Once a part of the Camp Gilgal family, always a part of the Camp Gilgal family.
“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
East Junior Camp
East Teen Camp
Midwest Junior Camp
Midwest Teen Camp
West Junior Camp
West Teen Camp
The Gospel Transforms Us
“Therefore, if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation; old things have passed away . . . all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
The Gilgal Gazette is published by Camp Gilgal campers for Camp Gilgal campers and their families and friends!
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ribe of Benjamin: Asher W., Elliot A., Gavyn R., Josiah O., Judah W., Shai K., Y’didyah B., Scooter, Indiana Jones
Tribe of Issachar: Alex J., David K., Isaiah H., Joe S., Paul G., Beardo, Hiccup
Tribe of Simeon: Abigail O., Alyssa C., Emily R., Kaelee F., Rebekah C., Simona B., Anonymous, Sitruce
Tribe of Asher: Elie W., Gracie R., Hannah K., Nathalia O., Penina S., Rachel M., Sydney F., Watson, Nature Valley
Out-of-Cabin Staff: RedSox, Strings
Special Guests: Polaroid
God’s Plan Has Always Been to Save Us
“Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story”
Psalm 107:2a
The Gilgal Gazette is published by Camp Gilgal campers for Camp Gilgal campers and their families and friends!
Tribe of Simeon: Ava G., Aylo L., Halye G., Vivian K., Sneezy
, Sharkbait
Tribe of Zebulun: Greenlee K., Halie F., Meaghan S., Michelle B., Watson, Squid
Tribe of Benjamin: Alana F., Eliana A., Elie W., Faith B., Netanya W., Rachel H., Anonymous, Mochi
Tribe of Judah: Daniel C., Ephraim L., Isaac G., Scooter, Pixel
Tribe of Asher: Ezra L., Levi W., Matthew S., Noah N., Indiana Jones, Verde
Out-of-Cabi
n Staff: RedSox, Beardo, Strings, Sitruce, Jalapeno
Others: Wallaby (Camp Nurse), Sunshine (Babysitter), Gato and Spitzy Pluto (Pre-Campers)
Special Guests: Noodle, Hiccup
“Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story”
Psalm 107:2a
The Gilgal Gazette is published by Camp Gilgal campers for Camp Gilgal campers and their families and friends!
Tribe of Reuben: Lily M., Rachel S., Rahela D., Ruth D., Tikvah C., Baloo, Twilight, Tapatio
Tribe of Asher: Emily H., Hannah H., Kaidynce Y., Selah C., Shayna T., Shoshanna S., Olive, Kitten
Tribe of Simeon: Abigail D., Hannah S., Lydia G., Krystalline L., Rocky, Simba
Tribe of Benjamin: Max M., Nathan L., Seth M., Goliath
Tribe of Judah: Benjamin A., Gabriel H., Joshua 
D., Matthew M., Riff Raff, Feedback
Out-of-Cabin Staff: Blewish, Sneakers, Bologna, Firefly, Susa, Blewberry
Special Guests: Bamba
The Gospel Transforms Us
“Therefore, if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation; old things have passed away . . . all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
The Gilgal Gazette is published by Camp Gilgal campers for Camp Gilgal campers and their families and friends!
Campers:
Abigail D., Abigail H., Anna A., Avi 
T., Deborah S., Efren S., Gloria C., Hannah B., Jennifer M., Lilly C., Mariam G., Matthew M., Max M., Nathan L., Nena K.
In-Cabin Staff: Baloo, Goliath, Rocky
Out-of-Cabin Staff: Blewish, Bologna, Bullfrog
God’s Plan Has Always Been to Save Us
“Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story”
Psalm 107:2a
The Gilgal Gazette is published by Camp Gilgal campers for Camp Gilgal campers and their families and friends!
Tribe of Reuben: Eliana R., Raina W., Rebecca S., Rebekah P., Zoe A., Pippin, Macaroni
Tribe of Issachar: Ahavah M., Channah A., Eliana R., Emma B., Shelby H., Saute, Mango
Tribe of Dan: Ellie M., Lily H., Sarah M., Shalom M., Talia W., Sherlock, Chip
Tribe of Zebulun: Bailey H., Carrie M., Erica B., Persaeus B., Zoë N., S’mores, Mahoney
Tribe of Benjamin: Isaac P., Jonah M., Joshua B., Ryan H., Samuel S., Stix, Chewbacca
Trib
e of Naphtali: Jonathan P., Alex. S., Steven M., Tyler H., Heimlich, Oofnik
Out-of-Cabin Staff: Streetlight, Snapple, Poppins, Sherbert, Yamaha, Esquire, Ewok
Special Guests: Moose, Bazooka, Rocky, Simeon, Acorn, Packer, Sonic, Rocko
Lily C., Age 15
Here at teen camp, we play the Jewish version of Capture the Flag, called Capture the Degel. “Degel” means “flag” in Hebrew. To start off, all the staff and campers were split into two teams. On my team, I played offe
nse. I tend to get a bit competitive when I play games so I was running through the river to try to get to the other team’s degel. There was also a lot of tall grass and plants that I tracked through which resulted in getting a ton of scratches. Bologna was on the opposing team with the medical kit, which was used as an excuse to travel through the opposing team’s side. After I finished getting cleaned up I continued to walk around the baseball field onto the other team’s side without anyone noticing. When they eventually saw me I ran for dear life and hopped a fence to escape, and I spent the rest of the game searching for the degel. The other team ended up winning both games. Even though I really wanted to win, it was still one of my favorite things we did at camp this year!
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alyn L., Age 11
Tribe of Simeon
First of all, Camp Gilgal is a spectacular camp. I am here to tell you what I adore most about camp. Tabernacle!! Your first question is, what is Tabernacle? It is a time where we worship God. I think worshiping brings you and God closer by singing and praising Him. We also sing songs that are in Hebrew, but don’t worry they have the transliteration under the Hebrew so everyone can follow along. In Tabernacle we also do liturgy. It is traditional prayers in Hebrew. Every day we do the Aleinu, the Amidah, the Shema and the V’ahavta. We also do special liturgy on Shabbat such as Ein Keloheinu. Last, but not least in Tabernacle we do a lesson. This year we focused on Genesis. We talked about Adam and Eve and how they ate the fruit that God told them not to eat and they got punished. We also talked about Abraham and how God gave him blessings, but they didn’t all happen during his lifetime. A lot of them happened after he died. I love worshiping, and liturgy, and the lessons. Every year I’ve been to camp it has been a blast.
Hannah S., Age 13
Tribe of Simeon
You might be thinking, what is tribe time? It is when we all do things together as a cabin and get to spend time with each other
. We also go to the store, petting zoo, beach, and gaga pit. During one tribe time we got to build a boat out of cardboard that could float for the boat race. We raced the other tribes afterwards. Another thing that I love is my tribe because we are fun people that have a good time together. My tribes name is Simeon. It consists of Talyn, Lydia, Abi, Simba, Rocky, and me. One time during tribe time we were playing gaga vs. the tribe of Benajmin. I was against Goliath as the last two players in. Sadly, I got out because I wasn’t looking and he hit the ball at my shin. My favorite place to go during tribe time is the beach to do paddle boarding. We get to jump off the boats and play around pushing each other off. The game room is also a great place to go during tribe time. We get to play games like carpetball, ping pong, air hockey and pool. Out of all the games, I like carpetball the most. I love tribe time and spending time with my tribe because we get to hang out with each other. You will love tribe time too!
Ruth D., Age 9
Tribe of Reuben
This was my first year at Camp Gilgal. It was very exciting. It was hard at first but then it started getting easier, and I had a lot of fun. I got to go to the petting zoo and hold the bunnies as well as pet some sheep. I also went swimming where we looked for shells in the water and played in the sand. My second time swimming I went paddle boarding with my friends. We also played a lot of field games like Wells Fargo and Capture the Degel. I also really liked the activities. I was part of Forest Fairies where we got to make challah for Shabbat. We also built fairy houses out of garden pots and made glittery decorations. I also got to meet a lot of new people and make a bunch of new friends. I can’t wait to come back next year!
Lydia G., Age 11
Tribe of Simeon
First of all, FOB means flat on bunk. FOB is my favorite time of the day because it is the perfect time to relax. You can basically do anything as long as you are silent and on your bunk bed. While my tribe leader usually sleeps, I like to read or practice my memory verses. FOB is after all the activities when I am most tired so I advise people to leave me alone during FOB. One day during FOB my tribe played truth or dare. Abi was dared to lick the roof of the bunk bed, and Tallyn was dared to go outside the cabin and yell, “I love Blewish!” Hannah and Abi were dared to have a mustache and unibrow. We also painted our nails for Shabbat during FOB. One time one of my cabinmates did everyone’s nails with teal polish and a matte top coat that looked so cool. The best part is just hanging out in my cabin. Sometimes we chat or play games. We have to be careful not to be too loud because our tribe leaders don’t like if we wake them up. Overall I really love FOB and spending time with my cabin.
Rahela D., Age 9
Tribe of Reuben
Every year at Camp Gilgal we have some new tribe leaders. This year the tribe leaders in my tribe were Twilight, Tapatio, and Baloo. I really like them and they enjoyed being in our cabin. Some of the new tribe leaders are Simba, Twilight, Tapatio, Kitten, Olive, and Feedback. I like all of them, and they convinced me to be a tribe leader one day. What I like about Simba is that she is very sweet. Twilight is my cousin so I like everything about her. What I like about Tapatio is that she has her own way of doing things, and she has such a big and beautiful spirit. What I like about Kitten is that she is just like a kitten. She is so cuddly and sweet. I like Olive because she is so sweet and helpful. Lastly, I like Feedback because he is so funny and has many funny impressions. I am so glad the new tribe leaders came and I am so glad I got to come to camp this year too. I hope they all come back next year.
Tikvah C., Age 10
Tribe of Reuben
I liked the drama activity because we got to make a small play also known as a skit. It was about that week’s Torah Parsha which was Parah, meaning Cow. Our play was about the twelve men spying on Canaan. Since there were only eight kids, we had eight spies. However, they were modern day spies and their leader was Queen Momo instead of Moses. They were briefed on their mission, and then traveled to Canaan. One of the spies fainted at the sight of a big giant. The other spies had to use the socks to wake him up. After exploring Canaan they went back to Queen Momo. Six of them gave bad reports. The other two, Joshua (Josh) and Caleb (Kale), gave good reports. Queen Momo congratulated Josh and Kale on trusting the Lord and focusing on the good. The other six then died of a plague because they didn’t trust the Lord. I would recommend drama as an activity because it was really fun. The cast was Emily, Joshua, Lydia, Hannah, Max, Kaidy, Selah, Shoshi, and myself. It was really fun and we got to write the script by ourselves as well as pick out the costumes.
Nathan L., Age 13
Tribe of Benjamin
“Pull the shutter closed,” Rocky says. She is one of the camp staff that leads Photo Journalism along with Bologna. In Photo Journalism we actually got to build our own cameras that use real film. We had to keep the film in the dark room, which made it very difficult. First we made the cameras. To make them we had to take empty cans of corn
meal and spray paint them as black as a moonless night. Then you tape a bunch of black paper so that no light can get into the can because otherwise the light will damage the film and the picture will not turn out right. Make sure that you use black tape that blocks out every single drop of light. Then you need a red light so that you can take the film out in the dark but still be able to see the film and camera. Then you have to make the shutter and pinhole. You have to make sure they are tight so that no light can get through the camera. You then put the film inside the camera and close the lid, making sure that the shutter is closed. Then we went outside to take pictures. After taking pictures we went back into the dark room and developed the film. We poured chemicals into the buckets, and dipped the film into the chemicals. Each time after you dip, make sure to rinse the photo off with water. I even got to take my own pictures around camp. I chose to take one of a life size chess set. I call it “Illusions” since in the picture the white pieces are black and the black pieces are white. I had a great time in this activity, and I would recommend it.
Shoshana S., Age 12
Tribe of Asher
The sun was shining down on the bright green leaves surrounding the stairs of doom. Emily, Selah, Olive, and I were headed to the beach, but on the way we decided to stop at the petting zoo. At the petting zoo, two Cran-Hill Ranch staff were using baby bottles filled with milk to feed six adorable, fluffy lambs. They invited us inside the pen and handed each of us a baby bottle. They told us to tip the bottle straight up so that there weren’t any air bubbles. They also warned us to be careful because the lambs can sometimes get forceful when trying to get the milk. My favorite lamb was a mini brown and white one named Freckles. He was so tiny and adorable. He was the smallest and it was really fun feeding him. All of the lambs felt so soft. The fluffiest one was named Jazz, and when I fed him he kept circling around me. I must have circled about twenty times before I gave up and let the staff finish feeding him. I can’t wait to go back to the petting zoo!
Gabriel H., Age 8
Tribe of Judah
This was my first time playing Skit in a Bag, and it was so much fun! Each tribe gets a bag and there are props and materials for a skit like clothes, toys, and other fun items. Then you and your tribe create a skit using all the things in the bag. Your skit has to be about five minutes and your tribe pe
rforms it in front of the entire camp. My tribe’s was titled, “How to Catch a Merman.” Our story was that Joshua was fishing and I was a merman. He was trying to catch me but couldn’t, so Riffraff and Feedback gave him advice. Then he catches me, but then the police, Benjamin and Matthew, arrested him because he didn’t have a license to catch fish. It was so funny! Riff Raff and Feedback were especially funny. Our tribe won the category of creativity. That was my first Skit in a Bag experience and I loved it.
Benjamin A., Age 11
Tribe of Judah
Today we built a teepee during the activity Indian Warriors. We carried a tree all the way from the woods to camp. We also gathered a bunch of logs and tree limbs. We tied them together with string. It looked like an upside down cone. We put a huge canvas cover around the teepee as a wall. We then colored it with paint and streamers on the top. For the rest of the activity, we cooked Native American food. After that Tapatio, who is Native American, taught us dances and we practiced them. On the last day we had a party in our teepee. After all of that work we had to take down the decorations because of the rain. We danced and ate the fry bread we had made. It was a great activity, and I really liked the bow I made out of sticks during it.
Shayna T., Age 12
Tribe of Asher
One of my favorite parts of camp is when I get to go to the petting zoo. I usually go during tribe time and I find it most peaceful to go by myself. When my tribe leader and I got there I couldn’t help but notice how lovely the pen smelled. My favorite animals to visit are the sheet, bunnies, and the goats. The bunnies are cute and soft, but you have to be careful of their nails. The goats are creepy, but I loved to feed them. Besides my favorites, I like to pet all of the animals. The chickens were funny and cute, they really reminded me of my neighbors that breed chickens. It was so fun to watch the sheep run into the chicken coup. They are too big so it was funny to watch them try to get in. He got stuck a few times, but kept trying. I love the petting zoo, and am so excited to go back!
Emily H., Age 11
Tribe of Asher
In the activity Theater at Camp Gilgal we acted out the story of the twelve spies that investigated Canaan. We chose that story because it was the Torah portion for the week. It was a lot of fun and we all got to have disguises. Because there were only eight of us, we decided to have six bad spies and two good ones. Moses was called Queen Momo, and each spy had a silly nickname too. Queen Momo briefed them on their mission, and the spies were on their way. It was a beautiful day, so they traveled along the long road easily. Then they ran into giants and one spy fainted! Another spy cried out “Quick, get the sock!” They waved the sock in front of the fainted spy’s nose, and he woke up immediately. They then threw the sock away. The spies continued along the path. They stopped again when they saw milk and honey. There were also grapes. The spies immediately ran for the grapes, and they were so delicious! The spies sat for what seemed like hours eating grapes. Eventually one said, “We should bring some of this food back to Queen Momo before we eat it all.” The other spies agreed, so they began their journey home. When they arrived they gave their reports one by one. “Too many giants!” one said. “We can’t do it,” said another. “If we trust in God we will take the land,” said one of the good spies. Queen Momo debated what she had heard. The skit ended with the good spies being congratulated and the rest were struck down by the Lord for not trusting in Him. Riff Raff helped us to write the play and to stay on topic as we did it. It was a lot of fun even though two of us got sick. Riff Raff was great for Theater!
Rachel S., Age 10
Tribe of Reuben
I like Indian Warriors because we made a teepee and we decorated it with paint, handprints, streamers, cut out leaves, and a canvas cover. We also learned Native American dancing. The girls did a butterfly dance, and we used our towels as wings. The boys danced in 
circles and shook their heads and arms. We danced to Native American music, and one of the songs was called “Cheese and Bread.” Two of the days for the activity we went to archery where we shot arrows at targets. The second time we went to archery in the middle of the time they asked us if we wanted to throw tomahawks, which is when you throw axes at wooden targets. I threw a few, but then decided to go back to archery. On the last day of Indian Warriors we made fry bread. It is a Native American bread made out of flour, water, salt and baking soda. I ate the fry bread with Tapatio hot sauce and it was so good. I had a great time at Indian Warriors. Thanks Goliath and Tapatio for making it fun!
Shoshana S., Age 12
Tribe of Asher
It was Star Wars Night at camp. At dinner we all wore our Star Wars shirts and had on masks of different characters from the movie. After dinner we went swimming, and then we went into the woods. When we all arrived in the woods, Blewish had all the tribe leaders and assistant tribe leaders talk to him for a minute. One of the campers had brought this Chewbacca mask which whenever you opened its mouth made a Chewy sound. Whenever the person wearing it opened their mouth it would keep making noises. Then the game started. It was just like Capture the Counselor, except the Star Wars edition. My tribe was able to capture C3PO and he was worth 150 points. We tried to capture Hans Solo and Chewbacca, but Chewy wouldn’t follow us without Hans and another tribe had already claimed Hans. Once all of the other characters were caught the whole camp carried Blewish who was playing as Jabba the Hutt. He was really hard to capture! It was a really fun game and we had fun.
Max McCluskey, Age 12
Tribe of Benjamin
CSI Gilgal is an activity at camp where we 
learned how to take fingerprints and got to create our own crime scene for each team to solve. One reason why I like CSI Gilgal is because you get to make up your own name if you are a suspect or a witness. I decided I wanted my name to be Nick because I was a witness in one of the crimes. In the crime that we wrote, Blewberry was kidnapped. The suspects were Alex Tek the caregiver, Bologna the sister, and Feedback the janitor. I was the only witness in the case because I saw Blewberry crawling right before it happened. Alex Tek was a suspect because she liked the baby too much, Bologna was a suspect because she was jealous so she wanted the baby, and Feedback was a suspect because he had to clean up after Blewberry even though he was injured. It was fun because the other team took a while to find the most obvious clue to help them figure out that the kidnapper was Alex Tek. The clue was sand on the picnic bench that they accidentally walked past. Eventually they found it and figured it out. I really liked CSI Gilgal. It was one of my favorite activities!
Seth M., Age 12
Tribe of Benjamin
Olim is a game about when the British ruled Israel. In Olim the point of the game is to get the Olim from one side of the woods to the other. There are three teams: the British, the Olim, and the Kibbutznik. The British are guarding Israel and the Olim are trying to get into the kibbutz without being tagged. The Olim can cross the border to the kibbutz when a Kibbutznik helps them across the border. If you get tagged by the British then you have to go to jail. When the Olim crosses the border they then become a Kibbutznik. The game is timed, and once the time is up the camp staff count how many Olim were brought over the border. If there are more brought over than those that remain, then the Kibbutzniks and Olim win. The first time I played not everyone remembered the rules, myself included. I was an Olim but I accidentally crossed the border without the help of a Kibbutznik. However, we played a second time when everyone understood the rules completely. Everyone had lots of fun, and I can’t wait to play it again next year!
Matthew M., Age 13
Tribe of Judah
As we were going down the stairs of doom one afternoon my tribe leader said to me, “We are playing Capture the Degel.” I was so excited but nervous because sometimes people get hurt while playing, but I didn’t let that get me down. We picked teams and I ended up on the blue team, which I was excited about. As soon as the game started we all ran for the flag. About 30 minutes into the game we had to stop because we found a wasp nest. It was on the ground, so we decided to move from the woods to the field. That was when the game got more intense. It was down to the last three minutes when I decided to step up the game. I took off my shoes and socks and sprinted to the flag as fast as I could. I grabbed the flag and the whole team began chasing me. I sprinted back to the line and crossed it, winning the game for the blue team! I had a really good time playing Capture the Degel.
Selah C., Age 11
Tribe of Asher
My favorite game at Camp Gilgal is called Wells Fargo. The camp staff are one team and the campers are the other. One of the teams is the bandits. First the bandits hide a bunch of bags filled with gold in the woods while the faithful Wells Fargo agents wait. After the bandits are done the agents charge into the woods trying to collect the gold and get it back. If the bandits tag an agent then the agent has to go to the other side and touch it before they can keep playing. If the agent is ho
lding a bag of gold when they are tagged then they have to drop it and the bandits can hide it again. The game is played in a time limit of twenty minutes. When the game ends, the team with the most gold bags wins. When we played it this year we played three games. The first two games the camp staff were the bandits and they won both times. However, the third time the campers were the bandits and we won! In the first two games the campers only got four and five bags out of fifteen. When the cap staff were the agents they didn’t get any! I hope we play Wells Fargo again soon.
Kaidy Y., Age 11
Tribe of Asher
I was super excited, the sun had finally peaked through the clouds, and it was time to go to the lake. It was a little windy, but I was determined to get on a paddleboard. The lifeguard helped me get the big board off of the rack, and I was off! I wasn’t able to steer so I got stuck in the lake. Max followed me and taught me how to steer on the paddleboard. On the way back I tried to push my friends off, but ended up falling into the seaweed. It felt gross as it wrapped around my legs. Other than that, I had an amazing time and I can’t wait to go again!
Abigail D., Age 12
Tribe of Simeon
Click click, I was just clasped into my harness, and ready to climb. I yelled “Belay on” to my belay team, which was Goliath, Seth and Hannah. They replied “On belay,” which means they are ready to pull the rope up while I am climbing. Then I said my final command, “Climbing.” They replied back “Climb on,” and finally I am ready to climb up the hard wall also known as the spicy wal
l. I raised my foot and put it on a rock, and then I raised my hands and started to climb. That was probably the hardest part because the rocks were small and full of the sweat of the previous people who failed to reach the top of the wall. It continued to be like that until the first bump came and then trouble had begun. My legs were burning and my arms were too short to reach most of the rocks. I felt like giving up, but my brother was next to me. He told me to go closer to his side so I could get over that section of the wall. I reached and climbed until I was so close to getting above and I could hear my team screaming and yelling, “Abi, you got this,” and “You’re so close!” I took a giant push and I made it. I felt so accomplished, and then I looked up in dread realizing I was only halfway up. I kept climbing with burning legs and hurting arms, but my adrenaline was high and on fire. I climbed the second bump with the same struggle as the first. I finally reached the top and I jumped for the bell to reach it. It rang and I was so happy and people and the bottom were cheering and yelling congrats. That was a huge accomplishment and it showed me that Jesus does the same thing in our lives when you put your trust in Him.
Alyssa C., Age 15
Tribe of Simeon
One of the things I look forward to every year at camp is seeing all my awesome friends. After eight years of being a Camp Gilgal camper, I’ve made some of the best friends that will last me a lifetime. Sometimes we may be loud and obnoxious but that’s only because we see each other one to tw
o times a year and there’s so much to catch up on, especially when they live so far away. We’ve all created a tight bond that makes leaving camp at the end of the week so hard. We have created many inside jokes and a ton of laughs together. At camp I look forward the most to little things like the van rides to and from the field trip and chill time because we have all the time to hangout. I always felt like I fit in at camp because my friends are just like me, Jewish believers in Yeshua. This year I have taken every second I can to spend time with everyone because it is my last year as a teen camper and camp gives me a lot of opportunities to do that. I am so sad that this is my last year but I’m looking forward to applying to be an assistant tribe leader.
Isaiah H., Age 14
Tribe of Issachar
My friend Asher loves playing soccer and he is very chill. He says that his role model is Messi because he gives him inspiration and the motivation to keep trying hard in soccer. He especially likes to play soccer during the summer. At home he likes to enjoy a nice cold smoothie. Asher says that he is going to be someone that is very inspirational because he said that the people at camp are inspirational. Also, he feels like camp has brought him closer to God and stronger in faith. He recommends that people should go because it is a great opportunity to have your faith increase through the love of God’s Word. He hopes to come back next year for his last teen camp year which he is sad about. But he knows camp will leave a positive impact on his life. Asher says that one day he wants to be a tribe leaderto make a positive impact on other people’s lives and spread the Word of God. He is going to miss all of the fun he has had at camp and all of the memories with his friends. Although he loves field trips and free time, he says camp is really all about his faith.
Y’didyah B., Age 14
Tribe of Benjamin
Scooter is one of my tribe leaders other than Indiana Jones. Scooter first came to camp when he was fourteen and his walk with God grew stronger when he became a tribe leader in 2011. His favorite thing about camp when he was a camper was making 
friends with other Messianic campers and trying things he had never tried before. His favorite verse is 1 Peter 4:11 because it encourages him to remember that what he is doing should glorify God. He got his nickname from a past camp director named Twister. He was born in New Jersey but now lives in Georgia. For help he looks to God for strength and wisdom and to friends for advice. He has been camp staff for six years. Scooter has an interest in comic books and superheroes. If you ever have a question about Marvel or DC, he’ll answer really accurately. Scooter is one of my favorite camp staff and is really cool.
Shai K., Age 12
Tribe of Benjamin
As I arrived back from lunch, I caught a glimpse of Hiccup snoring in Scooter’s hammock all dressed up in his Duck Dynasty shirt and wide shoes that support his flat feet. Hiccup is the best tribe leader ever. The camp name derives from the Latin, Greek and Hebrew root of hiccupping randomly, because Hiccup is a very random person. He likes to dance and sing randomly. This year we went whitewater rafting and Hiccup fell out “accidentally” every time he could. On the way back from our whitewater rafting trip he tried to dress up like a gangster. Other than being the most hilarious person at camp, he is a very devoted follower of Yeshua. He loves the book of Job because of Job’s devotion to God even through hardships. He is compassionate about showing people the joy and peace Yeshua gives through his life. He has been camp staff for three years. I hope Hiccup stays a tribe leader until the grand old age of 100.
David K., Age 15
Tribe Issachar
Life in camp always revolves around several things. One of the most important things is friendship. An example can be my amigo Elliot. He is a wisecracker kid that has many talents. The first talent he has is kvetching. For those who don’t understand what that means, it is actually Yiddish for complaining. This doesn’t mean that he dislikes camp but it is part of his jo
king personality. It was hysterical when his remarks got so out of hand that he actually had to have a limit for it. Another great example of his talents is singing and musical taste. Whenever he and I got bored, we would start singing mostly five musical geniuses which were Frank Ocean, Drake, Outkast, and Kanye West. He insisted that “Views” by Drake and “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” by Kanye West are more than albums but musical masterpieces. All in all Elliot’s a good kid. Sure, he might be a crazy guy but name one that is normal. I’m grateful to have a friend like that. We’ve been campers and friends for a long time and grown together a lot. I’m glad God brought us to camp.
Emily R., Age 15
Tribe of Simeon
My first year at Camp Gilgal was one of the best weeks of my life. At first, I was a little worried that I wouldn’t make any friends and scared about being so far from home. But when I got here I received a warm welcome. I have made some of my best friends here and now I would even consider them my family. The staff were extremely nice and welcoming to me and everyone I came with from North Carolina. The activities were really fun and I got lots of exercise and sun. My favorite game/activity would either be Scream-O or the Decathlon because everyone was screaming and having so much fun all together. What was really cool was when we went whitewater rafting and camping. I would like to thank Asher and Elie for basically dragging me here. This week was phenomenal and I wish I could come back to teen camp, but I am also very excited to go to adventure camp and be an ATL at junior camp next year.
P.S.: Asher looks like Harry Styles.
Asher W., Age 14
Tribe of Benjamin
Indiana Jones, who was born in Russia at a very early age, is a prime example of renaissance manhood – daring, ripped, and Jewish. He’s also a lover of the infamous “haunted” shower (only infamous due to its lack of light and occasional proverbial 
spider).
Indy has an incredible sense of humor and even tolerates Elliot’s contortionist jokes, with his shades dangling on his necklace. Indiana leads activities with imperial passion and joy. Even informal nightly flexing, where pushups are attempted and muscle progress is analyzed in a nearby mirror, is met with partial exasperation. Indiana is often heard singing Russian love ballads or announcing in his deep voice, Russian to the core, that he ate too much breakfast and is just too full. Indy helps everyone, eats anything, and prays for everyone. His favorite Bible verse is Ephesians 1:5 which describes God’s adoption of believers into the heavenly family. Always happy and sanguine, Indiana is a decidedly groovy Jew.
Elliot A., Age 14
Tribe of Benjamin
Judah is a beast. Judah’s a gymnast and can do the splits. During our decathlon, which is ten competitive challenges between two teams, we had to drink a box of flavored seltzers (which was disgusting) and make a tower out of the empty cans. Few people could finish even one, but Judah chugged six, one after the other without changing his facial expression. He wrote our team anthem and ate several pieces of dry lasagna pasta. He also has a great sense of humor and puts up with my disease jokes. Judah’s the realest camper to ever come to camp. Judah’s from Syracuse and has been an amazing gymnast for seven years. He’s 13 years old but because of all the muscle stimulation of gymnastics he’s huge. Asher and I thought he was a tribe leader when we first saw him. While he is calm and quiet he does everything with joy and enthusiasm. He loves brownies and hates bullies. He’s smart and nice and he’s good at all sports and all in all I thoroughly enjoyed having in the tribe of Benjamin with me.
Elie W., Age 12ish
Tribe of Asher
First off, Anonymous is a human and female. She has longish brown hair and wears Converse that were once white. Her favorite movie genre is comedy and she does not know her favorite movie. This is her fourth year as staff and eleventh year at camp. She loves napping and road trips as her hobbies that she enjoys. Anonymous is 
passionate about working with children and teenagers because she wants to let them know that God loves them and has a lot in store for them. Anonymous’s role model is C.S. Lewis because of the way he wrote about Yeshua in such a real way. Her favorite sport is football and she loves the Carolina Panthers. Her favorite season is fall because she loves fall fashion and doesn’t sweat as much. Anonymous is an awesome tribe leader and is a great person.
Gracie R., Age 14
Tribe of Asher
This is my first year at camp Gilgal and it was so fun! One of my favorites was campfire. At campfire we all have a discussion around the fire. It is special because everyone can contribute and say what’s on their minds. This way, everyone gets to contribute to the conversation and learn tons of other things that people think. We have been talking about Paul and it is a great topic to talk about. Everyone gets to stay how God transformed Paul’s life and it gives the rest of us hope for the future. It personally gives me lots of hope. To me, campfire was so special. Instead of just having someone preach to me, I get to contribute to the conversation. On top of that, the view is great!
Simona B., Age 14
Tribe of Simeon
Campout Night is the best at Camp Gilgal! It all starts out with the drive there. We all got into the 15 passenger vans. It was so fun! We sang, talked, and did Mad Libs. When we finally arrived we unloade
d and set up tents. After, we went swimming at the campsite’s pool. The water was so refreshing and nice. We then played Mafia while the staff cooked us dinner. We ate hamburgers, hot dogs, corn, and grilled veggies. It was my favorite meal at camp. After, we made s’mores! They were delicious. It got very cold so we all huddled up by the fire. It was time for bed. We were in tents of four people, three campers and one staff. We all huddled up in our sleeping bags and talked. It was so fun! After about five minutes of talking, we all crashed. Camping out at the campsite was so fun. They take your watches so you can relax and not worry about time for once. It is so relaxing and an awesome experience.
Gavyn R., Age 13
Tribe of Benjamin
Shalom, I am Gavyn. I am related to three of the staff at Camp Gilgal and I will be writing about Movie Night. For one Movie Night is the one night where we a watch a movie chosen by the staff. The staff make sure the movie is appropriate before playing it. It is a relaxing night where you can sit with friends and eat lots of snacks from candy to fruit. There is all kinds of food. But! You have to make sure to take your fair share. 
After the movie we will be dismissed to bed. And I must add you don’t have to go to the movie. You can sleep if you wish to. I must remind you, the movie is very random. It can be old like the Lion King or new like Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It is my favorite part of Camp Gilgal. That’s all I can say.
Judah W., Age 13
Tribe of Benjamin
The campfire is a really cool and different part of camp. Most camps, if they even include a campfire, have campfire songs, s’mores, and stories. Not only does Camp Gilgal’s campfire include these things, but they include life lessons taken away from Scripture. At the beginning of camp I was pretty shy to share my ideas during a Bible discussion, but as I enjoyed camp throughout the week and my faith grew closer to Yeshua it became easier to speak, answer questions and be active in prayer. Not only did I change but I saw others transform through the power of Yeshua. Something about God’s Word changes people’s personalities, and shows their true colors. For example when Alex, a camper, would raise his hand to answer a discussion question he sounded educated and like a true son of God who loved Yeshua, something I didn’t quite expect on first glance. It was great to hear from him and great to get to know him. All together the campfire was something to really look forward to at the end of the day. It’s something that is unique to Camp Gilgal and is a really great aspect of camp, something a camper like me can’t get anywhere else.
Josiah O., Age 13
Tribe of Benjamin
It was Campout Night. The entire camp was ready. All the campers split into two groups and got into separa
te vans and off we went. When we got to the campout site everyone unpacked their gear and set up tents. Then it was dinner time! After saying the blessings we all dug in. I had three hamburgers, two hot dogs, and an ear of corn and a bag of chips. After dinner we had s’mores and a campfire. Then we all went to sleep in our tents. CAMPOUT NIGHT WAS AWESOME! My favorite part of Campout Night was the food and s’mores. This was also my first time sleeping in a tent. I cannot wait until next year of teen camp!
Kaelee F., Age 14
Tribe of Simeon
Wow! Teen camp is all about the fun of whitewater rafting! What can be more enjoyable than eight hours on the water? Whether the river is tranquil and peaceful or thrilling with many speedy rapids, you are gu
aranteed to have the time of your life on this special camp trip. This rafting trip all began with a car ride to Wild Waters Outdoor Center located in Warrensburg. There, we readied ourselves for our boating experience by changing into swimwear and borrowing a flotation device, helmet and paddle provided according to individual size. From the Wild Waters base, we took a 40 minute bus ride into the Adirondacks where we divided ourselves into groups of seven or eight campers and staff. We started on our adventure in a blue raft with a certified guide to direct the journey.
At first, I was confused about how to paddle and respond to commands such as, “forward one,” “backward two,” and “all forward.” However, after a couple of minutes, we all rowed together in unison. I think we all learned about the intricacy of rafting from our interesting guides. We even stopped at a small beach off the water for lunch, consisting of sandwiches. I have to say the jostling white water rapids were my favorite aspect of the journey because I could feel the extremity of the currents. The last hour of rafting was calm and soothing, which kept us relaxed as we entered the bus to ride back to the base for dinner and gift shopping.
Rac
hel M., Age 14
Tribe of Asher
Something really special about camp that connects me especially to God is the campfires. It’s a place that we really get to open up about our faith without having to care if anyone is judging you – and that’s what I really love. I often think of it as my safe place – a place that feels like family.
Every night we have discussions about topics that we all participate in. These “talks” really help me get a deeper understanding about who God is and how He’s moving in my life. Something else we do at campfire is sing worship songs. I love doing this because I am free to worship without worrying that people are looking. It’s very peaceful and mellow because it’s dark and everyone has their own personal connection to God in that moment.
Nathalia O., Age 13
Tribe of Asher
The first year of Camp Gilgal was awesome. I was able to meet so many new people. During worship we were all free to pray and talk to God. All the campers were all so excited for the worship and all the campfires.
There were so many fun activities such as the Decathlon. Ther
e were ten games and two teams. My team was called Cucumber Deodorant and the other team was called Meggh! My favorite game was where you had to draw a mural of shaving cream and the worst game was drinking an entire bottle of the nastiest seltzer in the world!
We were all able to talk about how we felt about God and how thankful we were to be at Camp Gilgal.
My favorite part of camp was meeting new friends that have so much in common with me. I will never forget how much of a privilege it was to come to Camp Gilgal.
Penina S., Age 13
Tribe of Asher
Tabernacle is a time in camp where we all get together and worship. My favorite part is the music because I get to participate in leading it. At teen camp teens who volunteer to be on the worship team can do so. It feels like you’re part of the community w
hen you are on the worship team. Everyone is praising the Lord with you. The songs are really fun and are easy to learn. One of the camp favorites is “Prince of Peace” because it has a really cool part where the chorus splits into “boys” and “girls.” After the music portion we have the camp director, RedSox, talk about the Bible and teach us about it.
Some things I learned about in Tabernacle was that God could take a bad person (Saul/ Paul) and forgive them and give them a second chance. There is hope for everyone. Tabernacle is in the evening which is nice because it is peaceful and everyone is really tired. Tabernacle is a time when all of camp gets together to worship God.
Rebekah C., Age 15
Tribe of Simeon
There are many fun games at camp. One of the fun games at camp was Scream-O. Scream-O is a game based on luck with a partner and dice and little pieces of paper from numbers 2 to 12. Both partners have to roll all the possible numbers from 2 to 12 on their separate sets. The fun part of the game is how frantic it gets when playing with other teams while laughing and screaming. Everyone is always in a rush to beat the other team, and therefore moving up closer to winning is the whole game. It can also be a great bonding game because you are working with your partner to complete a challenge. You also get to have a good laugh with your teammate and opponent. My partner and I could barely win a game as the rounds ran out. Then they called two more rounds and we were at the second place zone. The pressure started to rise and clumsiness came with it. We were at the first zone then heard Scream-O and we had won the game which was surprising after losing for a while. I will miss Scream-O as this is my last year of teen camp but I will also remember the fun I had and the friends I made.
Joseph S., Age 15
Tribe of Issachar
The pioneering activities were so much fun! Nature Valley is amazing! During those activities we got to do stuff like make traps and maps. The most fun thig in the pioneering activities for me was prob
ably building shelter, because we only used what we had around us to build it. Don’t forget to wear closed-toed shoes because you go into the woods to get the supplies for these activities. The staff will tell you that you have to wear closed-toed shoes for this activity. You might also get dirty because of the fact that you are grabbing the materials that you need from the ground. We are looking for the items around the trees so we stayed in the shade for these activities. So if you do come to camp here and you like getting dirty and having fun I hope you do some of the pioneering activities. I live in NYC so pioneering is a great change for me!
Paul G., Age 14
Tribe of Issachar
Every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner we get amazing food. Our chef makes awesome dishes that I really enjoy. My favorite breakfast dish has to be between French toast sticks or waffles. I really love having seconds or thirds or fourths on the delicious grub. Besides having water the kitchen crew puts out different drinks. Those drinks include apple or orange juice, and different combos of awesome Kool-Aid like drinks. Wherever a food item runs out, almost immediately another crew member replaces it. I am thankful to God for a very awesome and talented kitchen staff. Out of all the grub I’ve had this place is one of my favorites. So, who’s hungry?
Abigail O., Age 15
Tribe of Simeon
At teen camp, each camper is assigned three activities that take up our time between breakfast and lunch each day. One of the three activities is a Bible topic discussion. Many deep aspects of our faith and God’s Word were brought up and there were plenty of opportunities for us to share about our beliefs.
Some of the focuses for our discussions were whether or not you can be a Christian and believe in evolution, what the deal is about hell, why it is awkward to share your faith, and if we should take the Bible literally or figuratively. These things really got me thinking and helped me see what God is like more clearly. I loved hearing what other people had to say as well as contributing my own convictions and beliefs.
It’s good if you have questions about the credibility of the Word of God, are just curious about Yeshua, or simply love hearing about peoples’ perspectives about Christianity. I feel that Bible Topics is an essential part of camp and helps people grow in their faith. I personally enjoyed Bible Topics the most out of all the activities and I think you would too!
Alex J., Age 15
Tribe of Issachar
My name is Alex, this is my last year of teen camp, and I feel that I connect to God best and feel His presence most during worship. We have worship before Tabernacle and Anonymous is the leader of the worship band. She plays the keyboard and sings. Scooter plays the cajon and there are campers that play in the worship b
and as well. Penina plays Strings’ violin, Alyssa plays the guitar, and Kaelee sings.
I think worship is amazing because it’s a very personal experience between you and God and it doesn’t matter who else is in the room. You’re able to close your eyes and it’s a very intimate one on one connection with God. Camp makes this very easy to do because you’re surrounded by like-minded people. One time during worship I felt very connected to God and I stopped singing and I let the lyrics run through me.
Next year I hope to be staff and I hope to be on the worship team and influence the next generation of campers through worship and finding a deep love for glorifying God.
Sydney F., Age 13
Tribe of Asher
Hi, my name is Sydney. I went to Camp Gilgal and I want to tell you about tribe time. Tribe time is being with your tribe and getting to know your tribe and maybe becoming friends with some people and know more about your tribe. What my tribe did for tribe time is the wall during the low ropes course. It’s on the initiatives course. We were walking in the woods looking for which initiatives course to go on when we saw this ten foot wall. Nature Valley encouraged us to all climb the wall and I’m glad she did. We were all scared because the way you had to get up was to have your tribe lift you up. You had to stand on their hands and they would lift you over their head. Everyone in my tribe was pretty short so we had some difficulty grabbing on and pulling ourselves up. Gracie went up the steps to pull everyone up over the ledge. I thought we weren’t going to get everyone up there, but to my surprise we all made it up. The initiatives low course has taught me to trust my tribe a lot more. I’m so glad Nature Valley was my staff and she taught me how to trust God and other people more.
Hannah K., Age 13
Tribe of Asher
Camp Gilgal is a lot of fun but one of the main things that I look forward to is the food. In this article I will tell you about my favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner at camp. Camp Gilgal is known for its wonderful, delicious food. I 
decided to write about food because I just love food. It’s literally the best thing ever. Also I get hungry really fast so food is important to me.
My favorite breakfast was the French toast sticks. However, all the campers love the waffles (including me). I’m pretty sure everyone likes the waffles because you can put whipped cream, strawberries and chocolate chips on the waffles.
It’s time for lunch! At lunch and dinner you have to get vegetables which I don’t mind because I love my veggies. My favorite food at lunch are the smiley fries and I think everyone would agree with me, because it’s the fries that smile back, smiley fries. Dinner is probably my favorite meal. I absolutely love the chicken!
That’s it for now… bon appetite!
Levi W., Age 9
Tribe of Asher
Hi, I’m Levi and I’m nine years old and my favorite part of camp was making our tribe degel (flag). Our tribe name was Asher and our degel was awesome! One of the best parts of our degel was the cool tree. The other magnificent part was when we signed our names, and Indiana Jones’ was the most amazing. The reason we make the degelim is because every meal we line up with them. It helps the out of cabin staff and RedSox to know which tribe we are. We also bring our degel to the Mishkan where we pray and sing songs. If you steal another tribe’s degel, they have to do something silly to earn their degel back. One tribe made another tribe do the chicken dance. At first we wanted the blue colored degel so we fought for it, but we lost. But I am actually glad that we got the orange colored degel after all, so that was a good thing. Our degel had a tree in the middle and a sunrise behind the tree. Also, we all signed our names behind everything. The other cool part about Camp Gilgal is that the staff get to help with making our own degelim. In conclusion making our tribe degel was awesome. It was a great start to an awesome first year at camp.
Aylo L., Age 8
Tribe of Simeon
My name is Aylo and it is my first time at Camp Gilgal. For the past week I’ve learned SO much Hebrew! At camp our Hebrew teacher is Beardo. This year we learned the V’ahavta and the motions to it. We also learned the Alef-Bet, Hebrew num
bers (1-10) and even number equations all in Hebrew! I think the most fun thing I learned in Hebrew was learning sentences. My favorite sentence that I learned is probably “Ani ohevet et devime.” When the time came we held a Hebrew tournament! That’s when all the Hebrew classes compete against each other. In the beginning my team was losing. But in the middle we shot up and were in first place for a while. However, at the end we did happen to come in second place. Although we came in second place, Beardo said next week there will be another chance to come in first. I thought we would come in first because I knew Hebrew before camp. This is my favorite word in Hebrew: “Sababa.” That words means “Awesome!” I think that Hebrew quizzing is more stressful than Hebrew class because in Hebrew class you are learning Hebrew for the quiz. In Hebrew quizzing people are testing you to see what you have learned!
Eliana W., Age 12
Tribe of Benjamin
During camp this year I was thinking about what makes Camp Gilgal so unique. One of my thoughts was the camp names, for example, Anonymous, Squid, Twister, Mochi and other creative titles. The staff choose their own names. Some of the names are chosen because of nicknames they like, or if they just like the sound of it. Camp names are special so we are not told the staff’s real names. At first when you think about not knowing your tribe leader’s name the idea is weird, but when you go to camp it’s perfectly normal. Personally I love having camp names. When I become staff my name will probably be Eragon. To me camp names are one of the most creative aspects of camp. One of the staff is named Sneezy. She chose her name because she has allergies, causing her to sneeze many times consecutively. Mochi’s name was inspired by the Japanese dessert and she liked the sound of it.
Rachel H., Age 12
Tribe of Benjamin
One of my favorite parts of Camp Gilgal is Shabbat. Seeing everyone gather together in unity and peace gives me an overwhelming sense of happiness. With everyone in their best clothes all singing to the Lord, it feels as if, just for a second I can see a glimpse of what heaven will be like. This year, since we were the oldest female tribe, the tribe of Benjamin got to lead the blessing over the candles. It was truly magical, with the gleam of the candles reflected on everyone’s faces. The blessings for Shabbat are some of the most beautiful I have ever heard and I love
to sing them. After we lit the candles, juice boxes and a piece of challah bread were passed around. The oldest male tribe, the tribe of Judah, led the blessings over the juice and challah. Shabbat is a special time for me, because it has such a sense of community surrounding it. You really do feel like everyone at Camp Gilgal is your family. I am grateful to God for giving us a day for rest, and at Camp Gilgal Shabbat isn’t celebrated like any other holiday. They put their own special twist on regular traditions, to help us understand them better and to let us have a great time doing them. For instance, what other camp has the oldest male and female tribes do the blessings? Camp Gilgal’s the only one I know of. Camp Gilgal is a special place, where friendship and unity endure, especially when it’s Shabbat. Shabbat Shalom!
Eliana A., Age 12
Tribe of Benjamin
Just from one week here at camp, I feel so much closer to God. This camp encourages uniqueness and openness, which is something most people don’t get to experience. All of the staff are SUPER nice and they’re always ready to help, whether it’s a stuck zipper or a prayer request. Camp Gilgal has the perfect balance of fun and rules. At campfire, we get to go crazy with the songs, but then we all calm down for the great campfire talks from the staff. We’ve heard from them about ministering to others, trusting God (because He always has your best interest), finding good community, how to pray, and learning that you don’t have to feel alone because God is always with you. We’ve heard all of these, and camp isn’t even over yet. Each morning, the campers gather together in the Mishkan to worship and praise God. There we hear from RedSox about God and how He works in miraculous ways. We always sing the Shema, but on Shabbat we sing most of the traditional Messianic liturgy. I always knew what the liturgy was but I never thought of it as me talking to God, just using what someone already said. When Strings said that something clicked, and now every time I sing liturgy, I actually feel involved. Every night after campfire of whatever else, each tribe goes to their cabin and does devotions. My tribe has been studying Psalms. A particularly interesting one was Psalm 51. Our ATL asked us why that psalm was written, and we read that it was written right after David sinned with Bathsheba. We came to the conclusion that this psalm can be used for any sin, not just David’s. Camp has God’s presence in all activities, not just these three I mentioned. Talking and praying with the staff isn’t just an option, it’s encouraged and welcomed. Jews for Jesus is really for Jesus, and this camp is undeniable proof.
Ephraim L., Age 11
Tribe of Judah
Hebrew quizzing is quizzing that’s also a game show. It is new to Camp Gilgal East but has been done before at Camp Gilgal Midwest. It is different from Hebrew because in Hebrew we learn more about the language and that helps for our Hebrew quizzing. It is a really fun thing to do. My favorite word is Mayim because the song is funny and comes with a dance. During Hebrew quizzing we have Hebrew questions. Every correct answer is worth 10 points so my team the Chicken Toots finished with a total of 350 points. We answered 26 questions right. On the first day the scores were really close. The Shark Molars had 20 points, the Hebrew Heroes had 30 points, and my team the Chicken Toots had a total of 40 points. The next day we had a Hebrew tournament with five categories – Alef Bet, Numbers, Words, Fill in the Blank, and Pictionary. For calling the answers we used buzzers and a can with a stick. We were at a disadvantage because our buzzer was slower than everyone else so we got a drum. After that we caught up pretty fast. Then, at the end we had one last questions and it was worth 100 points. The last question was, you have to sing “Am Yisreal Chai” so we barely made it with the drum, and sang the song to victory. We are going to get a prize but it is still a mystery.
Isaac G., Age 10
Tribe of Judah
I love the different types of meals we have at Camp Gilgal. On Friday morning we have, in my opinion, the best breakfast ever: waffles! They are not just ordinary waffles, they are waffle sundaes! With the waffle sundaes we are able to put whipped cream, strawberries, chocolate shavings, and maple syrup. They were so good, I had two of them. On the same day, for lunch, I had crispy chicken tenders with ketchup and BBQ sauce. For lunch and dinner, we get to have vegetables and if we eat them, we can have whatever delicious dessert chef has prepared for us. That day, we had broccoli which is my favorite vegetable. For Shabbat dinner, we had lasagna and rosemary bread. 
The vegetable was cooked asparagus. In the lasagna, there were different kinds of cheeses and sauce, but there was no meat, so our vegetarian friends were able to enjoy it too. For dessert we had delicious snickerdoodles that the chef made for the whole camp. The meals on Friday made that day especially awesome. The food at Camp Gilgal is so tasty. I could die for their food and can’t wait to eat it again.
Netanya W., Age 12
Tribe of Benjamin
Almost every night we have campfire. I think campfire is a great way to end the day because at campfire we sing songs, look at the amazing view and talk about God. The first things we do a
t campfire is sing. There’s an amazing singing time first. There’s a different one almost every night. We sing fun songs with some dance moves. We sing about three to five songs. The last few are slower songs. The view is amazing. The sky is so pretty. It’s nice to see the pinkish orange sky and the beautiful sunset that God created. Every campfire we have a staff member talk about God. We call it campfire talk. At the end of their campfire talk they give campers a choice if they would like to stay back and talk to them if they have any questions or if they would like to head back to their cabins. I love hearing the campfire talks because they help you get closer to God and understand a lot more about Him. Also you get to hear how whatever they talked about helped them in their lives. Some of the campfire talks we have done so far are about trusting God, looking to Him through tough times, community, ministry, the power of prayer, and my favorite campfire talk was about weakness. It was about 
how everyone has a weakness, and they may be embarrassed or ashamed of it and it may make them weak but God’s power is much bigger and greater than that weakness. That you can walk with that weakness and you’ll be alright because God is with you. Jalapeno did an awesome job! I love campfire because you learn great things and campfire talks support you and help you. You can talk about almost everything because here at Camp Gilgal we’re a family. I’m so happy and thankful I’m in the Camp Gilgal family because camp is where I’m most happy and it’s my favorite place to be.
Halye G., Age 8
Tribe of Simeon
My name is Halye. This is my first time at Camp Gilgal and my favorite part of Camp Gilgal so far is Counselor Hunt. The rules are you have to wear sneakers because we will play in the woods. The camp staff will give you a buddy. My buddy was a girl named Meaghan. 
The camp staff pick an animal they want to be and they say what animal they are and how you get them back to the campfire. There were Rolly Pollies, Siamese cats, a black bear, an annoying leopard and even a dinosaur! The hardest animal to catch were the Siamese cats because they were very scared and sassy. Some hide in trees and some are very easy to find but hard to get back to the campfire. Some are annoying and some are dangerous. We played the game on the Fourth of July. After we played we watched the fireworks. I loved the game. I think Counselor Hunt was the best game I have ever played in my life because it was so fun and different!
Halye G. and Aylo L., Ages 8
Tribe of Simeon
M.I stands for Mission Impossible! It is probably the most fun game I’ve ever played in my life! It started like this: we were doing devotions after campfire and getting ready for bed. All of a sudden, we heard spooky music outside the door. I thought it was a bad guy alert, but really it was the M.I. theme song! Before we left the cabins, we had to dress in all black clothes. I was so excited that I fell over! We ran to the Mishkan and I heard spooky music again. I was even more scared and excited now! RedSox and the staff said, “Welcome to Mission Impossible!” My friends and I were tired because we played at 9:00 pm, but when we were playing it felt like 12:00 am! The best part of M.I. was when my tribe won (not to remind you we are the youngest tribe in all of camp)! It is all of our campers first time at camp and we still won. Our mission was to find Taylor Swift. We had to find songs that Taylor Swift sang. The songs were clues to find her. For example, when the song on the clue was “Bad Blood” we had to go to the infirmary to pick up our next clue. But, it wasn’t as easy as that because we had to get to the clues without getting caught by the ATLs and out of cabin staff who were the spotters. Spotters are people who hold flashlights and try to find you, and when they catch you your tribe has to run back to your cabin and start that clue again. My tribe only got spotted once. When we were at the campfire we saw Taylor Swift. This was our final destination before going back to the Mishkan! She looked so funny, but we had a job we still needed to do. We needed to collect all of our clues and flip them around to make a sentence. We were missing a clue, but we guessed the word! Taylor Swift (it was really Sitruce!) ran back with us and we finally found ourselves in the Mishkan eating popsicles. We had saved Taylor Swift! It was awesome and we can’t wait to play again next year!
Daniel C., Age 11
Tribe of Judah
Capture the Degel is a fun game we play at camp. I ran really fast past the other team a lot. When Ephraim and I were distracting the other team, Isaac’s sister told Isaac where the degel was. He got the degel by distracting them. I think my team was the best because we had the fastest players and the best strategy. We would get half the other team in jail then charged and looked for the degel. Every year my team always wins. We never give up and 
risk it. Plus degel means flag in Hebrew. The main point of the game was to find the degel and take it to your side and you win. It’s more fun at Camp Gilgal because we have a good map and fun people. I like Capture the Degel because you use a lot of your energy and you have to use a lot of strategy. It was better this year because we got pennies and a good team. It was extra awesome when I dodged someone from another team by doing rolls. Capture the Degel is my favorite activity. I wish we could do it every day.
Ava G., Age 8
Tribe of Simeon
Hiking is really fun because we play games and see a wonderful views!! We also see really cool things like flowers, mountains and trees. It is very beautiful scenery. It is also fun because we’re together with our fri
ends. One time, Sneezy and Sitruce took us around the boating pond on the other side of camp. We saw lots of flowers and we sang campfire songs along the way. After we finished the hike we sat in a circle and played the animal game and the vegetable game. The animal game is when you choose an animal and then an action to go with it. You call out to other animals using the action for their animal. The vegetable game is similar but you call out to other vegetables without showing your teeth! That was my favorite hike but we also did one when we went up to sunset where we have campfire. Hiking is always a great adventure and that’s why I love it!
Matthew
S., Age 10
Tribe of Asher
Hi my name is Matthew and in this article you will learn what you would learn in archery. Also you will learn the rules that you learn in archery. The correct position for shooting is when your feet are in baseball stance. Your left hand is holding the bow if you’re a righty (other way around if you’re a lefty). The colored feather facing the outside of the bow and the bow string must be able to reach your jaw when you fire after aiming. I want to tell you the rules so you can stay safe. The rules in archery are, don’t pick up your bow until the staff tell you to. Do not get your arrows until everyone is done shooting, and don’t shoot until told to. I like archery because you get to shoot arrows, and also you can keep doing it and keep getting better at it. I like shooting arrows because sometimes I hit the target and it feels awesome. This year I shot one bullseye. I picked archery because I like to concentrate on things while having fun. Archery benefits your hand-eye coordination and I love that I get to do it at Camp Gilgal.
Ezra L., Age 9
Tribe of Asher
Nukum is a game where there is a ball and a net and you throw the ball over the net. If the ball lands on the ground and you’re next to the ball you will be out. I love Nukum because if you catch the ball with one hand and somebody is out you get that person back in. Once I caught the ball in the rain with one hand and I got a person back in. You should play Nukum because it is fun and you can’t play Nukum anywhere else. Another game I like is soccer. It is so fun too. Also I like to play Capture the Degel. I like to play Capture the Degel because you get to chase other opponents. I like soccer because I get to slide and catch the ball. Also you can use other balls in Nukum such as soccer balls, volleyballs, basketballs, and kickballs. Nukum is called that because you pretend to blow up the other players (at least that’s what I think). [Editor’s Note: It was actually named after a gym teacher at Sophie Newcomb College.]
Vivian K., Age 8
Tribe of Simeon
My name is Vivian. I like to do crafts and I am good at it. My favorite craft is mosaics. The colors that I used were blue, purple, green, yellow, orange, red and pink. The craft teacher is Jalapeño. My mosaic was a flower which I made very colorful. We used hammers to break the colorful tiles. It was my first time using a hammer! I love making mosaics, I think it is so cool. First, we draw a picture of what we want on our mosaics on a piece of paper. Next, we put down the broken tiles onto the board and glued them down. All the tiles must have some space in between them to make room for the grout later on. Once all the tiles are arranged, it is time for the grout! Grout is sandy and you mix it with wat
er to make a paste. The staff do this for you. Then you spread it over your piece like peanut butter and wait for it to dry. Then, you wipe the grout off the tiles to reveal your artwork! After that we decorated the frame with wood burners and then we stain the frame. I had so much fun in craft and I’m going to give my mosaic to my mom and dad.
Noah N., Age 9
Tribe of Asher
On Sunday we left home and it took two hours to get to Camp Gilgal. The first thing we did is have dinner. Later after dinner we took the swimming test. If you don’t know how to swim then you go to the shallow part of the pool. If you kinda know how to swim you go to the middle of the pool. If you know how to swim you go to the deep end of the pool. To make the pool safe the lifeguard sometimes says “buddy check” so you go to your buddy. Also there is a basketball hoop, sometimes they did men vs. ladies, and it was really, really fun. My favorite thing to do in the pool is splash other people. Sometimes I swim away from getting splashed. The way I would make the pool better is by getting a diving board. Then we could jump really, really high in the sky and then make a big splash that would be really awesome. The best day I had at the pool is the first day. It was so dramatic because I was so tired when I was treading water. That was my awesome and wonderful first day of camp. Another day at camp, still talking about the pool, was the second day of camp. We went swimming again and we did staff vs. campers and that was my second day of camp. Basically, any day my favorite thing is being in the pool at camp!
Ava G., Age 8
Tribe of Simeon
At Camp Gilgal we get to celebrate the Fourth of July together. Fourth of July was on the first full day of camp this year. We had arrived the day before and took the swim test, unpacked, ate dinner, worked on our tribe degelim (flags) and had a campfire. My whole tribe got green bands for the swim test which means we can all swim in the deep end. When we woke up the next day it was the Fourth of July and we were all really excited. Sadly, I missed a big party at home but I had so much fun at camp I didn’t even think about it! It was a great day with the full activities. All day we wore red, white and blue and we got points for doing this. At dinner we participated in a theme meal to show our American spirit. I wore a red tank top with white spots and blue jean shorts with the American flag on them. Also I really liked the cookies at lunch and dinner because they were red and blue with white sprinkles. At night we went to campfire to watch the sunset and see fireworks. Sunset is also the place where my tribe slept on our campout night. It was cool to see the fireworks on top of the mountain. Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays and it was fun to celebrate it at camp with my friends.
Halye G., Age 8
Tribe of Simeon
Hi my name is Halye and my favorite part of the day is in the pool. Before you go in the pool you need a buddy. I am always buddies with my friends. The best part about the pool is playing basketball. I love basketball in the pool because I get to play with the staff and we always do ladies aga
inst men. The ladies always win, but one day I scored five balls! I was the only small kid there so I was really lucky. I played for so long that I was the second to last out of the pool! I love jumping in the pool because then I don’t have to walk in and get cold. Me and my friends jump in holding hands and we do more awesome stuff together too! If you don’t want to swim you can play games in the game room or hang out with your friends. There is a ping pong table, an air hockey table, card games and foosball in the game room. The Gilgal Store is open at pool time. You can buy toys, shirts, candy, and anything you forgot at home! However, most people choose to swim during this time because it is fun and it is hot outside! I love pool time because you can never be bored!
Faith B., Age 12
Tribe of Benjamin
Mochi is an ATL (Assistant Tribe Leader) at Camp Gilgal. Her camp name is Mochi because Mochi is a Japanese dessert that she loves the taste of. Mochi often likes to fangirl over K-pop (Korean pop music) with Sunshine who is another tribe leader at Camp Gilgal. Mochi loves South Korea because of its beauty and food. Mochi likes Psalm 106:3 because it serves as a reminder for her to live her life in a godly manner. Mochi likes reading, and she will read anything and everything. Mochi plays violin, viola, and clarinet. Mochi is a very funny tribe leader and she is very nice. Mochi provides for all your needs (including gummy bears). I picked Mochi for my article topic because she is an awesome ATL to write about here at Camp Gilgal 2016. She is in my tribe of Benjamin.
Alana F., Age 12
Tribe of Benjamin
RedSox is a very nice, kind, inspiring person at camp. I’ve known her for three years and she is one of the kindest people I have ever met. She is like my mom. When I am at camp, whenever I have trouble with something or I miss home I can always count on her to comfort me and support me. RedSox is the director of camp and she does it in a great way. That means she doesn’t need to yell at kids to get things done. She is the Bible teacher in Tabernacle and makes things fun and upbeat as she helps us learn about God. Some people can make the Bible really boring, but she makes it really fun. In the morning, she greets us for line up at kikar (the line up spot) with “Boker Tov” and sometimes dental inspection. If you have a project you’re having trouble doing, RedSox will help you focus and get it done (like postcards, Gilgal Gazette, sending letters, learning verses – whatever)! She inspires me and a lot of other campers. If you’ve come to camp you already know she’s awesome, but if you haven’t I hope you come soon!
Hannah H., Age 11
Tribe of Asher
My heart was pounding hard. My harness got clipped to the rock wall. “On belay?” I called out to my belay team. “Belay on,” they called back. “Climbing?” I said. “Climb On,” they respond
ed. It was my second time climbing up the wall and the first time I didn’t make it up because of one little part that tricked me and I got stuck. So I started to climb and climb, it was really easy until I hit the bad part. My belay team was yelling “Push, push, push!” I tried once, but fell back. I felt like I was going to fall if I let go, but I had to learn to trust that my belay team wouldn’t drop me. They kept on saying, “Push your legs, you can do it!” So I pushed as hard and I could and grabbed onto the rock and climbed all the way up to the tippy top and rang the bell. I had to stay there for a minute to wait for Blewish to take a picture of me at the top. That was the best rockwall climbing moment of my life.
Efren S., Age 13
Have you ever wanted to go paintballing? Well, if you haven’t then you should come to Camp Gilgal. It was pretty fun paintballing and terrifying because you could have gotten shot by your own teammates. Also, for the first round all of the rooms were dark. It also hurts the moment you get shot. It feels great when you shoot someone else. I only shot a few people because of how scared I was to walk from room to room.
Abigail H., Age 14
Campfire is one of my favorite activities at teen camp. The fire just sucks you in, it is so mesmerizing. Bullfrog led music, he played guitar and sang. After the singing, the staff took turns giving their testimonies on each night. I like learning about people because it makes our relationships with the staff more personal. The second to last night of teen camp we sang traditional camp songs like The Banana Song, Baby Whale, and When the Saints Go Marching In. That was my favorite part. After that we just hung out eating candy and talking. I really like hanging out with Bologna, Rocky and Baloo. They are the best!
Mariam G., Age 13
On Friday, July 15th, we played Counselor Hunt. We played it in downtown Grand Rapids. We drove in a fifteen passenger van, and it took us over an hour to drive there. I sat in the back along with some other campers while Blewish drove. While he was driving he did not put the air conditioning on and Bologna didn’t put any music on, so it was an awkward silence the whole way there. We were told to be on teams of three, and to choose our own teammates. I was on a team with Lily and Nena. We were then given an hour and a half to find the counselor. The first place we went was to a coffee shop, but even though we didn’t find anyone there we saw Rocky outside and told her to hide in there. We walked around for a while and eventually found Bullfrog in a deli. Next we found Bologna and Baloo sitting under a tree at a park nearby. Now the only one left was Goliath, Lily thought. But she had really seen Goliath dressed up earlier, but hadn’t realized it was him. She said it was either Goliath or a really ugly lady she saw near the beginning of the game, but we had walked away. Later near the end we went to another coffee shop and when we looked into the window we saw a Goliath wearing a skirt, wig, hat, glasses and having shaved his beard. After that we went back to camp and Goliath was driving, while Rocky played music and we also had air conditioning.
Nena K., Age 14
This year at Camp Gilgal we played Mission Impossible, but there was a twist from the usual rules. Instead of sneaking around looking for clues, while trying to not get caught by spotters, we snuck around all of camp looking for glow sticks. We were given a clue as to t
he different locations of the glow sticks. The goal was to collect the most glow sticks with your team. After we were all sent out and went our separate ways, my team went to the dining hall first. We chose to go there because we assumed there would be more spotters at the other locations. After the dining hall we made our way to the rock wall, but we were spotted by Bologna and had to return all the way back to camp. Soon after that we saw a spotter get picked up in a van then we realized that no one was spotting anymore. We then ran to the lake and saw that everyone gave up and went back to camp. After all of the teams were back and glow sticks were counted, we realized that our team had won by one glow stick! I was excited I hope we can play this version of Mission and Possible again.
Debbie S., Age 14
Camp Gilgal isn’t all fun and games! Everything is good except for the… nights!!! Campers might say, “The first and second nights are the worst.” Well, that is not true – or at least it was not for me or my cabin. My tribe consisted of Nena, Lily, Jennifer, and Rocky as our tribe leader. We literally had to sleep from 11:00pm to 2:00am every night! At first it was because Nena would talk in our cabin, but then the critters struck. The first night we were up talking really late and heard some weird noises, which had us all scared. Rocky decided to get a broom for protection and went to check it out, and it was a mouse. The mouse didn’t leave until the third or fourth night. Rocky and I were so scared we didn’t sleep until we saw what the mouse was doing. Then the next day a big group of ants were by my bed. So now I had a mouse and ants to fuss about. I killed like ten ants, Nena was also killing ants, but she was much crazier than I was. I only slept well for three nights out of the whole week of teen camp. So for the kids that say, “The first and second nights are the worst,” it is not always true. Also everyone should know even though I hate the raccoons, mice, and bugs, I still can’t wait for next year.
Gloria C., Age 13
On day three of teen camp, we went horseback riding. At first I was nervous since I’ve never really had a good experience with horses. The horse I got was named Caspian, and he was pretty big. He moved his legs a lot when we were waiting to go, which brought me to the b
rink of tears. Bologna was behind me, and one of the workers was behind her which helped me feel a bit better. The beginning of the ride was a lot of stop and go, because the trainer said the horse I was riding needed more space than the others. We rode on the horse trails in the woods. Miriam and Jennifer were ahead of me. The ride was really fun and relaxing, and it was like a nature walk without the effort. I’m not nervous about riding horses anymore.
Isaac P., Age 10
Tribe of Benjamin
For this article, I got to interview Stix. Here are the questions and answers from my interview. Did you used to be a camper here? Stix said, “Yes.” Next, what is your favorite activity? Stix said, “Wells Fargo!” Next, when did you come to camp? Stix said, “When I was nine years old.” What is your real name? Stix replied, “That is an excellent question.” Why did you come here to camp? “To have fun and get closer to Jesus.” What is your fake name in Hebrew? Stix said, “?” How did you learn how to play the drums? Stix said, “From my dad.” Which team do you root for, Smoggers or Foggers? Stix said, “They both have a purpose.”
Joshua B., Age 9
Tribe of Benjamin
My name is Joshua B. I am nine years old and am in the tribe of Benjamin. At camp, I interviewed Sherbert. She’s an out-of-cabin staff member at Camp Gilgal West. I asked her many questions.
I asked, “What type of ice cream are you?” 
and she said Sherbert. Also, I asked her about how she got her name and she answered, “My mom ate a lot of sherbet ice cream when I was in her belly. When I was born she named me Sherbert.” I asked, “What is your favorite sport?” She said, “Tennis. I love tennis. I also love baseball.” “What is your favorite color?” I asked. “Orange and blue.” I asked, “Have you ever been injured?” She said, “I sprained my ankle.” “Have you been to space?” I asked. “No, I have not been to space.” I asked, “Have you been to Mexico?” She said, “Yes, I have been to Mexico.” I asked, “Where did you grow up?” This was my last question. “I grew up in Orange County, California.”
Who is Sherbert to you? She is a wonderful woman. Sherbert is really nice.
Raina W., Age 8
Tribe of Reuben
I decided to interview a really cool staff member named Yamaha! I asked him how long he has been going to camp and he said he has been coming for twelve years. Next I asked about his favorite camp food and his answer was the breakfast we actually ate this morning, pancakes and turkey bacon. His favorite worship song is “Holy Moment” and he is our worship leader this year. He has been playing guitar for four years and he played the guitar in the Fourth of July parade in Columbia for us this year. One thing Yamaha likes to do during free time is to sleep. I asked him about his favorite night game and he said that his favorite is Wells Fargo. When he was a camper his first tribe leaders were Sonic, Cosmo, and Gonzo, and his favorite cabin he stayed in was Yankee Hill. His favorite thing about camp is being with all the campers, and he has been a part of the camp staff for five years now. Yamaha accepted Yeshua into his heart when he was in the first grade. I’m really glad Yamaha was here this year and I’m glad I got to interview him!
Rebecca S., Age 9
Tribe of Reuben
Guess what my tribe name is? It is Reuben. A flower is what represents Reuben. On Super Hero Night my tribe was Flower Power. We have flowers on capes, flower hair clips, and everything flowery. For cabin decoration we did the sower and the seed. My cabin mates are: Zoe, Raina, Ellie, and Rebecca P. My tribe leaders are Macaroni and Pippin. On Fashion Disaster Night, we had crazy hair, crazy makeup, and crazy clothes. When it was Mission Impossible, our first clue was to go to the carpetball tables, then we went to the campfire, the gazebo, water tower, volleyball court, and the dining hall. We got second place.
I’m interviewing my staff. First off I asked Pippin. She said her favorite food is potatoes. She has been a tribe leader for two years. Pippin’s favorite camp game is Capture the Degel. When I asked her if she liked being staff or a camper better she said she liked being both the same.
This is about Macaroni. Her favorite night game is also Capture the Degel. Macaroni’s favorite camp food is chicken and vegetables. When I asked her which theme night was her favorite, she said it was Bible Story Night. She likes being staff better than a camper.
Tyler H., Age 10
Tribe of Naphtali
Hi. My name is Tyler and I’m ten years old. I’m going to tell you a little about a tribe leader named Chewbacca. Chewbacca’s tribe is Benjamin. Chewbacca says he is anywhere between five and 25. C
hewbacca’s favorite part of camp is Capture the Degel. He likes it because he likes to strategize and sing in the jail circle. Chewbacca’s favorite color is red. Chewbacca’s favorite food is ribeye steak. Chewbacca likes to watch thriller movies. Chewbacca loves sleeping and cooking. Chewbacca once was Camper of the Year. He is proud of it. Chewbacca’s favorite theme night is “What a Mensch” Night because everybody is nice to each other. Chewbacca’s favorite worship song is “Indescribable” by Chris Tomlin. Chewbacca’s favorite drink is an Arnold Palmer. Chewbacca plays the guitar. He’s not very good at it though. When I asked Chewbacca if he had a girlfriend he said, and I quote, “Probably not.” As you can see Chewbacca is a radical dude and a great tribe leader.
Carrie M., Age 12
Tribe of Zebulun
We are the tribe of Zebulun. Our tribe members are Bailey, Zoë, Persaeus, Erica, and Carrie. Our tribe leaders are Mahoney and S’mores. We do almost everything together! For example, we eat together, have Tabernacle together, play night games together, and lastly, we work as a team together. To get to our cabin, we have to walk up a HUGE hill. Since we are the oldest tribe, our cabin, “Grizzly Flat,”
is the farthest away. During Tabernacle, we sings songs before Streetlight, the camp director, leads us into our morning Bible study. We usually sing songs we all know, but when we learn a new song, we try to harmonize to it. When it is F.O.B. (FLAT ON BUNK) time, we memorize bits of the Bible that Streetlight assigns for us to get points. At the end of camp, they total our score of however many points we got, and they announce the Tribe of the Year. Then, we have an awards ceremony for all of the campers. Camp Gilgal is a second home for me and my campmates.
Erica B., Age 12
Tribe of Zebulun
A veteran to this glorious camp, a comedian who makes us laugh hysterically, a singer with a beautiful voice, and the thing she’s mostly known for…is being a noodle. I have grown up with Macaroni mostly in winter camp. Although she’s obviously not been in the same cabin as me, I have still witnessed the powerful impact she puts in our lives. Here are some of the things I have learned about her:
The first thing I asked Macaroni was, “How long have you been involved with Camp Gilgal, staff and camper wise?” She replied, “Ten years” in a confirmative voice after silently counting with her fingers. Second, I asked her, “What environment did you grow up in?” She answered, “I was raised in a Christian home.” She also told me, “I became stronger in the faith when I was thirteen at teen camp.” Another question I asked was, “Who do you consider your role model?” She said, “My sister, Hoops.” I also asked her, “What is the most epic moment you have seen God’s presence?” Macaroni responded, “I was at Yosemite and worshiping when a strong wind came and shook the trees… I felt His power.” She told me her future dream was to be a nurse, and I hope Jesus works in her life.
Bailey H., Age 11
Tribe of Zebulun
Oofnik is a very interesting tribe leader. In F.O.B., Oofnik sleeps. Oofnik’s favorite cabin is Dry Gulch and his favorite tribe names are Judah and Reuben. Oofnik’s favorite Bible story is Jesus’ death and resurrection. When I asked him if he thinks his tribe will be Tribe of the Year, he answered: “Maybe…Lord willing.”
Oofnik has an impressive history. H
e has been part of a Tribe of the Year AND was Camper of the Year!
His favorite movie is Talladega Nights. His favorite animals are dogs and giraffes. When I asked him what his favorite month was, he couldn’t decide between August and December. His most favorite day of the week is Friday.
If you are wondering about Oofnik’s hobbies, wonder no more. While at camp, Oofnik spends his free time watching the campers and playing carpetball. Oofnik told me that his favorite show is Shalom Sesame Street, but he doesn’t watch it any more.
Oofnik’s favorite sport is surfing and his favorite word is “quite.” He likes college-ruled paper much better than wide-ruled because he doesn’t “feel like a kindergartener” when he writes on it. Since Oofnik originated from Shalom Sesame Street I thought it would be appropriate to ask him his favorite Hebrew word and it is Soof-ga-nee-YAH. That means Jelly Donut. Oofnik’s lucky number is 777 and his favorite drink is boba.
Oofnik’s favorite theme night is Utensil Night (because of the food) and he likes Men’s Day better than horseback riding. He “maybe” wants to be out-of-cabin staff someday and his favorite color is pink and his favorite food is pizza. Oofnik is a fascinating tribe leader that you should meet for yourself.
Eliana R., Age 10
Tribe of Issachar
Hi I’m Eliana, I’m ten years old and I’m in the tribe of Issachar. One of my tribe leaders’ name is Sauté. So I decided to interview her. My first question for her was, “What do you like best about camp?” She said, “I love seeing campers worshiping and loving God. I also love night games.” The second question I asked was, “What tribe are you in this year?” She said, “I am the tribe leader of tribe Issachar” (which is the tribe I’m in). The next question I asked her was, “What is the best thing you like about your tribe?” She said, “They are sweet and kind to each other, but the best thing I like about them is that they work together.” Then I asked her, “What night game do you like best?” She answered and said, “That is a hard question. I think the answer to that one is I like them all.” Then I asked her what her favorite ice cream was. She said, “I like English toffee crunch. That is my favorite ice cream.” Then I asked her, “What is your favorite color?” She said, “I don’t know. I like two different colors. One is red and the other is orange.” Then I said, “What is your favorite thing to do at Camp Gilgal?” She said, “I love to do activities with campers and staff.” (That is what I like to do best.) Then I said, “What do you want to do in the future?” “Do dance or art therapy with kids.” Sauté is a very interesting person in my opinion.
Emma B., Age 9
Tribe of Issachar
These answers are the key to success! Did you know that Snapple actually likes Snapple! I asked Snapple what’s her favorite cake and she said, “I love my mom’s red velvet cake with an almond butter cream frosting.” Snapple has been at camp Gilgal for 17 years. Snapple got her name by chipping her tooth on a Snapple bottle and she still drinks it today because it is so delicious! Snapple has never been snowb
oarding. Snapple used to play softball as a pitcher. Snapple’s favorite food is sushi. Snapple’s favorite camp activity is water balloon volleyball. Snapple’s favorite memory is sky diving with her best friend. Snapple knows sign language. Snapple’s favorite flower is a dahlia. Her job is a stylist when she is not at camp. Her favorite ice cream is mint chip. She wants an olive green Jeep Rubicon. Her favorite fruit is a plum. Snapple has been to Disneyland. She has known Streetlight for 11 years. She has also been on a plane. Her favorite movie is Stand By Me. Her favorite place to shop at is Target. Snapple says that she is good with technology. Her favorite part of camp is spending time with campers. Snapple likes to read. Snapple likes her hair down and wavy. Snapple’s favorite night game is Wells Fargo. Snapple’s favorite theme night is Bible Story Night. She knows Avi in Pentatonix from camp. Snapple has won a game of water balloon volleyball as a camper. I asked Snapple what her name was and she said, “Excellent question.” I hope you enjoyed my Snapple interview!
Channah A., Age 9
Tribe of Issachar
My tribe is Issachar. There are five girls in my tribe. We have lots of fun. Their names are Ahavah, Emma, Eli, and Shelby and me, Channah and my tribe leaders are Sauté and Mango. This year ou
r degel has a big sun on it with our names in the rays. Our tribe did really well with water balloon volleyball. We almost won! It was so fun. During FOB the other ladies and I pass notes to each other and we get a little loud. Our tribe is really close to nailing the memory verse! For Skit Night we did a version of the Good Samaritan. We enjoyed doing it because we worked together as a tribe. My favorite part about our tribe is that we are friends. Kulanu B’Yachad!!!
Channah A., Age 9
Tribe of Issachar
I’m i
n the tribe of Issachar and this year I interviewed Mango. Mango is one of my tribe leaders. In the first question, I asked Mango, “What is your favorite food?” She said, “My favorite food is mangos,” and that is kind of funny, because her name is Mango. The second question I asked her was, “What was your favorite craft at camp?” She said, “The mosaics,” and that is actually really nice, because we are doing mosaics this year. I asked her, “What theme night was your favorite?” She said, “Stop and Go Night.” We haven’t done that night. But I hope we can do it in the future. Next, I asked, “Do you like being a tribe leader?” She replied, “Yes!” And that’s what I was thinking. I next asked her, “If you could be any animal, what would it be?” She said, “A cheetah or a bunny.” Did you know that cheetahs are the fastest land animal on earth? Last, I asked Mango, “What’s your favorite sport?” She said, “Running.” I enjoyed interviewing Mango.
Talia W., Age 10
Tribe of Dan
Mahoney is a tribe leader here at Camp Gilgal. She is the ATL (Assistant Tribe Leader) for the oldest tribe of Zebulun. She lives in San Diego.
Mahoney’s favorite thing to do as a tribe leader is to be with campers all the time. Her favorite food is matzoh ball soup. She loves
Wells Fargo.
She wants to visit Israel and Australia. Mahoney’s favorite books of the Bible are Exodus, Psalms, and Romans. Her favorite song at camp is “Ten Thousand Reasons.”
She really likes What a Mensch Night. Her favorite things to do during F.O.B. are plan devos, write postcards home, and organize her suitcase. Mahoney’s favorite verse in the Bible is Romans 12:9-13.
Her favorite books are Cyrano de Bergerac and I Am the Messenger. She likes to play silent football at free time. Her favorite colors are periwinkle and emerald green.
Elie M., Age 10
Tribe of Dan
This year is Pippin’s second year as a tribe leader at Camp Gilgal. She is the tribe leader for Reuben, the youngest cabin, and Macaroni is her ATL. She’s really good at doing braids and helps everyone with their hair. She’s really cool and I wanted to interview her.
When I asked her if she liked line ups as a camper, she said yes because her tribes always had funny sayings. Her favorite Ladies Day as a camper was her first year because the theme was pirates. During free time she liked to play basketball and carpetball. It wasn’t difficult for her to choose a camp name because according to her, she was born with a love of Lord of the Rings and a need for second breakfast. As a camper she preferred Wells Fargo to M.I. because she always admired the tribe leaders and their accents. Pippin didn’t like F.O.B. at all as a camper. The only thing she did during it was stare at the ceiling.
Pippin grew up into a really great tribe leader and she’s even going to be a tribe leader at teen camp!
Steven M., Age 12
Tribe of Naphtali
My tribe is Naphtali. In the cabin we work together to get things done. In my cabin there is Sasha, Steven, Jonathan, Tyler, Oofnik, and Heimlich. When we clean we work hard until it’s done. We wake up early in the morning and clean to have time to play. We each clean our bed. Then we take turns sweeping. If we work hard enough 
together we can nail it.
We use teamwork also with water balloon volleyball, which we won. In all the games we stick together. We all get along. To win the Cabin of the Year we must work together and get along. We like to share things together.
Our mascot is the deer because a deer represents the tribe of Naphtali. We saw many deer and gained our courage as a group. We saw four to five in one group right by our cabin. Mission Impossible was a surprise. As soon as we went to bed it started. Our last envelope had a D, so we thought it was dodgeball, but it was dining hall! We always stay together. Naphtali is awesome.
Lily H., Age 10
Tribe of Dan
I am in one of the best tribes ever, Dan. I love being in the tribe of Dan because it’s what me and all my friends wanted to be in. I have four other cabinmates: Elie, Sarah, Shalom, and Talia, and two amazing tribe leaders, Sherlock and Chip. Our cabin is lots of fun because we get to eat lots of candy and play music. I love being with my four other friends because I’ve known them for two years. Our cabin is always full of laughter because, well, there’s a lot of funny stuff! My tribe always likes to be first at line up even if we don’t know what to say. My tribe also has a specific spot we like to sit at for meal times which is the front-right table. I asked one of my cabinmates, Sarah, what’s her favorite thing about being in the tribe of Dan? Sarah likes being with all of her cabinmates/friends. So overall, the tribe of Dan is really fun and probably the best tribe I’ve ever been in.
Alex S., Age 12
Tribe of Naphtali
It is so fun you get to shop, pan for gold, and make candles. Every year we go and march in Columbia. We show people the Lord. And they have
an awesome drink called sarsaparilla. It’s so good. It’s like root beer. At Columbia they have a lot of candy. One is a jaw breaker. If you chew it your jaw will break. You have to lick it till it’s gone. There is one store where the gold panning is that sells nice things like rilly guns, stones, fun kid toys, and other things. And there is a store where you make candles. One year I made one and it was so fun. And there’s a pond behind it. And there are poles with money on them that you have to climb but there is grease on the pole so it is very hard. And there is an egg throwing contest one year that I won with my friend Boaz. Every year to start the parade they shoot guns or fire a cannon.
Sarah M., Age 10
Tribe of Dan
One of the camp traditions at junior camp is playing dodgeball. It is optional to play dodgeball, but I play every year at Camp Gilgal. We are split into two teams. There are three games. Whichever team wins the most out of three games will win. This year my team lost.
According to Shalom M., she had a good time except for when she got hit in the face by Carrie M. Chip had a great time besides the fact it was burning hot outside. Shalom and Chip had a great time playing dodgeball.
My personal favorite part about playing dodgeball at camp is when I catch the dodgeball and bring in one of my players back in. I like to be on a team with Esquire because he is super hardcore and throws the ball really fast. I don’t run up and grab the ball immediately, so I don’t become out quickly.
I enjoy playing dodgeball with all of my friends at Camp Gilgal.
Jonah M., Age 8
Tribe of Benjamin
Ryan, what’s the highest price you would pay at the Camp Gilgal Store? “The highest I would pay at the Camp Gilgal Store is ten dollars.” Ryan, what was your favorite thing you
bought at the Camp Gilgal Store? “A cool keychain.” What’s the highest you have paid? “The highest I have paid is six dollars.” Ryan, what’s the lowest price you’ve paid? “Twenty-five cents.” What’s the most spending money you have brought to camp? “Forty dollars.”
Now I am interviewing Tyler. Tyler, what’s the highest price you will pay at the Camp Gilgal Store? “The highest I will pay is three dollars. And my favorite thing I have ever bought was my squeaky turkey and it was only twenty-five cents!”
Shelby H., Age 9
Tribe of Issachar
Free time is my favorite time of the day. You can go swimming, and you can play carpetball. There are a lot more things like making friendship bracelets. At free time I usually go swimming. Swimming is a lot of fun. There are a lot of toys to play with in the pool.
Carpetball is a lot of fun. You can play against other people. Carpetball will teach you patience and strength.
And don’t forget about making friendship bracelets. This activity takes patience and concentration. My tribe leaders make good friendship bracelets.
Erica B., Age 12
Tribe of Zebulun
It was a hot Saturday in Silver Spur… We were practicing for the Fourth of July Parade which was just two days away, when suddenly, Streetlight took a turn into the dining hall… Wh
en we saw the incredibly large dessert. The 20 foot long sundae had been presented to the campers.
Everyone scrambled to the small styrofoam bowls placed on the table and began piling ice cream into our bowls. When everyone finished serving themselves, we sat down to enjoy the delicious treat. Now, I will interview Zoë in what she thinks about the event. I asked her, “What was your favorite part of the 20 foot long sundae?” She replied, “Ooh! Me chugging down the ice cream!” It was amazing how just a small event can create such joyful memories. It’s funny how we can tell people we ate out rain gutters.
In conclusion, we had a ton of fun enjoying the ice cream, and having a mini dance party with wild music playing in the background. It was truly amazing and exciting. We all absolutely LOVED IT!
Bailey H., Age 11
Tribe of Zebulun
Mafia is a game we love to play at camp. The narrator secretly chooses a Mafia, Sheriff, and Doctor. Everyone closes their eyes. The Mafia can kill who they want by tapping them on the shoulder, the Sheriff can accuse who they want, and the Doctor can save whoever they want. If the Doctor saves the person the Mafia tried to kill, that person will not die. I interviewed some people about the game Mafia to see what they thought of it.
Chip
Q: Do you like to play Mafia?
A: Yes.
Q: What’s your favorite role to play?
A: Mafia.
Yamaha
Q: Have you played Mafia yet since camp started?
A: Not since camp started.
Q: Do you think you are good at Mafia?
A: Nobody’s good at Mafia.
Emma B., Age 9
Tribe of Issachar
I am going to be talking about what Camp Gilgal does in Hebrew. We do booklets, shrinky dinks, and other activities. With the booklets we get stamps when we say a Hebrew word on a page in the booklet. Once we get ten stamps we get a small prize o
r candy. When we finish all of our pages we get a big prize or more candy. Shrinky dinks are little plastic boxes with drawings that get shrunk into necklaces or bracelets. I have done my name, my tribe, and a Magen David. One of our other activities was braiding licorice to make a Havdalah candle. I made a fish tail and a regular braid. Usually Heimlich, Ewok, Esquire, Sauté, Mahoney, S’mores, and Pippin are in there. We are using Hebrew words all throughout camp. For example, during the food line we say “Ken todah” which means “Yes thank you” and if we don’t want something we say “Lo todah” which means “No thank you.” Learning Hebrew is so fun; getting to use the Hebrew we learn is awesome.
Ahavah M., Age 9
Tribe of Issachar
So here’s how it started. It was my second year and I got there and me and my sister, Shalom, went to the “Awesome” POOL! Also, the pool gets cold! But… then it’s… WARM!!!!! And when it’s warm I play with all of the noodles and then…BAM!!! I throw the ball to She
rbert and BAM!!!!!! Again she throws it back and then… we just keep throwing to each other. It’s so fun that’s why I’m writing about it. I love <3 to write also. But let’s get back to the story. But then after I swim for a very long time, I go out and play carpetball. It’s so fun when I get out and play I play against Tyler. That’s all for my pool story. I <3 the pool!!!
Jonathan P., Age 12
Tribe of Naphtali
Worship is a very important part of Camp Gilgal. Not only does it give you the opportunity to come closer to God, but you get to do that while singing and having fun. I love singing! One of the good opportunities of this is getting to praise the Lord through our voice. We get to sing to Him and tell Him how much we love Him. Worship is very important. My favorite part of worship is the variety of songs that we get to sing. One of my favorite songs to sing during worship is “Your Love Never Fails.” I like other songs too though. So worship can be really fun especially to sing with the rest of camp. I really hope the next year we get to learn a lot more fun songs and praise God. Heimlich says, “Worship is a great way to connect with God.” I agree. I really hope that you enjoyed my article.
Bailey H., Age 11
Tribe of Zebulun
The Fourth of July Parade is a privilege for all campers and staff. First, we go to Columbia and we practice our marching, singing, and chanting all together. Then, we fully get ready to march. This is a long, tedious process, because waiting in dusty hot weather isn’t always too fun. But soon we get to march in th
e parade and represent Yeshua and His love. And even better… on the Fourth of July!! Afterwards, we sit down to eat lunch. This year, my family drove all the way up to Columbia to surprise me so I got to eat lunch with them too! The Fourth of July is a memory I will never forget, or any of the other campers.
Lily H., Age 10
Tribe of Dan
Ladies Day is a very fun day because we (the ladies) get to have the whole camp to ourselves. On Ladies Day the men leave the camp while we have fun doing activities based around the theme for that year. We had “Around the World” as our theme this year.
It was really fun because we could travel to five different places which were Israel, Japan, Costa Rica, France, and Spain. Each country had a little station where you could do a little activity. We also got a little passp
ort that we brought with us to each country to be stamped.
My favorite place that I went to was Japan because we got to make candy sushi with Poppins. In Israel we got to make a sugar scrub. To make the scrub we combined sugar, coconut oil, and essential oils. I used it on my lips to make them softer.
At France we got to take pictures at a photo booth. Costa Rica and Spain were in the pool so we got to swim from one country to another on gondolas (pool noodles).
Ladies Day lunch was also really good. We travelled to Mexico and had a nacho bar and danced to songs. I asked one of my cabinmates, Shalom M., her favorite thing to do during Ladies Day. Shalom likes swimming in the pool best because there’s no boys.
So in conclusion, Ladies Day was super fun and probably one of my favorite days!
Talia W., Age 10
Tribe of Dan
The ladies went horseback riding when it was Men’s Day. My horse’s name was Tornado. He was splotched with brown and white like a cow.
Now I will interview Lily about horseback riding. Lily’s horse’s name was H2O. H2O was a nice horse but liked eating grass. Lily had a lot of fun horseback riding. It is her favorite thing to do. Lily’s horse trotted once. Thank you Lily for the information.
I will now also interview Shalom. Shalom’s horse’s name is Booper. Her horse wasn’t the nicest horse. She didn’t trot once. Horseback riding is her favorite thing to do.
Horseback riding is fun for everyone. I love horseback riding. It is so much fun. Thank you for reading this Gazette article on horseback riding.
Sam S., Age 8
Tribe of Benjamin
First we have a tree for creation. That was first. Then we have this nice house for the Garden of Eden. After that… this… juicy looking fruit. But don’t let this fool you. That’s when Adam and Eve sinned. Alright moving on to this rainbow! You know. The flood. Oh! This big tower. The Tower of Babel. The one where the different languages began. Sigh. Ah. Abram. Now known as Abraham. The father of many. Next a flag. This is a nation. Ah yes. Abraham’s son. Isaac. Next a ram. Sacrifice! Jacob. Uh. A deceiver. The next sign means when Jacob stole Esau’s birthright. But then he wrestles with God. I wish I lived in that tent. But no time. Ah. Joseph’s robe. You know the story. Next an Egyptian pyramid. Now to Exodus. The rules. The Ten Commandments. Now someone’s hands giving the Ten Commandments! Rocks! A hammer. Not for hammering nails. It’s a judge’s hammer! I wish I had this crown. But it only fits kings. Lamb. Not to eat kids. Because it’s David and Goliath. Jewelry in a chest! Solomon! David’s son. These punching thingies. A fire. Maybe a campfire. No I’m messing with you. Elijah. E-l-i-j-a-h. The sacrifice to prove God is real. These nice grapes. Who gave these to me? A nice T-shirt. I’ll keep this. Am I moving away? But…I haven’t finished. Okay. Ah. Another house. Babylon? A colored lion’s mane. Daniel! And the lion’s den. Yes! I get to go back! I get another chance. Okay. This thing. I guess it is Esther. A coffee maker or cabinet. I don’t know. Anyway a wall. A sturdy wall. THE LAW IS SPOKEN! Now the last one.
Actually it’s not the end. Streetlight’s favorite subject is Camp Gilgal! Her favorite food is sushi. Her favorite book is the Weight of Glory. Her favorite show is The West Wing. And she has been part of Camp Gilgal for ten years. Wait. What? You can read it up top? Oh. Looks like you can. Well my job’s over. Peace or shalom.
THE END.
Talia W., Age 10
Tribe of Dan
This year we chose to be in the tribe of Dan. We made a snake curled up with grass around it. The color of the degel is maroon. We put our names on the 
mountains. We used red and white for the snake. We did black for the writing of Camp Gilgal 2016, and Dan in English and Hebrew. We outlined the mountains with tan and grass green. We also outlined the snake with black. The red and white stripes were vertical on the snake. When I was going to write camp the black exploded. It went all over my hand. I went and washed it off. The degel looks amazing. Lily, who’s in my tribe, gets to take the degel home. Degel making is really fun. Everyone in my tribe loved making it. I will now interview Lily. She likes to look at it when it is finished. She wrote 2016 in black. Lily had a fun time making it. Thank you for reading this Gazette article.
Tyler H., Age 10
Tribe of Naphtali
Hi. My name is Tyler and I’m ten years old. I’m going to tell you about water balloon volley ball. It all started when Streetlight brought us to the volleyball court. Then she told us the rules. Your tribe had to get a tarp and fling a water balloon over the net. Then the other team had to catch the water balloon in their tarp. You had to pass back and forth until one of the teams drop the water balloon three times. Whoever missed it three times lost. Every tribe can only lose two times. If you lose two times you are out of the tournament. This year when I played our team started out vs. Zebulun, the oldest ladies tribe. They beat us three to two. Then we were vs. Issachar. We had a long game. We won the game three to two. But then Issachar complained that they weren’t ready so we got the last point again. For our final battle we were vs. Zebulun again. They were undefeated so if we were going to win we would have to beat them twice. Also on the final battle you have to get five points to win. So we had to get ten points to win. It felt like the battle went on for hours and finally Naphtali (my tribe!) overcame Zebulun with points and won the game.
Ryan H., Age 8
Tribe of Benjamin
At the campfire you sing camp songs and have worship. You can roast marshmallows too. After you roast a marshmallow you have to wait till everybody has had a marshmallow to have another one. One of 
the camp songs you sing is “Hinei,” and another song you sing is the yodeling song. You are supposed to wear long pants and bug spray for the campfire. After the campfire you go to your cabin and get your pajamas and get soap and a toothbrush then take a shower with soap then you brush your teeth for teeth inspection then go to bed. I interviewed Yamaha with some questions. Yamaha said his favorite part of the campfire was Sauté leading worship and he ate one marshmallow.
Rebekah P., Age 8
Tribe of Reuben
Camp Gilgal is awesome! We had a theme night called Skit Night. My tribe’s skit was about Esther. I was Haman. I got to go on a fake cell phone and got to shout at Morty, short for Mordechai. Rebecca S. was Esther. I found it funny she was the main character and had no lines. Ellie R. was Asher, short for Xerxe
s. Zoe was Morty and Raina was Queen Vashti, and a dancer. I love the way we changed it! It was in our time. It started with a verse. Many times God uses an ordinary person in extraordinary ways. At the beginning of the skit, Vashti and Asher danced, then he stepped on her foot and she quit. The great Asher wanted me to tweet that Asher wanted a new dance partner and all the ladies prepared for their dance. Asher picked Esther because she was kind and a good dancer. The next day I was walking and Morty bumped into me and got hurt and I said, “A plague on you and your people, I’ll break all their legs!” Morty talked to Esther and Esther told Asher. And I was about to break their legs but Asher said stop! And the Jews were saved. I think that Skit Night is fun! I asked Ellie R. what she thought about Skit Night and she also said, “It was really fun.”
Eliana R., Age 8
Tribe of Reuben
Theme nights are a big part of camp! On Feed Your Friend Night you have to switch plates and drinks and you can’t eat your own food. Also you take turn feeding each other and my partner was Rebekah. I interviewed Rebekah to get her side of the craziness. First, I asked her what the hardest food to feed me was and she said, “The hardest was definitely the bread.” Then I asked her what was the funniest thing that happened and she said, “When she spilled water on me.” Also I asked her if she got enough food and she said, “Actually, yeah.” Then I asked her, “Were you afraid I was going to bite your finger?” It was funny because I bit her finger. Feed Your Friend Night was such a fun night we were laughing the whole night and I can’t wait till we do it next year.
Persaeus B., Age 11
Tribe of Zebulun
I was in my cabin, we were all talking about what we were going to do tomorrow, when all of a sudden, the power went out! We all started screaming our heads off! While it was still dark we still had to change for the game. Our tribe leaders have a clue 
and decoder to start with and wherever it says to go you go for the next clue. Once you go through all the clues, the last one will say go to the dining hall and that’s when you finish. You and your tribe have to be really quiet or else you will get sent back to your cabin and then pick up where you left off. This year we couldn’t get caught on purpose. For example: if you’re at the soccer field and it say to go to the ladies restroom you wouldn’t have to be quiet going to the restroom. When my tribe (the oldest) went in the dining hall we tied with the youngest ladies, and the youngest men won. Today, I’m going to be interviewing Sherbert, one of the spotters.
Q: Where were you spotting this year?
A: At the water tower.
Q: Do you help put out the clues?
A: No, I don’t.
Q: On a scale of 1 to 10, how good was this year’s M.I.?
A: 11.
Q: Have you ever fallen or tripped in the dark?
A: Yes, tripped and fell.
Q: What was your best year of M.I., and what happened?
A: This year because I got to dance all night.
Zoë N., Age 13
Tribe of Zebulun
During the game of Wells Fargo, the campers (the Outlaws) are against the Faithful and Loyal Wells Fargo Agents which are the camp staff. How this game works is the Faithful and Loyal start out with the gold and the campers have to try and steal the gold without getting tagged. If the Faithful and Loyal tags you then the campers who get t
agged have to walk back to their base and count to one hundred. If a camper manages to get a bag without dropping it and getting tagged then the bag becomes the campers for that round. How we determine who won that round is by counting the bags and whoever has the most bags wins that round. Only the campers are to steal the gold on the Faithful and Loyal’s base which is where the bags of gold are scattered everywhere not in one individual place. The Faithful and Loyal have to protect the gold from being stolen by campers. Now if a camper drops a bag by tossing it to another camper or just dropping it then the Faithful and Loyal take it back to where it was first picked up. Every year the campers always win the game of Wells Fargo but now this year the Faithful and Loyal won which has now made Camp Gilgal history of 2016. When this happened all of the campers wanted a rematch but we couldn’t because it was too late at night. The campers shall take back their victory.
Persaeus B., Age 11
Tribe of Zebulun
What a Mensch Night is a dinner theme where all the tribes make up nice, funny, and clever puns. The point of the night is to be kind to everyone. “Mensch” is Yiddish for being a good person. For example, one of the tribe leaders is Mango so we said, “Mango more like mangorgeous.” If 
a tribe says something nice to another tribe you usually say something nice back. Throughout the whole night staff and campers offer to take cups, plates, and utensils, and also to wipe down the tables. This theme night really inspired campers to be mensches throughout the rest of camp. Being mensches shows love, kindness, caring, and compassion for others. I asked Mango what her favorite part of Mensch Night is and she said, “I love being kind to others and I think it’s a very special thing.” I also asked my friend Carrie and she said, “I think it is nice when people are mensches to others.” The most important thing I think is knowing that God loves us, cares for us, and knows that we are precious to Him.
Zoe A., Age 7
Tribe of Reuben
Super Hero Night is a theme night that the tribes dress up as super heroes. My tribe dressed up as flower power heroes. We had headbands with flowers on them and bracelets with flowers on them.
I am interviewing Macaroni: What was your favorite part of super hero night? Answer: “My favorite part was getting to dress like a flower because we are the tribe of Reuben.” After line up they took pictures of every tribe. The other tribes were dressed as super nerds, super market, super preppy, super puppet show, and The Incredibles. Everyone looked really good. Besides my tribe my favorite tribe was the tribe of Zebulun because they dressed as The Incredibles and one camper was Frozone. The one I thought was funniest was the tribe of Dan because they were super nerds and on the back of their shirts it said “Kick me.” The most creative idea was from Issachar because they were foods from a super market. I loved Super Hero Night.
Shalom M., Age 11
Tribe of Dan
After dinner and tribe time, Snapple and Streetlight blew the whistle and we went down to the basketball court and they said to go and get our “bathing suits, towels, and sunscreen.” When I asked Talia W. “What do you think it is?” she said, “I think it is the waterslide.”
I asked Sarah M. what was her favorite subject during night swimming and her answer was water basketball. The reason why was because she was defense. T
hat was also my favorite subject too.
The whistle blew and everybody ran and lined up so we saw Snapple and she said, “Follow me if you are ready to go night swimming!” We were going down to the pool and it got dark and most of us were playing water basketball first. We did teams then we did tribe leaders vs. campers.
It was finally time for us to leave and Heimlich asked me if I wanted to get the last ball. So I said yes and I jumped in and I saw Sherbert had the ball. After that we did lost and found. Then we left. That night was so cool.
The Gospel Transforms Us
“Therefore, if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation; old things have passed away . . . all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
The Gilgal Gazette is published by Camp Gilgal campers for Camp Gilgal campers and their families and friends!
Campers: Angela A., Bella B., Corey W., Dan
iel P., Elijah Y., Elizabeth E., Fiorella M., Isaac H., Josiah C., Laney P., Madi H., Mekerah P., Michael K., Monique L., Nathan B., Paula L., Sarai M., Sophia M., Taliah S., Zoe N.
In-Cabin Staff: Cricket, Ewok, Google, Heimlich, Pippin, Sauté, Snapple
Out
-of-Cabin Staff: Streetlight, Yamaha
Special Guests: Moose
Sarai M., Age 15
In my opinion, Chalet Two is big. Chalet Two is nice. So now I am going to ask some of the other occupants what they think of their accommodations. Laney thinks… wait, she knows that Chalet Two is the most posh chalet/cabin she has stayed in yet. I must say I agree, although I wish the bathrooms were bigger. 😛 Monique thinks the bathrooms should be bigger as well and really likes the people in it. Yah, that’s probably because I am in her cabin. Mekerah likes the inside of Chalet Two. Madi says it doesn’t stink so that’s a bonus, right? Paula is thankful there aren’t any bugs, and who isn’t? Monique, yah, that’s right she likes most bugs. Elizabeth thinks Chalet Two is awesome or cool, she can’t decide which. Snapple thinks it’s phenomenal. Cricket thinks it’s excellent and Taliah says, “I really love Chalet Two. I feel like I am in a small chapel and what I really like is that I can prop my pillow up when I sleep because normally I can’t do that.” Anyways, in case you haven’t already noticed, Chalet Two is awesome, Chalet Two is great, Chalet Two is comfy and in its shelter, we stay up late.
Paula L., Age 14
Google, who describes himself as a “weird” person, likes to snack on yogurt-covered raisins. He has been participating in Camp Gilgal for his whole life. His favorite hobbies include “adventurous stuff,” and additionally, writing music 
theater, and talking to people. The camp name “Google” came about when Google stated many random facts when he went to camp, and the name stuck. His favorite Google fact is, “The Hudson River isn’t actually a river when it hits Manhattan.” I asked Google, “How intelligent would you rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10,” and his answer was -5. I asked my cabin to the same question, and they rated Google with an 11.
When Google is in the room, the mood brightens, and faces smile. Zoe describes Google as “fun, very smart (literally), and very sneaky.” Everyone in Chalet 3 thinks Google is funny. Streetlight says Google is “a fantastic guy, he’s funny, and loves campers.” Yamaha has known Google for “not long enough” and says he is a “fine gentleman, and disorganized. He hangs awful art on the wall.” Yamaha says one is of pigs, and Google is kosher… Pippin says, “I think we have a pretty steady friendship…not too awkward…” Ewok says he is a “very cool guy.” As you can see, Google is a much loved, appreciated tribe leader at camp.
Isaac H., Age 14
There are legends of the mighty feats of male campers in their cabins. Camp Gilgal is blessed with a great variety throughout the years, with the young and old. But this year we had to settle for a single cabin, a lone band of men, to make up for the lack of glory. There was work to do.
Our crew consisted of seven gentlemen and three staff. Michael and Josiah, the Las Vegas super athletic super duo, had returned from last year, along with Elijah, the Sasquatch, Corey, Daniel, the Southern Sweetheart, Isaac, and a fresh addition, Nathan B. Our first duty was to adjust to each other’s needs: Ewok set boundaries for us as the CHIEF tribe leader and Heimlich banned us from his bunk. It was tough.
We needed to recruit some security and authority as well. Captain Pringles Johnson, of the Pringles National Guard, stepped right up and took his post. Our cabin was free of chaos under his cautious gaze. All of us reveled as a result of Johnson in our cabin. Unfortunately, all outstanding things must come to an end, and our Captain was no exception. Johnson began losing Pringles at an unexpectedly quick rate until he rattled no more when we shook him. The cabin was devastated. No one was more saddened than our new member, Nathan. “He was a good man,” sobbed Nathan at his trash memorial. “He was a chip off the ‘ol Pringles can.” Regardless, we had to move on. Our cabin had changed after his death immensely: funny sounds at night, smells in the toilet, and an overall shoe smell in our living area.
We made the most of it thou
gh. Our commons sounded endlessly and made much laughter. Our staff imparted wisdom upon us when we asked and we listened intently. There was nothing that could stop us. Through it all we were bonded like sticky glue. We were the Lone Man Cabin.
We had made it.
Michael K., Age 14
This year I’m writing about Ewok. I have known Ewok since my first year of camp. Ewok has been staff for six years and has gone to camp for eleven years. Ewok loves to hang out with all the campers. When he’s at junior camp his favorite activity is Capture the Degel, and when he is at teen camp, the activity he likes to do the most is the ropes course because he can spend his time in the trees. When I asked what he enjoyed eating at camp he said, “Candy.” Outside of camp he loves eating sushi. His favorite color is blue. He enjoys hanging out with dogs more than any animal in the world. His favorite movie is O Brother Where Art Thou. He enjoys reading text books. That was his response when I asked him what his favorite book was. His favorite camp song is “I Am an M” and his favorite worship song is “Rising Sun” by All Sons and Daughters. What I love about Ewok is he’s extremely hilarious and is a great leader. These are one of many reasons why Ewok is one of my favorite tribe leaders at Camp Gilgal. Thank you Ewok for being my tribe leader this year.
Gabby G., Age 14
Chalet Three is an awesome cabin to be in! We have such a good time together! My favorite things we have done are probably our night devotions and FOB (Flat On Bunk), aka “naptime.” I love that we give each other fashion advice and do each other’s hair. Our cabin is truly a blessing to be in.
This cabin includes six amazing girls. We all get along and never fight. According to Angela, Zoe is energetic and fun. Her good friend Sophia likes doing the splits and talking about surfing. Fiorella is creative, fashionable, and sometimes can be a bit quiet, but once you get to know her, she’s super nice! Angela can also be quiet but at times she can also be opinionated. Bella brings life to our cabin with her social, sweet, and loud personality. And of course there’s me, whom Sophia describes as quiet. I don’t know why!?!
Sauté and Pippin are our tribe leaders. They are super exciting and fun! Together they are making camp so enjoyable! Sauté (pronounced soh-tey) is steady and keeps us organized. She is also practical and really kind. She’s also bright, cheery, and very competitive. Pippin is spunky and 
very laid back. She is super good at doing hair. I firmly believe that our cabin has the best hair. Both amazing tribe leaders work together to keep us happy and safe.
The layout of our cabin is where both walls are lined with bunks. The carpet is maroon with an imprint of letters on it. Beautifully, the lighting is really bright because there’s lots of windows. We also have lots of wind circulating because we have air conditioning and two fans, which is super nice for a cabin. In the middle of the room there is a big mattress we use as a couch and really enjoy the extra space!
Together we are able to get things done quickly and efficiently. I asked Sauté how we do it. She said we get it done with teamwork, which is very true because each person has a job and we all work as a group. I’m personally glad we have cabin inspection every day because without it our cabin would be a mess. With everyone helping, cleaning isn’t that bad, and it can actually be fun!
Chalet Three was really fun to be in! I’m going to miss the girls so much! The cabin wasn’t too cramped and it never got too hot or cold. Each person adds a different aspect to the cabin. Chalet Three was definitely an unforgettable cabin and a blessing to be in.
Laney P., Age 14
If you cannot tell by the title of this Gazette article, I will be writing about campfire. When I think of camp I always look forward to campfire because of s’mores and worship music. Now I will be asking other people what they like about campfire.
So my good friend Sarai said that she loves the s’mores. No wait! Just kidding, she changed her mind, she likes the testimonies because she is fascinated by their stories. Next I will be asking Pippin what she likes about campfires.
Pippin’s answer was she loves worshiping the Lord and watching the flames. She also gave an extra fact on how she likes her s’mores. Incinerated!
I did a vote on how people like their s’mores. Golden brown won. The score was 8 to 6. I, as a burnt fan, am truly offended. In the wise words of Pippin, “Burnt is where it’s at.”
After interviewing some people, I noticed that we have mostly similar opinions on campfire, except for how we like our s’mores. Other than that we all like worshipping the Lord together as a camp family.
Nathan B., Age 13
Pool time is about being with your friends and having fun and most people like playing with beach balls. My favorite part is to hang out and swim. Some people 
like to suntan and lay with their friends. Some people like to go to the deep end and hold their breath underwater. Some people do not like to be in the water. My favorite part of pool time is when I jump in for the first time. But before you can go in the pool, there is a swim test so they can make sure you can swim so you can go in the deep end. Some people like to be on the floatie and flip each other in the water. Some people’s favorite part of pool time is cooling off after a hot day. There also is no running in the pool area or they will blow the whistle. My favorite part is the cold water and I also like to put on sunscreen so I do not get burnt by the sun. Some people like to sit and talk. People like to take naps by the pool. The lifeguards are nice. They are helpful if you have questions. They will answer them.
Madi H., Age 14
During panels, campers will get cards and ask questions anonymously to the staff sitting in the chairs. The staff will talk ab
out the questions in depth and explain how they can be good or bad. For this year’s panel, Ewok, Cricket, and Snapple were the ones answering questions. One of the questions was about how to talk about God in front of your friends. Another question was, what age is appropriate to date? Monique, when asked, said, “It’s a good way to ask questions anonymously.” We do panel because we can ask questions that we might not be able to ask parents, friends, or other family. “The panel is very informative,” Mekerah said. Zoë thought it was quiet and very helpful. Almost every question asked during the panel was answered. At least nine questions were answered and Streetlight was able to help out some as well.
Angela A., Age 13
Cabin inspection is every day. Our cabin has to be super clean. All beds have to be made, the floor has to be clean, and everything has to be organized and straight. No trash can be in or around the cabin. Even if there is one little wrapper, that counts as an infraction. Your sheets and bedding have to be tucked in perfectly and no wrinkles. We have 45 minutes every day to clean the cabin. Sometimes our cabin wakes up an hour early to start. It is really hard to get a perfect score. Gabby says that cabin inspection is kind of annoying because it takes a while. I like cabin inspection because it feels nice walking into a clean cabin. Everyone has to work together to clean. Everyone makes their bed and helps other people or help organize. Because of cabin inspection everyone has to get ready fast so that we can have extra time. Our cabin got a perfect score only two times.
Taliah S., Age 15
For me Tabernacle is one of my favorite parts of camp! I don’t think that there is anything about Tabernacle that I don’t like (except the memory verses). I interviewed one of my fellow campers, Bella. The first question that I asked her was, what is your favorite part of Tabernacle? She replied teaching. This is very relatable. Streetlight, who did all the teaching this year, is very, very good at teaching. I asked Bella, what are we learning about now in Tabernacle? She said, “Paul, and how he transformed into a great person after being a murderer.” Paul had an amazing life. He is such a large role model for how even the most unlikely people can change. What I have learned over the years is that many people do not find Tabernacle time to be enjoyable or even significant. I asked Bella a question about a very important part of Tabernacle, the Sh’ma. I asked her, “What do you feel the Sh’ma means to us as Jews and believers?” She replied, “Why do we even sing the Sh’ma? I don’t know.” This is something that is recurring more and more rapidly amongst young Jewish people. Bella is not alone in her confusion. We are all losing a great part of our Jewish identity. I think that Camp Gilgal and especially Tabernacle time is vital to us as young Jewish believers. In conclusion, I love Tabernacle.
Daniel P., Age 14
A week is a long time in the life of a teenager, so try to imagine what happens when God puts a bunch of them in one place… with NO electronics. Life at Camp Gilgal is a wonderful thing, and those of us who get to experience it are truly blessed. In this article to all you future campers out there, or even veteran campers, I’m going to tell you what happens in the weeklong life of a teen camper. Every morning starts the same, at 7:00 am. We are awakened by the loud, and long, blast of the shofar. We are then told by our cabin staff, although no
t all of us listen at the time. We then get in the showers and get dressed, and once we have all done that we start to clean the cabin until the whistle is blown. Once the whistle is blown, we go down to the mess hall to get breakfast. After breakfast, we go and clean the cabin in preparation for cabin inspection. After we are done with that, we go down to the Tabernacle for worship, and a quick message.
After Tabernacle, we then head over to a certain activity for the day, which could include the giant swing, low ropes, high ropes, and the rock wall. When we are finished with our adventure activities, we go back to the mess hall for some glorious lunch. When we first get into the mess hall, we hear from Ida Schmutzstein, this year’s cabin inspector. After lunch, we go back to our cabins with specific instructions on what to wear/bring. When the whistle is blown we go to the “Lone Tree,” whic
h is a regular tree that just isn’t around other trees. We are then told what our next activity is, which could be pool time or some other activity. After that, we then have free time, in which we can do whatever we want with a staff member with us. After free time we get ready for dinner. After dinner we are then for a second time given instructions on what are we going to wear and bring. When the whistle blows, we then go to the Lone Tree, and we start… the night games.
If you don’t already know what those are I will explain. The night games are an amazing thing, where we play games such as Capture the Degel, Wells Fargo, and icebreaker games. Then after we have an amazing night we return to the cabin for a good night’s rest, and the best part is that we get to wake up and do it all over again the next day. Now that you know what we get to do in our weeklong camp lif
e, I’ll let you hear from an actual camper. I asked veteran camper Isaac H., “What do you like about camp life?” He replied with, “Well, I like the fact that I get to get away from all the stressful things in the world today.” I think that that says it all to be honest, and I hope you will too when you get to camp next year.
Sophia M., Age 13
Sit down and listen. God brings our cabins together to praise Him. This allows us to talk and discuss the different questions that float within the human mind, giving us an idea of the greatness the Lord has done in each individual life. This activity that we partake in allows us to appreciate the love the God gives us. Today I got to ask Bella B. her opinion on devotions. She replied with, “They are great,” and, “I enjoy discussing with the staff.” This portrays that the impression of devos leaves the camper with confidence and courage to go out in the world knowing the Lord is with them and in their hearts. God continues to work through our hearts and gives us the knowledge to seek Him out through our challenging lives and world, giving us a new perspective from where He sees our challenging lives that we must continue to fight through. So coming together in our cabins allows us to continue to see God’s glory work through our lives, and overcoming challenges with others allows us to pursue the love the Lord gives us. In the end we are brought together to see the love God has towards us.
Isabella B., Age 13
Walk on over to the humongous slip-n-slide at Camp Oakhurst. After asking Heimlich how long the slide was, I received an estimate of 100 yards. The slip-n-slide had two objectives: have fun, and slide up to the grass. And mighty tribe leader Heimlich did both. The slide was long and kind of like this ~~~~~~. So as you can see, to reach the grass, you have to have great skill and a good tube. Heimlich said his favorite tube was 
the tire because that’s what took him to the “edge” or grass. I asked Heimlich what happened if you touched the grass and he said you got a prize and he got peanut butter cups. When going down the slide, Heimlich’s preferred method was in tandem with Snapple’s tube. When picking a tube, you should pick one with lots of air and handles. Then the person working should spray you and the tube with lots of water. Then they should put shampoo on the tube to make it faster. Then you should get some speed and jump onto the slide holding the tube by the handles. You should also try not to turn around. Until next year, I’m slipping off and you should too.
Elijah Y., Age 13
2 Corinthians 5:17-21: “Therefore, if anyone is in Messiah, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here.” Another start to another memory verse at teen camp of 2016. This year brought a verse of the benefits and responsibilities in our lives as believers. The first half of the verse has to do with the fact that when you believe in Messiah, you become a new person and that God has reconciled the world to Himself through Jesus, and would not count sins against people. Because of this, as it explains in the second half, we as believers are to spread this message of reconciliation to those who haven’t received it. This is because “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” In order for others to become this righteousness we must be “Messiah’s ambassadors.” All in all, it is a very important verse to know in relation to why it is important to spread God’s Word. When I asked Streetlight the reasons behind choosing this year’s memory verse, I learned it was because it summed up the lessons in Tabernacle. This year at Camp Gilgal teen camp 2016, we learned about Saul’s transformation into Paul and his journeys through Philippi, Ephesus, Galatia, and Corinth. We learned about the churches he founded in each place and the letters sent to each later from Paul on how to be stronger believers and things that the churches needed to fix.
Mekerah P., Age 15
In the past at teen camp, there will be a night when the campers will be escorted to a court of some sort to play a glorious game of dodgeball. On Monday night, campers were told to put on bug spray, close-toed shoes, and long pants, before being led to a basketball court, where nearly every camper assumed the game of dodgeball would commence. Just try to imagine the surprise when we walked through the court and continued on into the words around Camp Oakhurst.
Eventually, we arrived at our destination, the gaga ball pit. About a quarter of the campers (myself included) had never even heard of the game before, let alone played it. The way gaga ball works is only actually slightly different from dodgeball. The game consists of throwing balls at each other, bouncing them off the ground, and attempting to dodge the balls when they come flying at you. The main differences between the two games is that gaga ball is played within a small, circular, gated pit, and only hits below the knee are able to get people out of the game.
One camper, Monique L., thought the game was fun, but also was of the opinion that the pit was too dusty to be able to both see and play ball easily. Madi H. also thought the 
game was awesome, yet very dusty. In fact, most of the campers and staff enjoyed the game, but would have enjoyed it more if there was not so much dust in their eyes and noses when diving for the ball.
Some campers didn’t agree with all the rules, some thinking they made the game too hard, others thinking it was too easy. Taliah S. was a camper who did not like the rule that the gaga ball had to be in the air and not bounce on the ground when attempting to get a fellow camper out of the game. However, Taliah also thought that the game was a very interesting experience since she had never played gaga ball before.
It shall be interesting to see if the tradition of dodgeball will continue through later years, or if the game of gaga ball will become a new tradition for Camp Gilgal teen camp.
Fiorella M., Age 13
One camp tradition is going to Vons which is what we did this year. After Yosemite we drove to Vons. First we split up into groups and looked around. I bought a mini bag of sour Skittles which was $1.29. Many of the girls bought chips and candy. I asked Pippin three questions about the Vons trip. I asked, “What did you get at Vons?” Pippin claimed that she had bought a horned melon, liquid chili powder, nectarines, and gum. I also asked her if she enjoyed the trip. She said, “I did, and I enjoy shopping.” The last question I asked her was, “Who was in your group?” Pippin said, “I was with Heimlich, Yamaha, Mekerah, Sophia, and Elijah.” Most people went to Starbucks as we walked in. We all were wearing our camp shirts in Vons, and people in Vons were asking questions about our camp. My group mostly was in the candy aisle. My favorite part of the Vons trip was when my group was trying on ugly sunglasses and laughing. Cricket helped me look for what I wanted though I changed my mind in the end. The men of camp mostly got candy. Bella bought mini utensils, celery, and Nutella. All in all, the whole experience was very fun.
Zoe N., Age 13
At the awesome ropes course the ladies and men were split up. One group went to the rock wall and the other group went to the ropes course. So during the ropes course, which is not far from where we have Tabernacle, we (the ladies) are asked to write our names down on a paper so that way they know who is going on the course. T
he rules of how to do the ropes course were explained by Pete, who is in charge of the course. I was the first one to go on the ropes course and it was scary at first but then it ended up being really fun. My favorite part of the course was the zip line at the end. You also have the option to try the challenge course which requires a lot of upper body strength and time. Before you start climbing, they give you a harness and helmet. Pete and the others will help you through the course so that way you can get through it quickly and safely. Elizabeth was the only one who went on the challenge course. She said, “It was hard, but it was challenging in a good, good way. And also I had some battle scars!” It took Elizabeth about 15 minutes to do the course. On a scale of one to ten of hardness and fun, she said, “A seven for hardness and an eight for fun.” Elizabeth’s favorite part of the course was climbing the ropes and the zip line at the end of the course. In the end I had a great time on the ropes course and allowed my mental and physical strength to be tested.
Corey W., Age 14
In Camp Gilgal we do a lot of fun activities. One of those activities happens to be going to Yosemite. We start our adventure by loading into two vans. The drive is about one and a half hours. Even though it’s a long drive, we all make the most of it playing games. Once we got there we started Tabernacle. First we worshiped then we started talking about Paul and his letters. After that we all ate lunch together. Then we went around in the woods and hung around until we had to go. Once we had to go back in the vans and drove over to a hike. We started the hike by walking up a short trail up to a mountain called S
entinel Dome. Once we got up there we all looked at the view for a little while then some of us started playing games. One of the games we played was silent football. To play this game everyone sits in a circle making different motions to pass the football around. After the game was over we all took our camp photos. During our trip everyone tends to have a favorite part of Yosemite. For example, Isaac H. says his favorite parts of Yosemite are the heights, the view, and the idea that he was out in nature. Also Nathan B. says his favorite place in Yosemite was Sentinel Dome. As well as Google who says his favorite part is the rocks because it reminds him of how strong Jesus is. Daniel P. says his favorite place in Yosemite is Sentinel Dome and his favorite thing to do was when he got dared to propose to Snapple and did it. Michael K.’s favorite part was reaching the top of Sentinel Dome and playing silent football. Also Ewok’s favorite part of Yosemite was seeing the view from the top of Sentinel Dome. There are many different things to do in Yosemite and everyone has their favorites. Yosemite is a great place to be in God’s creation that hopefully campers will be able to continue to enjoy forever.
Monique L., Age 14
The very first night of camp, all the campers gathered round, and engaged in games of icebreakers, to break the icy ground.
The f
irst game we played was more of a get-to-know-you game. Whilst spelling your names with your hips, three facts about yourself were stated. What it was didn’t matter, as long as you spelled your name.
After the first game, we made a human knot. You stand in a circle and link arms across, creating a large knot of arms. To win the game you must untangle your arms without letting go of the other people’s hands before the other teams.
Captain/Sailor/Gunner was next. There are four different positions: captain, sailor, gunner, and hit the deck. When doing captain, one must either jump on someone’s back, piggy back style, and then salute. In sailor, two people must hold the legs of a person, holding them up in a sitting position, and in gunner, three people must kneel down on hands a knees and allow another person to lie on their backs and make the symbol of a gun with their hands. The final pose is called hit the deck. When attempting to hit the deck, one must fall flat on the ground as soon as possible. To win the game you must survive elimination.
The final game was Honey If You Love Me. One person is chosen to try and make someone smile by saying, “Honey, if you love me will you please, please, smile?” To win you must keep a straight face and say, “Honey, I love you but I just can’t smile.” Mekerah was surprised at how long she lasted in the game, because she laughs quite often.
I think that the icebreaker games were an excellent way to get everyone relaxed and excited for camp.
Josiah C., Age 14
Rock climbing is a great sport! It’s very challenging and it takes a lot of patience. What I like about rock climbing is that it pushes you to your best ability. The best part about rock climbing is that you don’t have to work
out your arms the next day because it’s a workout in itself. Some go up faster than others but everybody is trying their best. Then there’s Yamaha who stands alone in his own category on the rock wall. He looks like Spiderman climbing up the wall. Google is also very good at rock climbing. He rock climbs as a hobby and has participated in some competitions. This year at camp there were two walls that you could do, a regular one and a challenge one. I asked Google what he liked best about the challenge course and he said the mental part. Whether you’re going to step on this rock or a different one. What the best way you should go up, so that you can make it to the top. It’s like a puzzle that’s ready to get solved. My favorite part about the challenge rock wall was the will to persevere through the whole thing. It took me a little while to get to the top, but at the end, the struggle was definitely worth it. Rock climbing this year was a very fun activity this year.
Elizabeth E., Age 14
On Tuesday of Camp Gilgal teen camp, we (campers and staff) went on an amazing hike in Yosemite. The hike was shorter than last year, but it was uphill the whole way there. It was very worth it though because the view was breathtaking. We also took our annual Camp Gilgal photo on the top of the mountain. My fellow camper, Taliah S., thought the hike was short but steep. She also liked the beautiful view at the top. Taliah said she was playing the animal game and just talking with friends on the way up to the mountain. Taliah also enjoyed the three-sixty view of the mountains and Half Dome. Another fellow camper, Daniel P.’s favorite part of the hike was spending time with Google. Google and Daniel were talking to each other about the countries they visited on the way up there. I asked Cricket how she felt about the hike and to see if it was challenging. She said it was a beautiful place and there was a gorgeous view no matter what direction we turned. She thought it was short but challenging. Overall it was a very beautiful hike and I am glad I went on it with my Camp Gilgal family.
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