Category: Junior Camp East

Vivian K., Age 10
Tribe of Naphtali

Hi! I’m Vivian and I’m going to tell you about movie night at Camp Gilgal!

I bet a lot of people watch movies with their family/friends but have you ever been to movie night at Camp Gilgal?!

Movie night at Camp Gilgal is where tribes gather in the Mishkan to watch a surprise movie!

The surprise movie that we watched this year was Toy Story! I fell asleep two times! It was so much fun!! The staff members also allow you to get candy/snacks too! Like: chips, popcorn, cookies, Twizzlers, Goldfish, pretzels, Starburst, Kit Kats, soda and more! We brought sleeping bags and blankets which was super cozy.

So, I suggest you come on down to Camp Gilgal and you’ll be able to go to movie night! It’s the best kind of movie night! A campout movie night! I hope you are interested now!!!

Vivian K., Age 10
Tribe of Naphtali

There are many things to make in Mad Science. It is one of the many activities at camp. There are other activities too, like hiking, archery, crafts, and more. We have four activities each day and Mad Science is one I have. Some things I have made in Mad Science are growing plants in a cup, explosions, slime, and lava lamps.

For slime we had a choice of putting it in a balloon or a Ziplock bag. I chose a Ziplock bag so I can stretch it. It was my favorite experiment we did. We put glue, water, borax, and food dye in it. For the lava lamp we put water, oil, and food dye and there was a weird reaction. If you shake the lava lamp, it won’t work anymore.

All of the things we do in mad science are cool. Have you ever tried putting Mentos in soda? Well, it makes a big soda explosion! It’s one sticky situation!

It takes forever to grow plants! If you water it every day and give it enough sunlight and nutrition, it will keep your plant healthy and it will take a shorter time to grow. Cool huh? Now that you know about one of my activities… Vivian out! (Dab).

Stuart S., Age 10
Tribe of Benjamin

 Hello reader, my name is Stuart and I am 10. I am here to tell you about archery (obviously!).
Archery is fun, fun, fun! Well, why, you may ask, is that? Well, it’s hard to explain why…IT’S JUST
FUN! But there are rules.

The rules are:
1.When you load the bow, point the arrow at the ground
2. Don’t pull the string for pretend and let go (unless you want to get hurt!)
3. Don’t point the arrow at people
4. Do not—I repeat—do not go get your arrows until everyone is done
5. Don’t load the bow until everybody’s behind the yellow rope
6. Listen to your counselors
7. Keep track of how many of your arrows go into the woods.
8. And now the most—yes the most—important rule of all rules: HAVE FUN

I like archery a lot because I get to shoot the target. The things that I did in archery was shoot the target, retrieve the arrows, and sit in the shade.

Archery is my favorite thing to do at Camp Gilgal and I hope to do it next summer.

Vivian K., Age 10
Tribe of Naphtali

Hi, my name is Vivian. I am 10 years old and in the tribe of Naphtali. I’m going to be interviewing Aylo who is also 10 and in the same tribe as me. Aylo decided to become a camper because she went to WWW (wonderful winter weekend) and had fun and also wanted to learn more about God. 

Her favorite book of the Bible is Psalms. Aylo’s favorite ATL (assistant tribe leader) is Skidoo. Her favorite candy is Kit Kat and that’s what she wants her camp name to be. I can picture myself saying “sup Kit Kat” one day! Ohh so precious. Aylo is going into 5th grade. Aylo’s favorite activity at camp is boating. Her favorite meal at camp is lunch. Her best friends are: me, Halye and Ava. In her free time she likes to draw. She told me that campfire and Tabernacle make her closer to God. She says campfire talks are very inspiring. She likes the worship songs in Tabernacle. That is all I have to say about the amazing Aylo Luba!

Sarah O., Age 12
Tribe of Issachar

Movie night is one of the best nights in camp ever! We watch a movie, eat snacks, drink soda, and stay up late. On movie night, we are allowed to bring blankets, sleeping bags, pillow, and stuffed animals. 

I was super excited for my first movie night at camp! Everyone gathers in the Mishkan at night: campers, tribe leaders and stuffed animals. Once everyone was there and quiet, they turned on the movie.

On that night we watched Toy Story 1. Once we got about a quarter way through, RedSox pauses the movie so we could get snacks. There were chips, candy, and soda!

Once the movie was over, we threw out our trash and went to bed. My favorite part of movie night was sitting and laughing with my friends.

Movie night at Camp Gilgal is awesome! 

Michelle B., Age 12
Tribe of Issachar

‘Twas a dark and stormy day. We were all sluggish and it was pouring outside. Everyone was sitting in the Mishkan drenched and dead-looking.

Suddenly, Sneezy stepped into the light and said “Camp Gilgal we’re going on a field triiiip!” It was great; we thought it would continue raining but it didn’t! This year we went to a baseball game of the Valleycats vs. Lake Monsters; and let me just tell you, Beardo was the only person who was actually watching the game. However, I was having just as much fun since I was talking and laughing with the people next to me.

I was sitting next to Hoops, Sarah and Isaac, and we were basically just laughing the whole time. It’s times like those that make camp fun because you get to spend time and get closer with people from camp. Because of the field trip, the four of us have a TON of inside jokes.

Okay…fun’s over, the game’s done, Valleycats won (which was very surprising), time to go back to camp, but wait… all of a sudden…BOOM SSS KAPOW! We look up and see beautiful huge fireworks!

They were so close and I wish I could explain how amazing of a moment it was, but it’s just one of those things where you have to be there to understand. Whites, reds, blues, oranges, the sky was bursting with color and the crowd was filled with oohs and aahs.

Basically, I loved the field trip, and it’s one of my favorite memories from camp.

Meaghan S., Age 11
Tribe of Issachar

Being a camper at Camp Gilgal is pretty fun, but have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a tribe leader? Well, I’m pretty sure we all have. So what if I, myself, were to be a tribe leader? Knowing me, the possibilities are endless.

Let’s start with Tabernacle.

First of all, during worship I would probably sound like a person trying to audition for an opera and failing miserably, which would probably sound like this: “AAAAHHHHH” *coughing, literally choking* and this is why I don’t sing aloud.

When we read the Bible about a chapter I’m really into, I would be listening and helping campers find the page in their Bible.

This next area is somewhere that Camp Gilgal goes often: campfire. When we sing songs I would probably sing like a baby bird asking me for food. It would sound like this: “CAWCAWCAWCAWCAWCAK (give me food right now woman)!!” During campfire talk every time I agreed with something that someone said, I would say “AMEN TO THAT!!”

This last area and time is my favorite: F.O.B. F.O.B is the best time because it is a time to chill out. As a tribe leader I think it would be twice as marvelous because I would be even more tired than I usually am, therefore I can enjoy it even more.

Welcome to my ending. Thank you for reading this weird story on me as a future tribe leader.

Matthew S., Age 12
Tribe of Judah

Tribe time is a time that you spend bonding and having fun with your tribe. During tribe time, you are allowed to do things you don’t do as activities. Your tribe is the people that are in your cabin.

Since you are not allowed to eat food or candy all the time, tribe time is one of the only times you can eat them. Keeping food in your cabin attracts ants, mice and other bugs and animals. Also, you can do a lot of things other than eating candy. You are allowed to play sports in the field or lounge in your cabin. Other options include running, playing on the playground, going boating, and archery.

Although you are allowed to lounge during tribe time, you can only eat snacks when your staff says it’s okay. I personally like to stay in my cabin. I am in the tribe of Judah. We usually hang around in our cabin at the beginning of tribe time and towards the end we play soccer in the field. If our memory verses or Gilgal Gazettes aren’t finished, tribe time is the time to finish them. Most of the day is scheduled but during tribe time I like the freedom and choice.

Mason C., Age 7
Tribe of Benjamin

This was my first year as a summer camper at Camp Gilgal. One of my favorite activities this year was soccer.

While I was playing soccer, I enjoyed getting hit in the face two different times. Both times I was running after the ball. I didn’t get hurt… it was just funny!

One of my favorite things was being goalie. I really enjoy being goalie because I can stop the ball from going into the goal. I feel happy and accomplished when I stop the ball.

My favorite part about soccer was playing defense and blocking the ball. It was my second time playing soccer and I had lots of fun. It was a great activity! 

Levi W., Age 11
Tribe of Judah

Tabernacle takes place in the Mish, short for Mishkan. Tabernacle is a worship service that we do every morning. I wasn’t planning on joining the worship team, but my brother Schnitzel asked me to and I’m very glad I helped him lead the service. I am one of the service leaders along with Schnitzel, Napoleon, and Isaac (who is one of my cabin mates).

We sing songs, such as “Amazing Grace,” “Ten Thousand Reasons,” “For You Who Fear My Name,” “Oceans,” “Prince of Peace,” “Sanctuary,” “Peace Like A River,” and “As the Mountains Are Around Jerusalem.” After our worship service, RedSox, the camp director, gives a message.

This year we are studying Joshua. We learned even though Joshua was scared he trusted God and led the Israelites into the Promised Land. I love Tabernacle because we get to praise and worship God.

Joshua F., Age 8
Tribe of Benjamin

Campfire is my favorite place to learn and talk about God. There are certain staff who come up and act and then they sing songs like “Hineni,” “Baby Whale,” “Twelve Men,”“Pharaoh” and “The Fruit of theSpirit.”

My favorite song is “Baby Whale.” We pray and tell stories from and about the Bible.

Ruski gave us a campfire talk that I really liked. I liked it because everybody got
to ask questions. She talked about what you would do if someone took something really special from you. The other staff had cool messages too.

I’m really looking forward to doing campfire next year.

Isaac G., Age 12
Tribe of Judah

Schnitzel and Napoleon have been friends since the dawn of time. They first met before camp in 2013. They instantly became best friends by staring into each other’s eyes and souls.

In their first year of camp, Schnitzel and Napoleon’s tribe leaders were with Long Shanks and Wolf and their bunk mates were Daniel, Gavyn, Ephraim, and Josiah. They were in the tribe of Benjamin and the
memory verse was Deuteronomy 10:12-22.

Today I asked them how much they’ve spiritually grown at camp, and they said, simultaneously, “lots.”

Before Schnitzel and Napoleon were on the worship team, they were on the burnt offering team, but it “got shut down by corporate.”

Napoleon chose his name because Napoleon Bonaparte is one of his favorite historical figures. Schnitzel developed his name because of his love of chicken schnitzel.

Last but not least, you might be wondering if they’re friends outside of camp. And they are; Schnitzel texts Napoleon every morning and every night, but Napoleon has trouble using his phone, due to his age.

Their favorite things to do together are harmonized singing in the shower, dominating paintball, evangelizing pop music, and telling Chuck Norris jokes. Napoleon’s favorite year of camp was 2013 “because of the great staff and because it was the first year I was with Schnitzel.”

Napoleon’s favorite Bible verse is 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 because you are nothing without love. Schnitzel’s favorite Bible verse is all of Psalm 139 because it’s comforting and uses beautiful imagery from nature.

Illyana C., Age 9
Tribe of Naphtali

I remember it like it was yesterday…mostly because it was yesterday. Sneezy told me and
Vivian we were going first to the pond. My heart skipped a beat. I remembered last year, so I knew this was going to be so fun.

When we got on the boat, we started to come up with a code word for tipping the boat: cupcake. We kept on trying to “Cupcake off of the boat” and when we were
super close to “cupcaking,” the staff got suspicious and we had to stop.

Finally, it was our second turn and… to be honest nothing exciting happened. I wish I could say that a shark ate a camper or a camper flipped and drowned but that would be lying. But I remember when I would accidentally splash myself but it felt refreshing.

Overall boating was a fun experience and I’m glad I got to do it at Camp Gilgal!!

Halye G., Age 10
Tribe of Naphtali

Hey! My name is Halye and I’m going to tell you all about the game room! If you don’t want to go swimming, the game room is always an option. My friends and I mostly go to the game room 10
minutes before swimming time is over.

There are games like pool, air hockey, ping pong, and many more. But it’s not just games. Sometimes the Gilgal store is open! And if you’re lucky then the Snack Shack is open! But if you’re luckier, the Gilgal Bank will be open. If all of them are open, then take a time to appreciate the precious moment and buy everything you can before it’s over!

Halye G., Age 10
Tribe of Naphtali

Every night there’s something in the swamp that makes sounds. My radars (ears) recognized them as cows in the swamp. It is a deep, repeating, echoing MOOO! When we go to the dining
hall, I try to bend over to get a peek to see what’s in the swamp while no one’s looking but there are guards (tribe leaders) all over (probably to keep us safe!).

I hop over rocks to see through the water, but there’s nothing—nothing except for frogs and turtles. Those aren’t the swamp cows! In the night I hear them, so I look out my window and there is nothing! I wake up the next morning and there is nothing—no sound at all.

I guess I’ll have to stay up all night to understand or look in the swamp (or find a way to scuba dive to find them) and find the answer to my swamp question.

What do they look like? Do they scare the turtles? Are they really just bullfrogs like my staff said? I’ll just have to keep listening and keep hunting the sneaky swamp cows at Camp Gilgal next year!

Halie F., Age 11
Tribe of Issachar

Hi, my name is Halie Frazier from the tribe of Issachar, age 11. I am writing about FOB. FOB stands for Flat on Bunk. FOB is for 45 minutes after pool.

Sometimes when I’m tired I sleep during FOB. But when I’m not tired I could either write letters or read. 

My two tribe leaders, named Skidoo and Watson, made a FOB song to the tune of a campfire song. Here are a few lines:
I’m gonna sleep sleep sleep
I’m gonna dream dream dream
I’m gonna sleep I’m gonna dream
During FOB

During FOB you should be quiet so you don’t wake the tribe leaders or else… just kidding but they like sleeping so… SHHH. My favorite part about FOB is playing with my slime. That’s all about FOB. Bye!

Cole K., Age 8
Tribe of Benjamin

Hi my name is Cole! The all-camp activity I will be telling you about today is Ninja Heist. I really like Ninja Heist. It is so fun because I like getting tagged!

So, in the game there are two teams. One are ninjas and two are guards. We switch off teams. If you are the ninjas, you run to get the treasure. If you are the guards, you try to tag the ninjas and bring them to jail. The rules are: you have to be away from the jail and no hiding the flag under the grass. One time, someone caught me.

Ninja heist is so fun you should come to Camp Gilgal to play it. Ninja Heist is great if you like to tag and if you like to get tagged. Just like in Capture the Degel, the person who tags you has to escort you to jail. In Ninja Heist you get to take turns being ninjas and guards, so you get both kinds of action. Ninja Heist is a game I learned at Camp Gilgal. This is my first summer and I can’t wait to play and come back next year!

Ezra L., Age 11
Tribe of Judah

Horse day is a day where campers can ride a horse on a trail or around a fenced-in pen when they are younger. Horse day happened on Saturday, so a part of the day is with horses and the other is a special Shabbat day. Also, we went boating on the pond after the horses.

Finally, there are Israeli day activities, like a treasure hunt and eating Israeli snacks. And at the end of the day we did a Havdalah service. We wait outside for three stars and then lit a candle and smelled orange peels and cinnamon.

When we went to see the horses, the other group was not quite finished. So, we looked at the goats and fed them leaves. Once I found a leaf as big as my head and fed it to a baby goat.

Also, a big goat flung a baby goat in to a wooden pile. Then, the other group was finally done so we went on the horses and started riding them.

My horse’s name was Frank and he was being bad. He was being bad by trotting and bumped me up in the air. Also, along the way I saw a turtle. That was the best day ever because I love horses and Camp Gilgal.

Emanuela K., Age 8
Tribe of Naphtali

My name is Emanuela. I am eight years old. I like pool time because the water in there is so comfortable. The water is so comfortable because it feels so smooth.

There is also this swimming test that you have to take because there are three different levels. One level is three feet and the last one is seven feet. You also cannot take the swim test with floaters. Also, when you take the swim test, you cannot touch the ropes that separate each lane. You cannot touch them once you start swimming.

Rules are very important. Some rules at the pool are that you cannot run when you are trying to go into the pool. You also cannot dive for more than 15 or 20 seconds. You also can not go in the pool without a buddy or without sunscreen.

If you don’t want to go into the pool you don’t have to go into the pool because there is a game room right next to the pool. But I like to stay in the pool, because it is very fun to play Marco Polo with my friends. Pool time at Camp Gilgal is awesome!

Chloe S., Age 11
Tribe of Issachar

Craft is the best because we get to make something to take home at the end of the two weeks. This year we made drums with deer skins, but the skin smelled bad.

You get to design something you want on your drum. I chose a tent and a campfire. Sneezy helps us make the drums and she was a big help. We used a wooden ring to outline the drum with the skin. Then we used clothes pins to hold the skins together. We used a tool called an awl to make the holes in the skin. After all that we painted on our drum design.

I wonder what we are doing next year. I hope you will love craft like I do.

Aylo L., Age 10
Tribe of Naphtali

Hello! My name is Aylo. Today I am going to interview a new camper named Emanuela. I want to interview her because she is very inspiring in many ways. She is eight years old and the youngest camper in my tribe! 

The first question I asked her was: What is your favorite activity at Camp Gilgal? She says: Everything! Then, I asked her what camp name she wanted. She said she didn’t know. Well, she does have a long time to think about it! Next, I asked what she would say to future campers. Emanuela said that being in a tribe is a really fun experience!

The last question I asked her was what parts of camp make her feel closer to God? Excitedly, she said, “TABERNACLE!” My favorite memory with her is when we were watching the camp
movie together! We got to sit next to each other and watch the movie with snacks! I love spending time with Emanuela because she is a bundle of joy! See you next time! Aylo OUT!

Ava G., Age 10
Tribe of Naphtali
Hello, my name is Ava and today I am interviewing Skidoo. Skidoo is a new ATL (assistant tribe leader) at Camp Gilgal. Even though she isn’t my tribe leader she is my friend, and is kind, funny and sweet. I am interviewing her because I want you to know more about her and I wanted to hear her answers. 

My first question was, “What do you like most about camp?” Her answer was, “Seeing the
campers grow in faith in Jesus.” I feel the same way. Another question I asked was “When did you learn about Jesus?” And she said her parents told her and she went to church and Camp Gilgal. This made me happy for her.

Then I asked when she became vegan, and she said fifth grade. This surprised me because it was a really young age. Next, I asked her, “What is your favorite food at camp?” She said taco Tuesday. Lastly I asked “What is your favorite thing about camp?” She said, “Campfires.” I agreed with her because I love that we are all joined together
when we are there.

Those were the questions and answers of this interview. I really liked getting to learn more about Skidoo and I hope you did too.

Aylo L., Age 10
Tribe of Naphtali

Campfire is a very special time at camp! It’s a wonderful way to have fun and enjoy listening to God’s Word. Usually we have campfire every night.

To prepare for this lovely event, campers
and tribe leaders put on bug spray and comfortable clothes. We also take a flashlight and water bottle. Once everyone has done that, tribes start walking up a hill to the top of the mountain. We all call it sunset. Tribes sit on logs around the fire.

At the beginning of every campfire, some of the staff come in front and lead us in campfire songs! By the end of the songs the sun is setting giving a beautiful view off the mountains! When songs are finished a different staff comes up and talks to us about a certain thing in the Bible. I love listening to campfire talks and learning about God.

I also like staring at the fire because it helps me to focus on what the staff are saying. When the staff are finished with their talk, RedSox closes with a prayer and we all head back to the cabins to get ready for bed. I think that campfire is a very moving experience!

Ariel K., Age 10
Tribe of Benjamin
One of the most amazing things at Camp Gilgal is going to the pool! However, before you actually do so, you must take a swim test. You must be able to swim from one side to the other on your back and front. You must also be able to tread water.

After you have taken the swim test you get a band. The band colors are red, yellow and green. These three colors stand for three sections of the pool. The shallow water is represented with the color red. The middle area of the pool is represented with a yellow band. Lastly, the deep end of the pool is represented with a green band. This also means that you can swim in all three sections of the pool.

After you get your band, you are finally able to swim freely in your section. But if you want to have even more fun, you can try out some of the flotation devices. There are noodles, boogie boards, balls, and more. I think that Camp Gilgal is the best place to have a pool!