God Will Gather Us and Bring Us Home

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elizabeth R., Age 11
Tribe of Simeon

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

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

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

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

Elijah Y., Age 12
Tribe of Gad

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

Nathan B., Age 12
Tribe of Gad

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

Samuel C., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin

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

Isaiah L., Age 12
Tribe of Gad

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

Carrie M., Age 11
Tribe of Simeon

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

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

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

Sarah M., Age 9
Tribe of Judah

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

Elijah Y., Age 12
Tribe of Gad

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

Erica B., Age 11
Tribe of Asher

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

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

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

Claire C., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ahava M., Age 8
Tribe of Issachar

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

Channah A., Age 8
Tribe of Issachar

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

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

Michael K., Age 13
Tribe of Gad

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

Bailey H., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

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

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

Persaeus B., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

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

Claire C., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

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

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

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

Talia W., Age 9
Tribe of Judah

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

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

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

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

Jonathan P., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin

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

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

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

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

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

Tyler H., Age 9
Tribe of Dan

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

Conner M., Age 8
Tribe of Dan

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

Isaac P., Age 9
Tribe of Dan

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

Interview with Yamaha:

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

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

Tyler H., Age 9
Tribe of Dan

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

Bailey H., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

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

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

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

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

Carrie M., Age 11
Tribe of Simeon

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

Elisheva M., Age 10
Tribe of Judah

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

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

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

Shalom M., Age 9
Tribe of Judah

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

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

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

Rebecca S., Age 8
Tribe of Issachar

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

Talia W., Age 9
Tribe of Judah

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

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

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

Sarah M., Age 9
Tribe of Judah

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

Raina W., Age 7
Tribe of Issachar

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

Rebecca S., Age 8
Tribe of Issachar

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

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

Isaac P., Age 9
Tribe of Dan

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

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

Interview with Sonic:

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

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

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

Baily H., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

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

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

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

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

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

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

Erica B., Age 11
Tribe of Asher

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

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

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

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

Erica B., Age 11
Tribe of Asher

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

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

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

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

Tyler H., Age 9
Tribe of Dan

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

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

Steven M., Age 11
Tribe of Benjamin

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

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

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

Claire C., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

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

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

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

Zoe N., Age 12
Tribe of Simeon

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

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

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

Fiorella M., Age 12
Tribe of Simeon

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

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

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

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

Fiorella M., Age 12
Tribe of Simeon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sophia M., Age 11
Tribe of Simeon

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

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

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

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

Bailey H., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bailey H., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mia G., Age 10
Tribe of Asher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The end!