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!

Tribe 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

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 two 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 joking 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 unloaded 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 separate 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 guaranteed 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.

Rachel 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. There 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 when 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 probably 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 band 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!