wasn’t going to meet new friends. But when I arrived I made so many new friends and had so much fun.
If I could talk to myself before I came to camp, I would say, “Do not be nervous. You are going to make so many new friends and learn so much about Jesus.” I really want to come back to camp next year!
My friend Ana invited me to camp and I am so glad she did.
Kaelee F., Age 12
Tribe of Levi
I definitely recommend Camp Gilgal for an awesome camp experience. I’ll start telling you about key things about camp. Let’s start with packing. All right, you must pack sunscreen, bug spray, sleeping bag, showering and pool materials. Also, make sure you pack hot-day clothes and cold-day clothes because Camp Gilgal is in the mountains so the weather isn’t predictable. I mean, it was like 50 degrees on the Fourth of July! Don’t forget your Bible! Now, you’re at camp. You are nervous. Try making new friends. When you wake up in the 
morning you’ll see the time is about seven o’clock. I know, it’s early, but you will see that once you’re up, you are up. Then, make sure you line up with your tribe (people you share a cabin with) in front of all the cabins to head to breakfast. All meals are amazingly delicious. You can always figure out something to eat if you are really picky too! There are cabin clean-ups every day after breakfast. People will inspect them and give you a score. Tabernacle is next. Bring your Bibles to these. They are services that are kid friendly! I don’t really like services, but I am actually engaging in these ones! After, you’ll take an art and Hebrew class. They’re a 
blast! Lunch is next! Delicious food as usual! You may pick activities you would like to participate in, from Mad Science to sports! But before, you can swim in a refreshing pool and play games in the game room! Dinner is after! Yummy food in my tummy! During diner there may be a theme dinner where you follow a theme! That makes dinner that much more fun! After dinner you may play a game with the whole camp or have campfire talk. This is supposed to give you extra knowledge about God! It’s bedtime! Get ready, hop in and rest. This isn’t the only time you rest during the day! There’s F.O.B. That means Flat On Bunk. You can basically do anything that’s quiet and independent! It usually lasts about an hour! Anyway, Camp Gilgal is super-duper fun! Missing out is the exact opposite of fun! I hope you enjoy this as much as me, especially because it’s a Jewish camp! What are you waiting for? Join today!
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
Logan G.
Age 14
This year I had the pleasure of having Geronimo as a tribe leader in my cabin. So for my Gazette article I interviewed him. I found out that he likes authentic Mexican food but his favorite meal at camp was eggs and sausage. Geronimo is from Napa Valley, but is now living in San Francisco.
One of Geronimo’s favorite things at camp was Capture the Degel. He said it made him feel like he was in war, planning what to do and when to do it. But, he said his favorite thing was worshiping and praising the Lord during devotionals and at the not-so-campfire campfires.
Geronimo’s favorite Bible verse is John 6:28-29. He says that it helped him realize that no matter how much he messes up God will be there for him. I feel blessed that I was able to spend a week with Geronimo. Camp would not be the same without him.
Penina S., Age 11
Tribe of Levi
Tribe time is about spending time with your tribe. Your tribe is who you share a cabin with. For tribe time, you get five different choices, since there are five different tribe times. Your five choices are archery, rock wall, team-building initiatives/ropes course, boating, and one tribe time where you get to choose whatever you want to do. Most girls like to use their free tribe time for any Shabbat preparations. You do eachtribe time activity at least once. Tribe time activities are to be done together with your tribe. Everyone has to participate. The decisions are made by everyone in your tribe and if there is disagreement, you can always compromise. Tribe time is totally awesome, and it is really fun to spend time with your tribe. It’s also fun to do different activities with other campers that are around your age! Have fun!
Rebekah C., Age 13
Tribe of Zebulun
At Camp Gilgal, it’s a great time to learn more about Jesus and have some fun. When I went to teen camp, I met a lot of new friends. In our tribe, we had Bible studies from Mark.
We started our tribe Bible study by having a discussion on what we read to better understand the passage. We also shared prayer requests and would pray for each other. Also, whenever I read, I get more out of it than I did the first time I read it. Camp makes a big difference when I come back home.
Camp helped me want to read the Bible more often and follow good influences. When my little brother came home from junior camp I could see positive changes in him and I hope the changes continue for all of us.
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.
Malkiel A., Age 15
Tribe of Dan
Campfire is part of Camp Gilgal tradition. It’s when everyone gets together at the top of the hill where you can see the setting sun, not too far from the cabins. One of the staff builds the fire and we all sit down on benches around the fire.
At campfire we listen to Blewish lead a discussion and open our hearts to Jesus. This year, the discussions were about our communities, the love that parents offer to us, the love that God has for us, and the love we give them both. Finally we talked about having faith. At the end, we sometimes look at the sunset and remember that God created the nature.
These discussions affected me by showing me how much our parents love us and what they do to be friends with us.
Rachel H., Age 10
Tribe of Levi
If you’re one of those people that want a nap every day, then your favorite activity at Camp Gilgal will be F.O.B. This stands for Flat On Bunk. During this period all campers must stay in their bunk-room and be silent. You can either curl up under your covers and sleep, use a flashlight and read a book, or (if you’re lucky) your tribe leaders will let you play a game. Most of my cabin mates think that F.O.B. is unnecessary, but I think that F.O.B is just what everyone needs.
Leia B.
Age 15Today at Bass Lake I sat down with a very interesting person and learned a lot about him. His name is Professor. To start, when he was eight years old he started coming to camp. During his time at camp he
grew much closer to God and made many friends. One of the most influential people in his life that he met at camp was his tribe leader, Peppy. His favorite camp activity just so happens to be one of mine as well, which is Wells Fargo. When becoming staff, he chose the name Professor because it really fit who he is.
To conclude, Professor is one of my favorite staff members at camp because he is hilarious and a great story teller.
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 heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7b)
The Gilgal Gazette is published by Camp Gilgal campers for Camp Gilgal campers and their families and friends!
Tribes:
| Tribe of Levi | Olivia T., Shira T., Ali H., Shayna T., Krystelene L., Emily H., Gus, Diamond |
| Tribe of Simeon | Shoshi S., Adelaide M., Mariam G., Hannah B., Maddie H., Bologna, Bobo |
| Tribe of Issachar | Anna A., Nena K., Jennifer M., Abigail H., Lilly C., Sonic, Kimchi |
| Tribe of Judah | Benjamin A., Aaron S., Seth M., Matthew M., Nathan L., Goliath |
| Tribe of Benjamin | Andy H., Elijah S., Avi T., Jackson H., Menchi, Tip Toe |
| Out of Cabin: | Blewish, Sneakers, Swank, Mr. Tumnus, Krispy Kreme |
Sydney F., Age 11
Tribe of Levi
Every day we have Tabernacle, and there is a mystery box. We have mystery boxes because we have a timeline to show different events from the Bible and to show objects to represent what we are talking about from the Bible. When Twister and Red Sox bring the mystery box up to the front, they pick a camper to open it up and sometimes you can get what is inside. Then they put it on the timeline and keep building on for what you learn in Tabernacle. I’m really excited to find out what is in mystery box tomorrow.
Amanda R.
Age 15
One of the people who make camp happen every year is Streetlight. Streetlight is super fun and always in a good mood! Although Streetlight is great at what she does, she would never have thought she would have this job ten years ago. Streetlight loves camp so much that she even has countdowns when camp is almost 100 days away. Streetlight says she thinks she was made for camp.
You may think you know all there is to know about snazzy Streetlight but I have managed to uncover some fun facts such as her least favorite camp food, which are powdered eggs. Her current favorite music genre is creative folk, not super folky though. If Streetlight could be any animal she would be a blue whale because they are big and float in the water. Streetlight’s favorite verse is 2 Corinthians 12:9. Streetlight enjoys this verse because it reminds her God’s grace is sufficient and He is always in control. Streetlight says that if she was stranded on an island and it flipped over it would be bow tie pasta with olive oil and pesto sauce with grilled chicken. Streetlight is really fun to talk to and I enjoy getting to know her more each year.
Our Camp Family
Sarah M., Age 8
Tribe of IssacharWhen 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.
Abigail O., Age 13
Tribe of AsherAt teen camp, you do get a lot of chill time and relaxation, but don’t let that make you think that the staff will let you get away with a messy cabin. Each day at camp, when you are off participating in an activity, the main staff come in to each cabin checking for “infractions,” such as: crooked shoes (which are ASKEW), sleeping bags which are rumply (rumply, rumply, rumply!), clothing tossed carelessly onto a bed (tossed like salad!), etc. I personally enjoy hearing how well each cabin did at lunch and there are usually a lot of laughs! Cabin inspection is a good way to clean up and have fun simultaneously!
Your goal is to end up with no infractions and being awarded 100 points. Each infraction that you ignore costs you five points. For example, if you have two infractions, you get 90 points that day. If five infractions, then you get 75 points. At teen camp, your tribe needs to have a point average of 85 points to get to the celebration afterwards, so work hard to have a clean cabin!
P.S. A bad smelling cabin counts as an infraction, so take advantage of the Febreeze!
Mariam G., Age: 11
Tribe of Simeon
Bologna is my tribe leader, and I got to interview her. Her favorite food is Indian food. This is her third year as staff. The first tribe she was in as a camper was the tribe of Issachar, and the first tribe she was in as staff was the tribe of Judah. Her favorite candy is Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Her favorite color is sunflower yellow. Her favorite camp activity is FOB, which stands for
Flat On Bunk. Her favorite animal is a kitten, and her best friend is Sneakers. She is very awesome and nice to us.
Penina S., Age 11
Tribe of LeviThe point bar is used to help you get to Gilgal party. You get points for lots of things you do. The best things to get points in are memory verses and Gilgal Gazette articles. Usually your goal is around 15,000 points. To go to the party you have to get at least what the point bar is. I think this is a fair way of judging which tribes do work and which tribes are slacking. Our tribe is well on our way.
Liora S., Age 14
Tribe of Asher
Have you ever wished for the power to turn back time, fly or shoot flaming Ramen out of your hands? Well then, this is a perfect opportunity to let your inner dark side or your affinity for justice shine. Grab your costumes, create a back story, and grapple with an opponent on the opposing side. It’s a fun activity called “How to Be a Superhero,” led by Strider and Longshanks.
Battles between good and evil were held on a tarp by the foursquare court. Among the powers chosen by participants include: flying, turning back time, mind control, negating positive powers, blasting baby metal at opponents, sending swarms of mosquitos at enemies, shooting flaming Ramen, and many more.
Using creative play based on fictional characters created by campers is a great way to relax, have fun and exercise your creativity. My superpower was the ability to shoot flaming Ramen at my opponents and burn their skin off. Participating in this activity was a fun way to spend our last full day of camp and I really enjoyed it.
Jeremiah H.
Age 15
Husky grew up in Belarus and grew up believing in God. Once Husky finished high school, he served in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). Husky served and stayed in Israel during his service. After he served in the army, he was baptized to show a further example of his dedication to God. His favorite books of the Bible are Ecclesiastes and Job. Husky specifically enjoys the book of Job because it tells of how important it is to have non-doubtful faith in God.
Husky’s favorite hobby is working out, and his favorite food is any chicken dish. This is Husky’s first year at Camp Gilgal. He has had a load of fun with all the activities. His favorite of all the adventures was jet skiing on Bass Lake.
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.
Penina S., Age 11
Tribe of Levi
The Gilgal Gazette is used to share some of the campers’ experiences with the rest of our community and others. For the Gilgal Gazette, you write about your favorite activities of camp. I like the Gilgal Gazette because it is fun to write about your experiences. Writing for the Gilgal Gazette also helps you get to the Gilgal party at the end of camp. You better write an article for the awesome Gilgal Gazette. Right now, you are reading an article about some writing for the Gilgal Gazette. Ha ha!
David S.
Age 15
Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, two humans met each other and eventually had a child, whom they named Pi. The parents had a special fondness for perfect circles, especially pies of that shape. Pi, being instrumental in finding the circumference and other measurements, was thus the name of their newborn child. Contrary to what might happen in modern society, those who knew Pi did not find his name unusual; rather, they found great joy in his name.
His name turned out to be prophetic, for his interest in math escalated to unprecedented levels. Children and adults alike would approach the Tent of Pi, where Pi could be found sitting on a dinosaur hide, teaching about algebra, calculus (time machine from Newton), and statistics. Amidst all these equations, the one closest to his heart was that of .
But most importantly, he loved the Bible, particularly 2 Corinthians 4:13. Today in 2014, Pi has also expressed great excitement when playing Wells Fargo.
Only At Camp
Jennifer M., Age: 12
Tribe of Issachar
In the tribe of Issachar there arefive girls: Lily, Jennifer, Abi, 
Nena, and Anna. There are also two tribe leaders: Sonic and Kimchi. Every night we would do a devotional and sometimes we would talk about what is happening in our lives.
The night before I started writing this article, I came up with an idea. Since some girls do not like sharing personal things, I thought we should write on post-it notes. You could write something you don’t feel comfortable with or if you want to tell a person something anonymously. The tribe of Issachar is very funny and very good at getting off topic. So if you come to camp, I hope you have Sonic or Kimchi because anyone would love them!
Ana H., Age 15
Tribe of Judah
This year at Camp Gilgal, we have had a lot of fun – perhaps too much fun! For the first time, we as a camp have participated in a game called “Project Runway.” In this activity, teams compete against each other to create an outfit made out of only toilet paper. Every team has a model and a spokesperson who explains the origins and ideas that the outfit relays. The greatest challenge for the campers is to try not to rip the toilet paper, so whenever it does, we work together to think of creative ways to fix the problem without using extra materials.
After presenting each ensemble, the three judges, Blewish, Twister and Red Sox, scored the outfit based on creativity, durability and the model’s walk. Teams have the opportunity to score 30 points for each category, for a total of 90 points per round.
This year, we only played one round: formal wear. Each tribe had unique themes for their outfits. And we all ended the day with a smile on our face. Hopefully Project Runway will become a funny tradition here at Camp Gilgal!
Nena K., Age 12
Tribe of Asher
This year, I went to junior camp in the Midwest and teen camp in the East. Both were very fun. One of the things that I really like about teen camp is chill time. Chill time is where you can do anything that you want, such as: Nukem, sleep, braid hair or take a shower. Things that you want to do but don’t have a lot of time for. Another thing that I really like is campfire. During campfire, the whole camp sits in a circle and talk about different things like community and our parents. We bounce ideas off of each other while we incorporate our feelings and ideas. While there is a fire burning in the middle, we have helpful spiritual discussion with the 
campers and staff.
At teen camp, there is one night a week when we camp (sleep) outside in tents. This year we went off camp, drove to a campground in the Adirondacks, for our sleep out. There was a pool there too. I didn’t go swimming because I didn’t want my bathing suit to be wet for the next day. I knew that the next morning, we were going white water rafting.
During the afternoon, I sat by the pool with Nature Valley and we were tanning. After that, I put my feet in the water and got splashed! It was so much fun. I look forward to going again next year.
Next year, teen camp will be open in the Midwest. Since I live in Michigan, I’ll be there next year. Regardless of what I go to, I know that I will learn a lot, have lots and lots of fun, and strengthen my relationship with Messiah Yeshua.
Matthew M., Age: 11
Tribe of Judah
Today you will learn about my tribe. My tribe has a lot of fun together. There are five guys and one tribe leader in our tribe: Goliath, Nate, Aaron, Seth, Ben, and myself. Everyone in my tribe works together. The most important thing is that we all listen to Goliath during tribe time. We all have different ideas for the talent show. I like the tribe of Judah!
Asher W., Age 12
Tribe of Benjamin
Elrond was born at a very young age some time between creation and 2000. It was so long ago he can’t remember. His mom, who was there at the time, says he was born in Rivendell, California. Hid dad works in finance, in a spectacularly clean office. His room is fairly clean except for one or two askew articles of clothing. It just happens that Elrond’s favorite Bible verse is Psalm 23:06, my favorite too – “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Elrond’s favorite hobby is reading. His favorite book, other than the Bible, is Lord of the Rings. If you are lucky enough to get Elrond as a tribe leader, you will definitely be ensured an amazing two weeks of camp.
David R., Age 12
Tribe of Dan
Tabernacle is really special for me and I think for all the campers because you’re lifting your voice up to God and your troubles are also lifted off you. Streetlight’s teachings are packed full of information but easy to comprehend. Also what she teaches will help us out in our lives.
After breakfast, I’m always waiting for Tabernacle to start because we can read our Bibles more and learn about God’s Word. Last year someone from my congregation passed away that I was very close to and I think Streetlight’s teaching about God as our anchor really helped me.
This article is about why I love Tabernacle. I consider Camp Gilgal my second home and I love my camp family.
Adventures and Fun!
Alana F., Age 10
Tribe of ReubenToday I talked to Floyd and I learned a lot of cool things about him. He didn’t start coming to camp as staff. First he was a camper just like us! (And he loved every second of it!) He started at teen camp when he was 14, which is when he also accepted Jesus into his heart because, “I finally saw how real He was and how active He was in my life.”
Floyd became a tribe leader two years ago. He decided to become staff because “I wanted campers to have as good of a time as I did and as rewarding of a time spiritually, and I wanted to be a part of that.” He decided on the name Floyd because it’s the name of his favorite band, Pink Floyd.
Sam F.
Age 12Okay, so on one of the days of camp we got to go to Yosemite to go hiking. When we were in the vans we practiced our memory verses for camp. We decided to use hand motions to help remember the verse better. One of the cool things about the field trip was seeing the pretty sites of Yosemite and getting to talk with my friends.
Once we got in Yosemite there was a tunnel and when we got there Moose gave us the challenge of trying to hold our breath all the way through. Even though I tried hard I wasn’t able to hold my breath the whole time. Because we all took the challenge, the car was totally quiet going through the tunnel. Elliot got the furthest and lasted about 75% through the tunnel.
Once we got back from the hike most of us were tired. Some slept while others, including me, made mad libs. After that we all decided to take naps. One thing I noticed about the trip was that once you leave Yosemite, it’s not that far from camp. The Yosemite field trip was fun and I learned parts of our memory verses.
Fun Activities and Games
Carrie M., Age 10
Tribe of Reuben
At Camp Gilgal we gather around a campfire and sing many camp songs. Sometimes the staff teach us new songs that make you feel hyper. Also we sing quiet, peaceful but fun worship songs. When you sing these songs you can feel God’s presence around you. If you know the songs the staff let you help sing with them.
After we sing songs, some staff share their testimonies about growing up, and how it compares to the Bible. Sometimes the staff read verses and tell us what it means. Th
ey make you feel like family. Testimonies about other tribe leaders’ lives might compare with your life. If your parents divorced or died, that’s what happens in some tribe leaders’ lives so you won’t feel alone.
Then they have all the staff pray for them. After that we have a group prayer, and they let us pray out loud if you want to. Most of the time you can take a tribe leader aside and pray with them. You will never feel alone. Camp Gilgal campfires are the best!
Hannah B., Age: 12
Tribe of Simeon
Always having fun
sticking together
I’ll see you next year!
Mia C.
Age 14
Among the hundreds (or even 
thousands) of American national parks, Yosemite proved to be one of the most beautiful of God’s creations. As a camp, we hiked up to Vernal Fall. Before our 2.5 mile trek there, it began pouring rain, which was cool and within a few minutes we were all soaked and our group was divided into the “raindancers” and the wet “rain-o-phobics.” The rain then devolved into a sprinkle as we continued on our journey. As we walked, small scurrying creatures caught our eyes. Tiny squirrels ran around to the “awwwws” of the group. They were followed by much…less tiny squirrels that obviously hoarded enough food to fill a hot air balloon.
Besides the cute animals, there were clear streams rushing past rocks and massive mountains. From a distance, Vernal Fall was visible as white foaming water gushed over the cliff and joined the water below, letting out bursts of moisture and steam. The walk began to get tiring as the humidity and sweat kicked in, but the group was entertained by the beauty around us and by Professor’s life stories and nature quizzes. Along the way, people were asking about our Cam p Gilgal shirts and we gladly shared information about our faith with them. It was nice to be given the opportunity to tell people about Jesus, whether they were believers or not. All in all, this hike introduced us to incredible portions of God’s creation, adorable and amiable animals, and to the task of spreading Jesus’ name to people.
Angela A., Age 11
Tribe of Reuben
FOB stands for Flat On Bunk. We go to our beds and do a quiet activity, like sending letters to your family or drawing or having some candy. But we have to stay on our bunk the whole time. Sometimes you can just simply lie down and rest if that’s what you want. FOB is one hour long.
I like to pass notes with my tribe members and share snacks with them. Sometimes people fall asleep but they wake up at the end. We have to be super quiet.
My friend Claire says that FOB is her favorite part of camp. Claire likes FOB because there’s lots of stuff to do, and also because it’s quiet and relaxing.
Keane R., Age 14
Tribe of LeviAt teen camp, there are two types of people: those who go paintballing and those who do not. I was one who did not. The people that don’t go paintballing go on a hike, on the Indian Ladder Trail. When we got there, we had to go down a huge flight of stairs. It was fun because we would jump down flights at a time. In the beginning of the hike we were awestruck by how beautiful the scenery was! The small cities and fields in the valley made us feel really big. We were singing the whole hike when we stumbled upon a really big, dark cave. We went really far in the cave but we couldn’t go any farther because it got too dark and I hit my head on a stalactite. After eating a few wild berries and more walking we found a waterfall. It was really fun to run under it and I got soaking wet. Sadly, the walk came to an end… But then we went back the way we came! The Indian Ladder Trail made me think about how God designed everything with every little detail.
Fun Activities
Games
Lily H., Age 8
IssacharLadies Day is when the boys leave camp to do their own activity. The girls stay and have the camp all to themselves. During Ladies Day you are allowed to go swimming,
play carpetball and play basketball. During Ladies Day there is also a cereal bar. When you are in the pool they play music. My friend Shalom likes Ladies Day because it is peaceful and quiet without the boys. My other friend Talia like Ladies Day because there are no boys to make big splashes. And my other friend Sarah likes the cereal bar best because it had awesome cereal. My favorite activity to do during Ladies Day is to play carpet ball because there is not a long line. I like Ladies Day because there is a shorter line at everything. Ladies Day can be any day; they make it a secret when Ladies Day is.
Hannah P., Age 13
Tribe of Asher
This year at camp we played “Capture the Degel.” It’s a game where two teams go on two different sides, and hide separate degelim (or flags). Players try to capture their 
opponents’ degel. Once they find it, they bring it to their own side. If you cross the line and go in the opponents’ territory, they can tag you and take you to jail. To get your teammate out of jail, you have to tag them. There were many instances where people got caught trying to get their teammate out of jail. You’ve got to have speed and strategy. It’s super fun!
My team was especially good. We had a lot of good runners, Rebecca, Daniel, Jacob and Naomi. We also had great defenders, including Nature Valley, Sierra, Strider and Abigail. These were amazing teammates who I would love to play with again.
Capture the Degel is a fun-filled game, with much laughter and fun. I would strongly encourage it anyone. It’s a very fun, hilarious game with many laughs and it’s a good way to exercise. I had so much fun and definitely want to play it again.
Haneen R.Age 13
I chose to write on this topic because it takes a lot of strength, courage and prayer to be able to walk a little wire 25 feet in the air. But, it ends up being so much fun in the long run and you feel really accomplished and satisfied when you’re done.
When I first started climbing the rope it was really easy and then when I reached the top and looked down I realized how much I was shaking. After that I attached myself to the wire above and that was when I started to really get afraid because the first step is always the hardest in most situations. Once I took the first step I just started breathing deeply and concentrating on the tree ahead of me.
Once I finished the first wire it was easy from then on and it was really fun to end it with the relaxing zip line. Praying the entire time helped a lot and I am definitely going to do it next year!
Shayna T., Age: 10
Tribe of LeviAt camp I went to the petting zoo! I saw sheep, horses, and many more animals. My favorite animals were the horses! I can’t wait to go to the petting zoo again!
Elliot A., Age 12
Tribe of Benjamin
Tribe wars is an especially fun part of Camp Gilgal. It all began one breakfast when Twister said two words. TRIBE WARS! We went back to our cabins for cabin clean up, tribe war preparations, and Tabernacle. After Tabernacle, we went into the field for several relay-like games. The first game we played when something along these lines: when Scooter blew the whistle we ran to the cone opposite of us. We then held hands and passed a hula-hoop over us, and then we ran back to the starting cone.
We then played a very fun game. We started at a cone, and one of our other tribe mates would run to the other cone, put on five t-shirts, do five jumping jacks, take them off, and run back.
After that we played a quick game. We ran to the other cone and lined up in a single file line. The person passed the ball over his head to the other person behind them 
and went to the back of the line. Then the person with the ball passed it over his head until we get back to the starting cone.
We then did another game, in which we ran to a tarp, stood on the tarp, and tried to flip the tarp without stepping off the tarp. Soon after that, we went into the mishkan and took off all our shoes and socks. We put all or shoes and socks in a pile, and when it started we ran to the shoe pile, put our socks and shoes on, ran back, and high-fived the next person
We then played a game called Gaga, in which you use your hands to hit the ball at the other people’s legs. We also went bowling in the mishkan in which we rolled a soccer ball at cones. All in all tribe wars was AWESOME!!
Lindsay M., Age 15
After lunch, we all go down to our cabins and get changed for swimming at the pool. We grab sunscreen and towels. At the pool there is a water slide, diving board, and a little nice grassy shady spot. A lot of campers and staff go off the diving board and do crazy flips and dives. At the other side of the pool the boys and some of the
girls play water polo and splash, scream and get water on everyone who doesn’t want to get wet. It’s quite entertaining. I personally love being in the water with my friends.
Next is free time. There are many things to do during free time. There’s boating, the pool, and usually the flume is open. You can hang out with fellow campers and go to the café and get ice cream, milkshakes, or coffee. You can also play basketball, volleyball and Frisbee. Free time and the pool are great.
Josiah O., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin
Gaga pit is an awesome game. A staff member throws a ball in the gaga pit and everybody shouts GA-GA-GA as the ball bounces and thus the game begins. The point of this game is to hit the ball with your hands and try to hit somebody’s legs from their waist down to get them out. The last person standing wins. The materials needed are six picnic tables, a ball, and at least 10 people. Flip the picnic tables sideways into the shape of a hexagon to make the pit and start playing. HAVE FUN!
Joseph S., Age 13
Tribe of Naphtali
Photography is an activity that I only do at camp and I really like it. Photography is great because it allows the beauty created by God in nature to be captured. Photography was so much fun because I got to do so many things. I took pictures of things. I took pictures of an eye and plants. The plants were really tall and magnificent. These were the biggest plants I’ve ever seen.
These plants had magnificent leaves and the stem was strong and sturdy. The plants were sturdy. The rain makes the trees and plants grow very tall and strong. There was a lot of beautiful scenery along the way. The water in the pond was delicately moving or the plants majestically moving in the wind. It was a very beautiful sight to see that all surrounding you at once.
For these reasons, I found photography so much fun. No matter what you say, you can’t say that activity wasn’t fun. I have a saying, “Nature has a beauty that can’t be controlled and it’s true.” So that’s why I found photography so much fun.
Shannon O., Age 12
Tribe of Asher
Camp holds some of the greatest memories, from the time when I climbed my first tree, to the time I nearly had a heart attack from a Mission Impossible (M.I.) surprise. But camp in all is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in so many different ways, which I will describe to you. Also, beware of M.I.! At any time it could happen.
Camp Gilgal is so intriguing. There are night games that we sometimes don’t even realize have to do with God.
Such as M.I. We don’t have to be afraid of the dark, because Jesus is our light. All games (Wells Fargo and Capture the Degel) are fun, yet teach a lesson. That’s not all. There are campfires, stargazing, Hebrew, craft, archery, etc. We all have so much fun. But a really important thing for me is that almost every activity has to do with the Bible.
This place has many good practices, morals, and mysterious game nights, but whatever you’re doing you know it means fun. This place is so memorable in so many ways I can’t even describe. This is a place you’ll be telling your grandkids about. One question: How often do you get to march in a Fourth of July parade?!
One last thing: The most important thing of all . . . family. That’s the one thing you can count on here, family. If you’re homesick, we’re there for you. If you need love or advice, you can count on us. Or come to God. He will never steer you wrong. Remember, once part of the Camp Gilgal family, always part of the Camp Gilgal family. Shalom!
Emily H., Age: 10
Tribe of Levi
Horseback riding is a fun activity we do at Camp Gilgal. I had a lot of fun horseback riding. There are a lot of different colored horses. You learn how to make the horses go, stop, walk backwards, and turn!
Shoshana S., Age: 10
Tribe of Simeon
Here at Camp Gilgal there’s a petting zoo with all sorts of animals. First, there are the goats. They have three goats in the pen. Their names are Ox, Maverick, and Rosco. Ox is a male goat and he has really big horns. He is very nice and is black and white. He is bigger than the other goats. Maverick is a very light yellowish color. He’s really sweet and loves attention by being groomed and he really loves being pet. Then there is Rosco. He’s a brownish color and also is very sweet. He’ll follow you around the pen, but he likes to chew on clothes. The last animal I’m going to talk about is the donkey, Bandit. He loves attention. His fur is messy because his last owner treated his bad, but he’s a real sweetheart.
Daniel P.
Age 12At Camp Gilgal teen camp there is a new activity. Well, at least for us former junior campers: boating! Boating is a magical activity for free time. There’s paddle boating, and kayaking. Sounds fun, right! Well, not for those of you who get sea sick. When you go boating, you will grab a life vest, get in a boat, and then you’re off! From my experience, my friends and I usually race. My team almost always wins. But, if you don’t like to race you can just time yourself, or maybe have a splash war, but only if you have a kayak.
Sometimes it’s just nice to kick back and relax, and as we say in Louisiana, “Let the good times roll.” Just be careful that you don’t tip the boat, but you don’t need to worry if you have two people in the paddleboats. Just have a good time paddling around. This is really why I love camp. This is Daniel signing out. Stay classy, Gilgal.
Eden A., Age 13
Tribe of Zebulun
I love chill time because you can hang out with people from any cabin and keep building friendships. Unlike F.O.B, chill time is an activity where campers are allowed to relax, play games and hang out with friends. As I said earlier, we will 
sometimes play games, such as Nukem, soccer and mafia. During this time campers can hang out with other campers from different tribes. Because the small bathroom has few showers, lots of campers use that time to take showers. It’s also a great time for a quick nap. I usually look forward to this part of the day.
Campers and staff are able to bond because of these experiences. Chill time is a great way to relax and bring people closer together. We are able to get to know one another on a more personal level. We talk about friends, movies, family, clothes, etc. Chill time is like a nice break from the other wild activities.
Josiah O., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin
The game room is awesome. There is foosball, air hockey, table tennis, and snack SHACK! I personally think the snack shack is the best so I will tell you about it first. At the snack shack you are able to get candy, ice cream, and soda and even root beer floats! And then we came to foosball. If you are a champion don’t play against Elrond (he’s an assistant tribe leader). Then there’s air hockey where you want to win and table tennis does not appeal to me. Otherwise the game room is AWESOME!
The end.
Sam S., Age 12
Tribe of Asher
“It’s Dress Like Someone in the Bible Night!” announced Moose. Whispers surrounded me wondering what they would do. Because it is my first (and last) year at junior camp, I turned to my other cabin mates and said, “What is that?” Although I expected someone to say, “That’s an excellent question,” I was wrong, as I was told, “You’ll see. It’s pretty cool.” So I waited silently with a few more questions until free time. 
I soon learned that this amazing theme night has been one of my favorite parts of the camp because of the preparation and performance.
I know, preparation sounds pretty boring. But the tribe of Asher and I chose to be characters of the Esther story. We all got in our Shabbat dresses (with the exception of Shannon and Heinz, playing men) and put up our hair, put on our makeup, and put on our earrings. The prep time was crazy awesome and it was all worth it.
Secondly, the performance was awesome! We had a fun cheer when we entered the dining hall and when we sat down; we were the sharpest girls in the room. The night was so much fun.
“Dress Like Someone in the Bible Night.” Now if I hear those words, I will be excited to have a wonderful, exciting night at camp.
Julia K.
Age 15
Everyone shifts in their seats, getting 
as comfortable as possible. A nervous shiver runs through the campers as a sharp jerk singles their start. The boat is slow at first; a simple speed everyone is comfortable with. But then they pass the tall buoy that marks that the shoreline is near, and caution flies away with the wind. Screams are snatched away from their owner’s mouths as the wind picks up with the speed of the ski boat. The rudder jerks left, leading the boat right. Far behind, the screams are abruptly cut off as every camper tumbles off the banana and into Bass Lake.
Other than the thrilling adventure of riding the banana, Bass Lake also held exciting rides on jet skis, swimming in the refreshing water, and hanging out at the snack 
shop. Those strong of heart tipped their banana again and again, and screamed for higher and higher speeds on the wave-runner. However, those wishing for smoother fun had a great time jumping from the docks and swimming in the cool lake water. And, of course, there were those who simply relaxed and ate french fries and ice cream at the snack shop. Bass Lake was full of fun.
Juliana C., Age 13
Tribe of ZebulunThe camping trip was so fun. I would love to go camping again. It was warm in the daytime but got very cold in the night. When we first got there, we set up our tents and put four to six people in each tent. We all set up our sleeping bags. Then, we went swimming and the pool felt great. The bugs were very annoying and made me mad. The weather was gorgeous and great for volleyball. After we ate dinner, we had a campfire and then headed to our tents. We put on so many layers because it was so cold. We bundled up and told bedtime stories (as in funny stories). We went to bed.
In the morning we were all freezing and wanted to stay in bed. When we finally got up, we ate an excellent breakfast. The camping was an amazing experience.
Nena K., Age: 12
Tribe of IssacharThree girls, Kimchi and I went on a row boat. We got stuck because the current from the lake was pulling us into the lily pad area. It was challenging to paddle back to where we kept the boats. One of the staff named Kimchi was in the boat with us and she kept using her paddle so the boat would turn around. It was very funny because we were going really fast and then we started spinning in circles. We got help from Swank who pulled us back to shore with a rope.
Shai K., Age 10
Tribe of Judah
On Monday night we played Capture the Degel!!! In Capture the Degel, you each have a side and you hide both flags (degelim). If you cross onto another person’s side they can tag you and they take you to jail but if they don’t escort you, you can run away. During Capture the Degel 2014, we found a snake and had to stop the game until it left. My team lost both times, but it was still really fun. That night I could not fall asleep because we were talking about it all night. It was the best game of Capture the Degel I have ever played!!
Sarah M., Age 8
Tribe of IssacharAt camp, the first thing we do is make our degel. Degel means “flag” in Hebrew. On the day you get to camp you choose a tribe name. This year, our tribe name was Issachar. The symbol for Issachar is the sun. The person who drew up the degel was Talia. The people in my cabin are Talia, Elie, Lilly, Shalom, Galaxy and Sherlock. Everyone helps with the degel. We did mountains, a sun and our tribe name in Hebrew. Also our tribe mascot is Sven. He’s a bear. Our flag was purple and we used a lot of green and gray, and we used blue for writing “Camp Gilgal.” The Camper of the Year will take the degel home. It was a lot of fun making the degel. I had a lot of paint on me afterwards.
Tyler H., Age 8
Tribe of Simeon
My name is Tyler. I am eight years old. I am going to tell you about the goods. First there are dry goods and wet goods. 
The wet goods are candy and foods. Last, the dry goods are toys like pool stuff, sunglasses, books, flags, noodles, goggles, jewelry and more.
More wet goods are gushers, popcorn, soda, gummy worms, Swedish fish and more. There are even more dry goods, but the sunglasses are awesome because 
they are the only ones like that in the world.
The best is we have a bank to hold our money and Esquire runs the bank. It is fun. After purchasing you can put money back into the bank. If you don’t have any money you can leave the store. At the end of camp you can leave and take the things you bought with you.
Abigail H., Age: 12
Tribe of Issachar
Camp is really fun! There are a lot of unique things to do like archery, but what I really enjoyed was bug hunting. It started out as catching little insects, but then we found a few toads. We named them Jumper, Frostin, and Toady Jones. Another day we caught a little frog. It was a couple inches long. We also kept catching junebugs and fireflies. I made a lot of really cool friends that also love bugs. Shout out to Bobo, Goliath, Shoshi, and Emily!
Dinah N.
Age 13
The giant swing is probably the best thing ever. It’s 25 feet in the air and you have to jump off. The climb is easy at first, but when you see how high you are, it gets scary and you start shaking. When you get to the top, they harness you in and then you jump. You feel so free with a spark of fear. As you swing back and forth you can do different poses like going upside down or sideways. “It was so scary and I was shaking so hard, but it was worth it,” says LaTanya, a fellow camper. “It was terrifying yet exciting,” says Elias.
My experience was really fun. When you are on top, you look down and the people look so small. The lady helping me get strapped in offered to pray for me. I think her praying for me gave me the courage to slide off the platform. As I look back, I’m really glad that I conquered my fear and I can’t wait until next year to do it again!
Daniel C., Age 9
Tribe of JudahMission Impossible is fun because the staff try to find you with flashlights and if they spot you, you have to go back to the cabin, and then you start over and you find clues and you have to do all this crazy stuff. PLUS you’re acting like a spy in black clothes and I like how you have to act like an army soldier and you can blend into the dark and that’s why I love Mission Impossible. I can’t wait for Mission Impossible because it is so fun and it’s my favorite thing about Camp Gilgal.
Jacob A., Age 15
Tribe of Dan
The Decathalon is either one of the funnest activities to do, or one of the worst. In this event we do ten individual games, competing in teams to win. The games consist of eating things and drinking things, all as fast as you can. These events are
made up of various physical and mental challenges, which can be bizarre and mind-boggling.
This year, the new events we had to do was that we had to eat saltine crackers and then whistle a tune, a very challenging event. We also had to stand on a tarp and had to flip the tarp, while all standing on it, which our team was not able to do.
The reason it’s one of the worst is due to the fact of having to run, compete, eat donuts as fast as you can, chug soda as fast as you can all after going full from dinner. The people not competing in it will laugh, though, and you’ll be laughing too.
The Decathalon is announced, usually as a surprise, right after dinner. After a full meal, we begin the competition. This becomes part of the fun, to see just how much a person can eat and drink. One tribe leader drank eight sodas in a matter of minutes. I love this special event and it is one of the biggest highlights of camp, and a very fond memory of camp.
Competing with other teams is a lot of the fun. I was on the team, the Orange Jews. I really liked the donut challenge (we won!). One of the other teams this year was “Chief and the Mollywops.”
Eliana W., Age 10
Tribe of Reuben
Camp Gilgal is so much fun! We play lots of games. My favorite game is Capture the Degel. Capture the Degel is a lot like Capture the Flag. If you don’t know how to play I will tell you. First you have two teams. Next you hide your degel (flag). After that the game begins. The object of the game is to get the other team’s flag without getting tagged. There’s no other camp better than Camp Gilgal!!!
Maddie H., Age: 12
Tribe of Simeon
Fairy Magic is where you make fairy wings, pixie dust, and crowns. We also did our makeup. It’s really fun. Fairy Magic is my favorite activity in Camp Gilgal and I know you’ll love it too because it’s so fun. You also get to know people better in Fairy Magic.
Noah L., Age 13
Tribe of Naphtali
This year, one of my favorite activities was basketball. I had a great time! I played basketball on Tuesday and Saturday. The staff on Tuesday were Swank and Diamond. On Friday, it was Scooter and Diamond.
On Tuesday, basketball was not easy because there were like thirty people and the floor was really difficult to run on because it was a weird type of hard wood. Diamond’s team won two straight games. Swank’s team won one game.
Saturday was completely different. We played outside, Scooter and Diamond were there and there were only about ten people. There was only one game, but it was very intense and well-played. The loading scorers were Colton with four points and me with twelve.
In my opinion ball-handling is the hardest part, but the best part of basketball. It enables me to look amazing while breaking the ankles of my opponent! (What I mean is, I dribble around their ankles so that they get distracted and trip.)
Basketball at Camp Gilgal is always something to look forward to. I love playing on a team and working together.
Lily H., Age 8
Tribe of Issachar
Mail Call is when Professor and Acorn hand out mail after dinner. They choose one camper to be the spinner. The spinner does a 360 spin and then flutters their arm in the air. They do that when a staff member gets mail. One night you even had to either dance or sing to get your mail. A few people made their whole tribe go up and dance. First they do the letters then they do the packages. I have gotten 16 letters and two packages. Whenever Professor or Acorn get mail, they run out of the door and run around to the other door. Before mail time Acorn and Professor pound on the tables. When all the letters are handed out, then comes the bonus round. In the beginning of bonus round you pound on the tables and when Professor drops his hand you have to neatly stop. Lots of times when your family sends packages they’re full of candy that you share with your cabin. I really love mail call.
Elliot K.
Age 14
Once upon a time, a knight saved a damsel in distress, but we will not get into that right now. We will partake in the experience of Capture the Degel. This is a game of strategy, adventure, and pure awesomeness.
This game involves strategy because you must plan before you act. For example, Geronimo had to find a suitable area to place his degel. He eventually put it in a place where there is road that no one goes down. There were also many trees. I needed strategy because I needed to plan how to get to the degel and avoid the girls. So I ended up going around near the flume. It required running and thinking on the spot. This is a very strategic game.
Adventure is another part of this game. Isaac, for example, heard Moose howling. Isaac believed it was a real wolf. This shows that even defense players can have adventures. For me, I was snooping around and hiding behind trees. This was partly because of a fear of jail. This is a very adventurous game.
This game had a few pure awesome moments. One of my awesome moments was when Andrew and I were hiding and we sneaked passed a bunch of girls. We were both as silent as possible. We passed them with no trace. Professor’s awesome moment was blocking Elias from the jail break. Professor was blocking a flying camper. He sacrificed his schnoz to protect the jail. There were a few awesome moments. This strategic, awe-inspiring, adventurous game was amazing. This was an awesome game.
Naomi W., Age 12
Tribe of Levi
Soccer is one of my favorite activities. In soccer, my friends and I play soccer games, World Cup, running activities, passing drills and much more. We even play Nukem sometimes. Soccer is such a fun sport activity and is an awesome way to go play outside and exercise. I love soccer and I’ve played it for several years. I like to play offense and go for the goal but there are a lot of fun positions like defense, goalie, midfield and more. So if you love soccer like I do then you should come to Camp Gilgal.
Elias B.
Age 14
Dyeing shirts was fun and an exciting experience. 
Before dyeing we had to tie a bunch of rubber bands around bundles of the shirt in order to make a pattern for the dye. To get the dye on the shirt we had to squirt it onto the shirt (from a bottle) and squeeze/rub it in. Once all of our shirts were done, there was a large abundance of different patterns all over the shirts and it looked like a bunch of hippies had come and sneezed all over countless amounts of white shirts. After I saw the outcome of them I thought, “Wow, that’s cool.” Dyeing shirts was really fun!
Get to Know the Camp Family
Alex J., Age 13
Tribe of NaphtaliFrom the peaceful soothing sound of the body of water and the glistening light hitting the water, boating is a great, fun and safe experience that is on the activities list for teen camp.
In my boating experience (and I went twice), both times were so fun and I learned so much about boating and the time you have on the water makes you feel like you are with your friends, and your thoughts and boating is a great activity.
Boating can be very intense. The first day I did canoeing, and we had races against the other boats. It was amazing. After the races, we paddled around the pond, and as we would get close to another canoe, we would get into a water fight. In the words of one of my fellow campers, “the thrill is real.”
It wasn’t all crazy, because it was also very relaxing and beautiful. Along the way to boating, we had to do “road procedure.” This is the thing we do to cross the street at camp, since the pond is on the other side of the road from our cabins. Twister also taught us about the parts of the paddle and how is actually works in the water. I learned a few things.
I picked boating randomly, but had a lot of fun and I am glad that I spent peaceful time on the water.
Nate L., Age: 11
Tribe of Judah
Fort Building is awesome. You are able to do a lot of stuff outdoors. Also we have a really strong tribe leader named Goliath that helps us carry logs. I even carried a tree. My friends and I are going to sleep in the fort. Maybe you can build and sleep in one, too!
Isaiah L., Age 11
Tribe of JudahI interviewed my tribe leader Stix and
asked him questions about his interests. He has been a tribe leader for two years. Also he has been to camp as a camper four times. His favorite food is Asian food. Also his favorite color is blue. He likes to play carpetball. He plays Borderlands 2, Halo Reach, and Rainbow Vegas 2. He has three siblings, two sisters and one brother. He does volleyball and wrestling. His favorite superhero is Superman. He surfs, cooks and hikes. He likes mustard better than ketchup. His favorite soda is Dr. Pepper. His favorite tribe leaders were Sonic and Onyx. He also likes Batman, and the Percy Jackson series.
Activities
Lizzy N., Age 12
Tribe of Asher
Streetlight started as a tribe leader at Camp Gilgal East. Her favorite part of camp on the East Coast was Sunbathing with Streetlight, where she taught campers how to put on sunscreen properly, when to flip, how to build the optimal sunbathing playlist, and how to choose the best head wearing accessory.
Her favorite part of being a tribe leader is getting to know the campers, talking about Yeshua (Jesus), and getting to be at camp even though she’s too old for it. Getting to see campers having fun and helping them know the Lord better is her favorite part of camp. Streetlight got her name because her ringtone was “Don’t Stop Believing,” and when she was picking out her name, someone was calling her, and it played, “Streetlight . . . “ And it turns out Moose was calling her! So she decided that was going to be her name. Her friends from Camp Gilgal East are Red Sox, Twister, Chickpea, Reptar, Strings, Madame, Tauros, etc. Her favorite thing about being a spotter in Mission Impossible is being really loud and goofy while other have to be quiet and stealthy. She loves being in camp whether it be in-cabin or out-of-cabin staff.
Her favorite night at camp is Sing and Dance for Your Mail Night, because she loves dance parties and it’s like a big dance party.
Bailey H., Age 9
Tribe of Reuben
Scout is an assistant tribe leader (ATL) at Camp Gilgal, and this is what she says about her camp years. Scout was ten years old when she started camp. Her first tribe leader was Bazooka. Her favorite camp was junior camp because there is more time. In junior camp you get two weeks and in teen camp you only get one. What she used to look forward to when she was in junior camp was the night games. Her favorite night game was Capture the Degel.
Some other camps that Scout has been to include Girl Scouts and church camps. At camp, Scout really likes the sarsaparilla at Columbia. Also, some care packages she got at junior camp were some Girl Scout cookies and Fritos. Scout has never had her birthday during camp. Scout has been in the cabin Fiddletown the most. Yadi, Toto and Sherlock were in her cabin when she was a camper. Acorn was Scout’s ATL her last year of junior camp.
The End.
Daniel C., Age 14
Tribe of Dan
From the intense firefights to the long-range stand-offs, paintball was a great way to build friendships, strengthen communication skills and just flat out have an unbeatable time. Located across the road leading up to camp, the wooded course was very ideal for everything from team death match, to Blackhawk Down. Besides the range in game types the course had adequate cover. Paintball is also a great way to relieve unwanted stress. All in all, I would consider this time well spent!
Even though paintball seems extremely intense it is suitable for most people who are just looking to have a great time.
Although I was very unnerved
during my first round, I very quickly overcame it and was able to enjoy my time to the fullest. When I look back on that day I am so happy I took part in this fun and adventurous activity. Through the pre-game attack strategy, we had great teambuilding discussion and during the game, there was vital communication while moving to cover, so that I wouldn’t be caught in the cross-fire.
Isaac H.
Age 13
At Camp Gilgal, there is a staple game that must be played to complete the camp experience. We always have to play Wells Fargo. The basis of the game is stealing bags of gold from the tribe leaders, who are the faithful and loyal Wells Fargo agents. Each bag is hidden by an agent and defended by them. We campers have to run up and steal the bags without getting tagged. If you get tagged, you must return to the hideout for the campers, who are nicknamed “outlaws,” for 100 seconds. When the whistle blows, you run out and search for the bags. The second time the whistle blows, you return to the outlaw hideout to count the stolen gold bags. If the outlaws have more bags, they win. The amount of rounds we play depends on how late we start the game.
This year at teen camp, we played two rounds of Wells Fargo in the woods. The staff took advantage of the dark woods and prepared some jump-scares. I sadly fell for them a couple of times, but overall, it was still an enjoyable game.
Wells Fargo is a great time for running and awesomeness. I can’t wait for next year to steal those bags of gold!
Elijah Y., Age 11
Tribe of Dan
My interview was on Heimlich. He is the assistant tribe leader (ATL) for the tribe of Dan. He first came to camp in the year 2007. He said the reason he became an ATL was because he enjoyed camp so much that he had to come back. His favorite activity is cabin cleanup. His reasoning behind this is that it gives competition to regular cleanup. His favorite year of junior camp was his first year because everything was so new.
There are other new things I learned about Heimlich. His favorite color is green. His favorite thing to do outside of camp is hang out with his friends. He named himself after the caterpillar in “A Bug’s Life.”
This is everything I learned in my interview. Some was new and some I knew but it overall increased my knowledge of Heimlich.
Adelaide M., Age: 11
Tribe of Simeon
My favorite activity at camp was Mad Science. It was fun because I got to make something called Gooblek. That was awesome! Each day of Mad Science we did a different project. The staff will always help if you need it. Some of my favorite projects were making gigantic bubbles with hula hoops. We put cornstarch in a large container and added soap and water. Then we mixed it around. Finally we dipped the entire hula hoop in and held it by the sides. We pulled it out slowly and blew lightly to make a bubble. The bubbles were huge! To make the gooblek was very easy. We used a lot of cornstarch with a little bit of water and mixed it around till it felt hard. When you pick it up it melts in your hands. That was my favorite activity.
Monique L., Age 12
Tribe of Asher
This year I decided to interview a tribe leader, so I thought, “Who better than one of my own tribe leaders, Toto?” So once I got 
approval, I started interviewing her.
The first question I asked was, “What is your favorite part of camp?” Her answer surprised me a little bit: “When the campers arrive! Because I like all the excitement, the patting on the windows of the cars, meeting new campers, greeting old ones, and seeing who’s going to be in my cabin.” She has been going to Camp Gilgal for seven years. After further prying I found out that for her first year she was in the tribe of Asher and had Bazooka and Hoops as her tribe leaders.
So moving on to more personal, less camp-related topics, I asked her if she had any pets, and her answer was quite lengthy: horses, chickens, dogs, a guinea pig, a bunny (her word usage, not mine), a cockatiel, and a fish. That’s eight different kinds of pets! When I asked her what her favorite genre of movies/TV shows was, she answered “Romantic comedies and action.” Also her favorite piece of clothing is her prom dress. Her hobbies are singing, harp, cheerleading, shopping (hardcore), going to museums, and working with kids.
In conclusion Toto is a pretty awesome, kind, and fun-loving tribe leader that loves to work with kids. Everyone seems to love Toto and I personally hope she continues to be a staff member at Camp Gilgal.
Claire C., Age 9
Tribe of Reuben
Acorn has one sibling, who is Bazooka. She has two cats, Dodger and 
Rosie. Acorn enjoyed being a camper, then being a tribe leader most about camp. She is very adventurous, joyful, spontaneous, loving and fun at her home in San Francisco.
Acorn’s favorite color is the wonderful sea foam blue. Her first year of camp as a camper was 2002. Acorn was born July 9th. She was raised all her life in San Francisco.
Acorn is not allergic to anything. And finally, Acorn’s favorite candy is York Peppermints. Acorn is very pretty and much fun to be around all the time. She makes you happy, and helps if you are hurting.
The End!
Jonathan P., Age 10
Tribe of SimeonMy name is Jonathan; I’m interviewing Yamaha in the tribe of Simeon. Yamaha attended camp for four years. His favorite camp game is Capture the Degel and he is best at Mission Impossible. His favorite color is blue. His favorite thing from the store is popcorn, and he started playing piano in kindergarten. The first tribe he was in was Simeon. He won first place in M.I. in his first year at camp! His favorite free time activity is music. His favorite subject in school is math, and his favorite sport is high diving. Yamaha’s very favorite lanyard is a one that can change shape. And his favorite home activity is sleeping. He’s an interesting person.
Laney P., Age 12
Tribe of Manasseh
Yadi is my ATL (Assistant Tribe Leader) and I chose to interview her because she is funny and very understanding. This is her first year as staff so together we are learning new things about camp.
Yadi has been going to camp for nine years. She first heard of camp from friends who have been a part of Jews for Jesus all their lives. The first tribe that she was in was Judah, then Asher, then Manasseh, then Naphtali and last Simeon. She has one younger brother and one older sister who have both gone to camp.
Her favorite activity is going to Columbia and her favorite game is Wells Fargo. She first learned about sarsaparilla at Columbia during camp. She now loves sarsaparilla and will get some this year too. These are some of the reasons why I love Yadi.
Danny G., Age 12
Tribe of DanThis year at Camp Gilgal there is a visitor that we have never seen before. Let’s start out with her name—her name is Polaroid. She is a professional photographer and videographer. Her favorite things to film are people and what they like to do and where they come from. She has been working for Jews for Jesus for about one year.
If you are looking for her you would usually find her behind a tree or just out of the blue. She came to Camp Gilgal to make a promotional video. She also is really fun to talk to. Her favorite kind of camera to film or take pictures with is Canon. She made a video of the cheerleading crew with the song “Eye of the Tiger.” It is so funny and awesome. If you were to see it you would get a laugh out of it. Trust and believe me.
Camp Traditions
Erica B., Age 10
Tribe of Reuben
Hello! My name is Erica and this is an article about Galaxy. My first question I asked her was how she got her name. She responded in an excited and cheerful way, that she loved the idea of space. Her life and family time will be in this article. Her opinions and facts will be answered here. Galaxy doesn’t have a favorite color but she says she really likes pink. Her favorite snack is hot cheetos, and her f
avorite candy is Sour Patch Kids. Galaxy’s favorite activity here at Camp Gilgal is the pool.
Here are the facts about Galaxy. Galaxy has four dogs named Mezzy, Shelby, Trent and Choo-choo. She has four siblings, two sisters and two brothers. I asked her what her favorite camp was, and her choices were Wonderful Winter Weekend or Camp Gilgal summer camp. And she said summer camp! She started Camp Gilgal at the age of twelve and that changed the perspective in her life…in a good way.
These are her facts and opinions:
Galaxy’s favorite food is stir fry because it’s healthy. Her favorite dessert is chocolate chip ice cream. Galaxy’s favorite sport is basketball, because she’s very good at dribbling. Her favorite animals are dogs and horses. She loves the movie Sound of Music because she loves the characters’ beautiful voices. Her goal in life is to have a deeper walk with God so she can have strong faith in Him. Galaxy’s hardest question she was ever asked was, what her favorite role model was. She couldn’t answer that question. Her favorite Disney character is Christoph, because he’s funny. And, her best memory of her childhood was vacations with her family.
Trent F., Age 1
Tribe of Benjamin
When I was told to go to the minivan I was confused, because I didn’t know where we were going and I was running late. We were going horseback riding! Arriving at the ranch, I got excited yet frightened, but it was fun. The horse was so nice! I rode Aspen. We went on a trail ride and Taco and Strider were the staff that came with us. At the end of the ride we saw a spectacular view. This is one of my favorite activities and I know you will enjoy it when you come to camp.
Avi T., Age: 12
Tribe of Benjamin
Camp Gilgal is really fun! One of the things I like about Camp Gilgal is that we made a big mess. First we put a tiny hole on each side of a bunch of eggs. We drained the yolk from all of the eggs. Next, we rinsed the eggs in water. Then we put them on a rock so they could dry. Last but not least we filled them with paint. Then we threw them at a banner to make our camp flag.
Alyssa C., Age 13
Tribe of Asher
Fort building is a fun activity where you build a fort out of mattresses and a tarp. We first started out by taking mattresses out of our cabins and took them out by the field. By the field we have a circle of picnic tables and flipped them over for the walls of the fort. Then, we laid out all of the mattresses on the ground as the floor. The last step was to put a bit white tarp over the whole fort.
As soon as the fort was finished, all of the campers piled into the fort and relaxed (including Longshanks who took up most of the fort!). Everyone hung out inside the fort as we talked about the fun memories we had at camp over the past years. One of the memories that we talked about was from 2012 when Eden, Sierra, Abby, Sivan, Yael and I were in the tribe of Judah. That was one of the best years for everyone in that tribe because we were the best tribe ever! This was because all of us got along so well and we were really crazy. Also, we had the best tribe times and had awesome staff – Chickpea and Bologna! It was great to remember and see how we’ve grown together.
Fort building was a very fun and relaxing second activity.
Mekerah P., Age 12
Tribe of AsherPar-Par chose her name because she knew that parpar is a butterfly in Hebrew, and butterflies are important to her so she wanted to incorporate it. Par-Par discovered camp when she met Brickhouse and Dynamite. Her dad is a believer in Jesus and her mom is not. Dynamite wanted Par-Par to come to camp to be a nanny for Norah and that is why she came. She is out-of-cabin staff because she is with Norah. On Mission Impossible night Par-Par was having fun with the ladies and she didn’t want them to figure out that it was M.I night.
Simona B., Age 12
Tribe of Zebulun
One day, during tribe time, we had an activity where we tie-dyed plain white T-shirts. There were many different designs to do and many different colored dyes. It was so much fun!
The design I chose was stripes. All you do is fold the shirt back and forth like you would make a fan. Then you tie it off in sections and use different colored dye in the sections. Mine did not turn out so well because I did not use enough dye, but the spiral shirts that other people did turned out really well.
Everyone’s shirt was different; there were no two of the same. Everyone used different colors, designs, etc. Some of the designs include spiral, stripes and bullseyes. They all turned out super cool and super colorful! The reason they were all different is because every camper is different. We all like different colors, designs, techniques, etc. One reminder: wear gloves! Some people forgot this step and they had rainbow colored hands for three days.
Gavin R., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin
Using horses is an old way, but more fun way to get around. Yom sussim is Hebrew for Horse Riding Day. It happened on Shabbat. We can ride them fast or slow. Horses are my second favorite animal. Yom 
sussim is my favorite day of Camp Gilgal because I love horses. The horse I rode was named Arie, and she was female. We went riding them around Camp Pinnacle. Older kids ride on a trail in the forest, but younger kids are in a corral. Horse Day was a lot of fun and a great experience.
Only At Camp
Emeth P.
Age 15Cabin cleanup is often a time where campers can demonstrate their cleaning skills. Most campers will usually spend a portion of their time between breakfast and lunch cleaning their cabins. After the cabin is cleaned the cabin inspector will seek out possible problems with the cleanliness of the cabins. Often the cabin will not be completely clean and the inspector will proceed to give the cabin infractions. Cabins are required to average a score of 85 on cabin cleanup to go to a party towards the end of camp.
Occasionally a cabin will attempt to bribe the inspector. Very often, the inspector will come across a carefully placed note and candy trying to sway the inspector to get them a score of 100. Our inspector says that the closest cabin with the most successful bribe involved a moose novelty. Although the inspector “Moose” would have liked to take the bribe, he had to remain fair. Cabin cleanup is a great way for campers to experience responsibility and clean their cabins.
Taliah S.
Age 13
My name is Taliah and I am in the cabin of Sprout and Bazooka. Tribe time and devotions are a couple of the most important things at camp; everybody at camp always says that once you come to camp you are a member of the camp family. This time is what really makes that true. I have been going to camp since before I was born, but this my first year of teen camp. So far I am loving it!
I think that at teen camp, tribe time is more important because we have less time together. During my tribe’s devotion time we always start with looking in the tin. The tin is a huge coffee can that the people in my cabin can put questions or subjects in. When we have devotions, we try to answer the questions or just talk about the subject that was put in the tin. One night we got to talk a lot about one of the questions that was put in the tin before doing our devotion. We all added to the subject and talked about God’s perspective on the subject. I really think that this conversation helped the person who asked the question. In all, tribe time and devotions are the most fun and most significant time that a tribe at camp will share together.
Sarai M., Age 13
Tribe of Asher
Heinz got her name because she really likes ketchup. Her favorite things to do are hike, watch funny TV shows, and read. I really like to read, too! Heinz is from the East Coast. Her favorite game as a camper was Cap’n, Sailor, Gunner. Her favorite comic strips are Calvin and Hobbes, Bloom County and her favorite book is Everything is Illuminated. Her favorite part of being a tribe leader is telling the campers what to do. Just kidding! Her favorite part is leading us in devotions. Heinz has been a tribe leader for four years, and she prefers being a faithful and loyal Wells Fargo agent to being an outlaw. I think I would, too.
She got Camper of the Year every year. At Camp Gilgal East every time someone gets a package they have to sing for it! On the East Coast instead of Tribe of the Year they have a certain amount of points that you want to reach and it you do, your cabin gets to go to a party. Heinz is very funny and I like her a lot. A couple of days ago Heinz made up a song to the tune of “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” except it was about ketchup! I love you, Heinz.
Erik A., Age 10
Tribe of Judah
On July 2, after lunch we were about to enter a moment of my life that changed my life. We were entering the “pool of edge.” As I entered the pool it was freezing. Even so I couldn’t resist it. Then Baby Carrots came out of nowhere and asked me if I wanted to learn to swim. I said yes. At first I thought I couldn’t do it. It was sort of awkward. But actually my thoughts were wrong and my body was right. In 20 minutes or less I learned many things. I felt perfect. I felt so proud of myself. Today I want to do it more and more! But most of all, I want to thank Baby Carrots because she helped me. THANK YOU, Baby Carrots!!
Naomi W., Age 12
Tribe of ZebulunRockwall at Camp Gilgal is so much fun. It’s in the gymnasium so there’s lots of awesome activities to do like basketball, soccer, volleyball, Nukem and more, but that’s if you have a basketball, soccer ball, or volleyball. The rockwall is split into three parts, the easy, the medium and the hard. The easy wall is easy because it has a lot of rocks to grab. The middle level wall is actually higher than the first and has fewer rocks. The hard wall has the least number of handholds out of all of them. I’ve climbed the different rockwalls and they are so much fun and my favorite is the hardest one. Rockwall shows how strong and smart you are. So, if you’re like me and you love climbing things then come to rockwall at Camp Gilgal.
Ali H., Age: 9
Tribe of Levi
When I got to camp I was taught a game called gaga ball. I had never played it before, but I tried it anyways. The first time I played everyone was out except for me and a tribe leader. He beat me, but I kept playing and got really good at it. I encourage anyone to go to Camp Gilgal. You will learn a lot about God here, and it’s fun. I hope you are able to make it to this awesome
Nathan B., Age 11
Tribe of Judah
Professor loves camp. He likes carpetball but he’s a little rusty. Also he loves his tribe, which is Dan. He likes Yale University (where he studies) but it is far away. He also reads for fun, and only plays basketball at camp but likes it.
He loves to swim and he is a good driver. He drives a Honda Odyssey. He does like food at camp. He loves chicken fingers; he is not a big fan of Dr. Pepper. The reason he picked the name Professor is because he likes school.
He loves God a lot since he was eight years old. He loves swimming; he was eight when he started going to Camp Gilgal. He loves soup.
Ephraim L., Age
|Tribe of Judah
Movie Night is when we bring our sleeping bags into the mishkan and then we watch the movie. During the movie they will pause the movie and we will get snacks. The movie we watched this year is “How to Train your Dragon.” Now I want to watch number two. My favorite snacks are gold fish, Doritos, toffee, and Fanta. It was a great movie. We always have Tabernacle before movie night. We talked about the kings of Israel and I liked it.
Jacob S.
Age 14
Due to dry conditions we have fireless campfires. Fireless campfires have a special place in my heart. I love the worship and the testimonies from the Camp Gilgal staff. 
Professor said, “It makes me sad that there is no smoke in my eyes while we are worshiping. It also saddens me because I miss the smell and warmth of the fire on my body. I also miss the sweet taste of marshmallows.” Elias explains, “I love the campfires. They remind me of camp!”
One of the testimonies that stood out to me was Speedy’s. Speedy’s testimony was about how he was alone for a portion of his life, then he met God and his loneliness went away. To me, that is amazing that as soon as he met Jesus, he wasn’t lonely anymore. That is why I love going to fireless campfires.
Olivia T., Age: 8
Tribe of LeviMy favorite activity at camp was Hebrew class. We got to sing songs and learn the Hebrew alphabet. It was so much fun! Scooby Jones was nice, funny, and gave us snacks!
Mariya A.; Age 13
Tribe of Zebulun
I’ve never been whitewater rafting ever before, but this year was my best experience of it. At first, I was really nervous and shaking. According to all the instructions given from my raft’s guide, it seemed like I was definitely going to fall in the water from the boat. Our guide led us through the whole trip on water.
Maybe I am wrong, but I think that our guide was the best. There was this one moment where this other group’s boat got stuck on a rock and with Alex’s (that’s our guide) brave attitude he got out of the boat and went through the woods and got the other group out of their trouble. Besides, my group was 
the lead group for the day, and all the other groups followed us.
The fact that I can’t swim was really frightening to me. I really didn’t want to fall out of the boat because then I would be in really big trouble, which seems even scarier. The best thing was that my group’s guide was able to keep every person in my group safe. When we were halfway over the trip, Alex made sure everyone in my group had comfortable seating and let us relax. Therefore, he did the rest of the paddling all by himself. I am not sure if it is true, but Alex told us that it was his first time doing this kind of thing, which was actually making everyone so look forward to our water trip. I had the best experience of whitewater rafting ever. Not only did I have a bunch of fun, but I had a growth in my courage and felt more brave.
Emmanuel R.
Age 14
During and after we eat we have certain traditions here at camp. One of them is “benching.” We do benching after lunch. Benching is where we slam our palms and say a Hebrew prayer. At dinner, 
we usually have dessert (yum!) and then there is “Mail Callllllll!” Mail Call is when we get packages and letters from our parents, grandparents etc. Most of the time it’s letters, and sometimes it’s a care package (usually full of candy) and a small note. I have yet to receive one! We also have cabin inspection, where our cabins are checked for disorder, trash, or an environmental attack!
During lunch we can sit with other cabins. All in all, eating is important but it can be fun with other people, especially at camp. Camp isn’t just about campfires and bug spray; it’s about the camp food.
Eliana W., Age 10
Tribe of Reuben
One of my favorite times of the day is swim time. We swim almost every day after lunch. My favorite thing to do is try to get Hiccup’s sunglasses which is so much fun. I usually swim for about an hour and a half. I also like to swim laps which are also fun. You should go to Camp Gilgal to swim and have lots of fun.
Lydia C., Age 15
Tribe of Judah
Paintballing was super fun this year. I had a blast! Last year, I was scared out of my mind the whole time. I just sat behind a wall and prayed that I wouldn’t be shot. But this year, I got so into it. I felt like a sniper while I was sliding behind platforms and hiding behind trees and shooting anything I saw.
I also got really dirty and gross but I did no’t care at all because it was the funnest 
thing ever. I’m sad that I won’t be able to do it next year because this is my last year of teen camp.
My friend Kaylie accidentally shot me though. We were on the same team and I ran up in front of her without telling her while she was still shooting and she shot me in the leg from like two feet away. It hurt at first, but not for long.
We were playing this one game called “Blackhawk Down” and we had to shoot one person on the other team, which was Swank. Swank’s marines were protecting him. After we shot all the marines, they told Swank that he had to run for it and once he got up to run, we all started shooting at him and he fell in the river and got all wet and muddy. It was hilarious.
This year after paintballing, I learned to be fearless because there was really nothing to be afraid of. I hope that I will take that lesson with me and use it in the future.
Hannah B., Age: 12
Tribe of Simeon
Capture the Counselor is an all-camp activity where all of the staff act like animals and hide in the woods. The goal of the game was to find them and bring them back. Kimchi was a turtle that hid in her “shell” when anyone made any sudden movements. Bobo was a kangaroo that would box you if you approached her from the front. Swank was a songbird that you would have to sing campfire songs to get him to come with you. Tiptoe was a spitting llama that would spit and run away if you got too close. At the end everybody did well. It turned out to be a great camp experience.
Zemeira W., Age 12
Tribe of Manasseh
Moose is the funny, sweet director of Camp Gilgal West, though he loves all of the camps that Jews for Jesus does. We play a lot of games during Camp Gilgal and his favorite is Capture the Degel. He sings a lot of songs when he is in jail to get help and to entertain himself. One year he got poison oak in his eye but it didn’t hurt, it was just uncomfortable.
He likes sushi, ice water with lemon, and he doesn’t have a favorite ice cream but he likes Moose Tracks. His favorite colors are brown and blue and his favorite dinner theme is Utensil Night. He doesn’t have a favorite song but he really likes “How Great Thou Art.” His favorite candy is dark chocolate with almonds. His favorite cartoon characters are the Roadrunner and the Coyote. His comment on camp names is, “If it fits you, wear it.”
He made camp for young Jewish people to grow closer to Yeshua (Jesus)as their Messiah and to meet other young Jewish believers.
Mekerah P.
Age 13
During teen camp one afternoon all the campers participated in an activity called, “the panel.” The panel is a group of staff consisting of Speedy, Bazooka, Rocky, Moose and several others. During the time designated for the panel, campers wrote down many different questions. When everyone was done writing their questions, Moose collected them and gave them to the panel to answer.
The first question was about heaven. The panel answered it to the best of their ability and then were handed another question on the same topic. While the panel was answering these questions, multiple campers started asking new questions about heaven. After a little while, the discussion ended, but there is always next time!
Halie F., Age 7
Tribe of Reuben
Today was great! It was Shabbat and Elliot’s birthday and the Fourth of July. We had so much fun. We had chips, popcorn, soda, and animal crackers. We watched a movie and we were in our PJs and pillows and sleeping bags. We had cake, and Elliot is 12. We watched How to Train your Dragon. It was great!
Love, Halie
Sophia M., Age 11
Tribe of Manasseh
Dynamite is our camp nurse. She was once a tribe leader and before that she was a camper. She’s gone to campfires like us, played the same games, and she’s sat at the same tables we’ve sat at we sit at.
She came to Camp Gilgal when she was ten years old. On Feed Your Friend Night, that’s when she fed Squirt and they are friends to this day. One of Dynamite’s favorite night games as a camper was Wells Fargo. And when I asked her what her tribe was her first year as staff, she said Manasseh, too!! One of her favorite parts of camp was making new friends.
Dynamite has an older sister, an older brother, and a twin brother. Her twin brother also went to camp. She met Brickhouse at Camp Gilgal when she was ten years old but they started dating when they were 16. Then they got married and had Norah, a two year old that is the cutest girl in the world. Norah loves Elmo and Frozen.
I’m so glad that Dynamite came to camp again. She’s so sweet and I hope she comes back next year!
Lily C., Age: 10
Tribe of Issachar
One of the most fun Camp Gilgal traditions is the Oy-limpics. What the Oy-limpics is a series of fun games that includes the campers and the staff. One of the games we played was sticking your feet in a bucket of ice and picking out jelly beans with your toes. Another one was wrapping your tribe leader with toilet paper. My favorite thing that we did was spreading shaving cream all over our staff and throwing cheese balls at their face! Everything was really fun but super messy! By the end I had egg all over my bag and shaving cream on my shirt. No matter what happens it is one of the most thing things to look foward to at Camp Gilgal.
Kaylie L., Age 15
Tribe of Judah
This year one of the activities was soccer. We played several games and each game was extremely close. I played goalie for one of the games, which I don’t usually play and made some pretty amazing saves. Making these saves made me feel really happy that I was capable of doing things in soccer that was not just playing in the field.
Each camper got really into the games and we all ended up having a great time. In the whole group that played soccer there were some skilled soccer and some not as skilled players. The staff also got really into the games. Playing, refereeing and playing as fans we had Swank, Watson, Goliath and
Baby Carrots. Goliath was definitely the MVP for the staff. He was the strongest and most enthusiastic out of all of the staff. All of the campers had an awesome time and we all got super into the games. Playing in the fields brought our camp together in that we all worked on teamwork together while having fun.
The teamwork that was developed was really awesome because we learned that we only had t o know each other for a day and we could work together well. Playing soccer at Camp Gilgal was so much fun.
Vika S.
Age 15
The first night of camp is always exciting, from moving into your cabins, to meeting new people, and talking with camp friends. This year after dinner we were all instructed to go get closed toed shoes, bug spray, and water. This made us question what we would be doing next. When the whistles blew we were all led to the field. That was when Heinz announced that we would be playing many fun games. First, we started with a game by the name of Cat and Mouse. However, this game did not in fact include any real mice or cats. The way the game is played is everyone but two people gets into groups of two by linking arms. The two who did not get paired up were the cat and mouse. The assigned cat must chase the mouse and if the mouse is caught, the roles are reversed. However, the mouse can run and link arms in one of the groups of two but the person on the end must now take the mouse’s place. We 
played this for a while, and we even added in two extra cats and mice.
Once this game was over we played the great game of Boston, Baltimore, or Buffalo. This game involves the use of three sections of the field. Each section goes by the name of Boston, Baltimore, or Buffalo. When Heinz called out one of the three, we must run to the correct section and not be the last one or else you’re out. But everyone had to be careful because if Heinz yelled out “subway,” everyone must hit the deck. After we boiled down to the last campers, Skye was eventually the winner.
Next, Speedy sat us all down and talked a little about the World Cup. He came up with a challenge for us in which both the men’s and the ladies’ side chose three representatives for a flopping contest. Now, what is a flop you ask? A flop is when a person pretends to be very injured after making it seem as if they were tripped or pushed. A panel of judges was formed and we would be given points for how well the flop was executed with possible extra points for using foreign languages. In the end, the men won the flopping contest for their extreme flops. Following this we tried to say “goal” for as long as we could and eventually had two campers face off.
Lastly, we played a round of steal the kosher bacon, which was actually more like steal the shoe. People were put in a line on each end of the field and numbered off. In the middle was a shoe and then someone would call out a number and that number from each side would tried to bring the show back by “whatever means necessary.” Sometimes even multiple numbers would be called out. This is the way our first game night went and everyone had lots of fun.
Hannah K., Age 11
Tribe of Levi
This year one of my activities was Mad Science. My favorite experiment was putting Mentos in Diet Coke. When the Mentos were dropped in the Diet Coke it exploded!! Geysers look similar but work differently. Geysers are made up of hot steam. The steam mixes with the water and explodes up! If you ever go to camp, sign up for Mad Science!
Abigail H., Age: 12
Tribe of Issachar
Hi everyone, this is my second time at sleep-away camp and I’ve learned a lot about what to bring. First, bring a lot of extra clothes because you will get dirty. Today we put paint in eggs and I got egg all over my shirt. Don’t bring any electronics because they will be confiscated. Don’t ask for the time, instead ask how many minutes till the next activity. Also, bring flashlights and extra batteries because our cabins have no electricity and it gets really dark at night. Camp is so fun!
Staff at Camp
Zoe N., Age 11
Tribe of ManassehI chose Brickhouse for my article because he is nice and funny. This year he is a part of the CIC. The CIC stands for Cabin Inspection Cheerleaders, and they inspect our cabins. Brickhouse is also our worship leader. His wife’s name is Dynamite and he has one child named Norah.
Brickhouse has been going to Camp Gilgal since 1997. Brickhouse’s name was suggested on his first day of camp and it was his first year. His tribe leader who suggested his name was Sush-Dogg. Brickhouse loves all the night games at camp, especially Capture the Degel. But as staff he likes meeting the campers and seeing them grow in Yeshua. Brickhouse loves to play the electric guitar, and he has been playing
the guitar for 13 years.
Brickhouse loves sarsaparilla so much that in his first year he bought a whole case of it. Brickhouse’s sister Snapple first came to camp in 1999. Brickhouse was in the tribe of Judah the year when he first came to camp, and their tribe won Tribe of the Year. Brickhouse came to teen camp in 2001. Brickhouse did go to adventure camp, he went all the way through to 2007. He was also a tribe leader at junior and teen camp.
Madison H., Age 12
Tribe of Manasseh
For my article I decided to write about my tribe leader, T-Rex. I chose to write about her because she has been in my tribe for two years. I also like T-Rex because she is really funny.
Did you know that T-Rex’s favorite color is purple? Well it is! I found out that she likes sarsaparilla more than 1,000,000,000 times that number. T-Rex’s favorite part about camp is Columbia and being with campers. She loves Wells Fargo but playing as staff. And did you know that T-Rex’s favorite song is “One Thing Remains”?
Also T-Rex loves water polo because she is trying out for her college team. You will never believe what T-Rex’s favorite things from the Gilgal store are. They are the wet goods which are sodas, Otter Pops, Mountain Dew and Sour Patch Kids. T-Rex’s brother Stix told me that T-Rex loves ranch dressing so much. One time she put ranch on her blueberry muffin. That is why I chose to write about T-Rex.
Rachel H., Age 10
Tribe of Levi
Imagine this: you’re at Camp Gilgal 2014. Twister passes around the sign-up sheets for activities. You see the word Claymation and go, “Oh, yeah.” What you just read was what happened to me. The next day, I was really excited for my first time in Claymation. Imagine my surprise when I walked into the room and only five campers 
were there! And they were sculpting figures with Play-Doh! But day by day, I made more and more characters and—finally—on Friday, we each made a video using our characters. My movie was about a girl taking a ride on a giant duck. Then the duck gets turned into a fish by the pond fairy. The duck-fish goes underwater, and the girl has to swim to the shore to get out. It was really fun, and I’m definitely doing Claymation next year!
Colton Z., Age 14
Tribe of Levi
After lunch each day, three staff members would go to the front of the dining hall and basically tell their stories. At the end we would ask three questions and how we could pray for them. It made me more comfortable knowing their background and it was easier to talk to them. They go through their lives, childhood, time at Camp Gilgal, and funny stories. They talk about how their walk with God was, is and hopefully will be. I enjoyed listening to them and I can’t wait to hear more. It made it easier for us as campers to realize where our walks with God are going. It takes courage to get up in front of many campers and staff and tell your story and your standing with beliefs. They all have courage and I respect all of them.
Anna A., Age: 12
Tribe of Issachar
Hi I’m Anna! Today I’m going to talk about my Hebrew class. I’m in the second level class for Hebrew, and we call it Beit class. My class is really fun! We sing songs in Hebrew. We also have a booklet that we work on every day. I’m really far along. The teachers name is Scooby Jones and Gus helps him. They are so nice and funny. The only catch is that you have to understand the Hebrew vowels. I hope you enjoy Hebrew like me.
Andrew A.
Age 13Tabernacle happens in the early morning so we can spend time with God before the fun and crazy-filled day. It’s so awesome to gather with a bunch of believers to sing, worship, and pray. To start off, Streetlight does the best guitar playing. Then Moose comes up and either talks or introduces other staff to talk about the story of their lives.
We are learning and memorizing Philippians 2:5-11. Our theme for 2014 is being a servant. When we are studying, the verse we have the “memory verse crew” which consists of Professor, Geronimo, Bazooka and Acorn. Then, Streetlight comes back up and plays more worship. Then we pray and end Tabernacle. That’s it! Shalom.
Elizabeth R., Age 11
Tribe of Manasseh
Poppins is our camp mom. She helps us when we are sick, homesick or just if we need a hug. She’ll drive us to the doctor’s office if we need to go. She is always there for me when I need her.
When I was talking to Poppins, I found out many different things about her. One of the things I found out was that she’s been coming to camp for eight years. Her favorite part of camp, like Moose, is the campers. She got her camp name by bringing a big bag of supplies for the campers and staff, so they called her Mary Poppins but Poppins stuck. She has no words to describe how much she loves camp.
Her favorite theme night is Super Hero Night because she loves capes. Her favorite colors are any of the colors that the camp shirts have been printed on. I also asked her what her favorite animal was she said, “puppies, oh, and kittens – well, I guess I like all baby animals, even baby skunks. I love cuteness.” And that’s why I love Poppins so much.
Jackson H., Age: 12
Tribe of BenjaminEvery day we clean our cabins. Everyone makes their bed first. After that we start picking up our clothes. Next our tribe makes sure the cabin is completely clean. After we’ve swept the floor, cleaned the restrooms, and straightened our shoes we are done. Next our cabin gets inspected. After lunch we get a score. The people inspecting the cabins change. Most tribes will make notes for the inspector, but if a different person inspects the cabins you get points off. Cabin cleanup is always fun.
Penina S., Age 11
Tribe of LeviFor pool time, you get an option of swimming or playing games, such as table tennis or air hockey in the game room. Pool time is about an hour. Pool time is valuable to me because on the days we are allowed to go into the pool, the weather is hot. On days like that the pool water is very refreshing. The pool goes seven feet deep at the deepest point in the pool. Pool time is awesome!
Hannah M., Age 14
Tribe of Judah
Not everyone who comes to Camp Gilgal is Jewish. Strider is a Gentile tribe leader at Camp Gilgal East. I decided to interview him about what it is like to be in such a strong Jewish community. I asked him what the hardest part in being in a Jewish community was and he answered that it was the culture shock, not knowing much Hebrew and also not knowing some of the Jewish traditions like keeping Shabbat. Also I asked him what was the most important thing he learned from the campers. He replied that it was the open-mindedness. Being able to ask questions about the Scripture that he has never thought about asking before. The last question I asked him was how has coming to Camp Gilgal affected his faith. He told me that being able to come into an environment where he had nothing but God to think about made his faith become stronger. He was able to meditate and think about the Scripture without being distracted by the stress from this world. Having activities and being able to read your Bible removes all those distractions. Camp Gilgal was a great way to learn to grow and trust God.