Camp Gilgal Family

Once a part of the Camp Gilgal family, always a part of the Camp Gilgal family.

Category: Gilgal Gazette 2021

Capture The Degal

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Ryan H. Age:13

Capture the Degel

Capture the Degel is basically capture the flag. The game includes four main elements the degel, the degel circle, the jail circle, and the neutral zone. The degel is surrounded by the de gal circle which is a safe zone for when you are attempting to grab the flag. The neutral zone is an area in the middle of the two team’s sides that you cannot be tagged in. Lastly the jail circle is where enemies that were tagged are put until the end of the game, or a jailbreak from a teammate. A jailbreak is when a teammate makes it to the enemy side, makes it into the jail circle, and screams jailbreak. This year for capture the degel at teen camp we played two rounds. In the first round my team played it slow but safe. We started with a lot of defense, waiting for the sacrificial captured to get caught, then alert us about where the flag was. Me and Eitan waited until we found the other teams base then attempted to rush it being ready to get caught but stayed out of jail. It took me a super long time to finally see and rush on the enemy base. It was a success, I made it to the degel circle, and was safe. I was surrounded, and I knew or not that going to let me out. I thought I could wait for a long time, but my impatience got the best of me. I ran out and jail broke all of the prisoners, but sadly three of the prisoners were not focused and didn’t even try to run away. One of the prisoners was laser focused and got out, but sadly I got caught. I was so bored in the prison circle. But I got a glimmer of hope when I saw that Superduck was close an undetected. Superduck slowly made his way to us then finally he grabbed the flag and jailbroke us. Superduck made it to the neutral zone and my team was victorious. However, the second round was way shorter period my team had formulated a legendary plan in which everyone charged the enemy side in waves. Sam didn’t want to come so he stayed as a defender. Once the game started, we blitzed. I swerved and juked the enemy as hard as I could but sadly, I got caught. In the jail circle I noticed Superduck grabbed the flag and was sprinting to the neutral zone. Before Superduck got there in time, the other team had already won I was very sad, but still had great enjoyment. All in all capture the degel was a great game, and I would definitely do it again.

 

Flume & Boats

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Isaac P. 

Age: 15

Flume and Boats

On Tuesday morning we went down to the lake at Calvin Crest first we went to the flume and the first person who went down lost the GoPro which took somewhere around 40 minutes to be found. Around 30 minutes after we arrived at the flume we were allowed to go on the boats, I chose to board a kayak and I started to paddle to the middle of the pond/lake and was almost hit by gadget and the other people in his paddle boat multiple times. After I got out of my kayak I decided to hop in a paddle boat with gadget and Ryan which turned out to be a big mistake. Both of them only wanted to cause chaos by ramming people. The paddle boat was slow but they were determined to attack anyone who got close enough to splash which in turn made me get drenched and I resolved to never go in the same boat with them again.

 

Ropes Course

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Rebekah P.

Age:13

Ropes Course

The trip course, or ropes course was an interesting experience. Before starting the course both campers and counselors were attached to a harness and a helmet. The ropes course staff explained how to secure the harnesses, helmets, ropes course safety, and how to get onto the course. The ropes course had four different levels of difficulty. The first level was the green portion of the course. That level started by walking across a line of rope and ended in sip lining down one. The next level of the course was blue period this course was like the green and also started and ended the same but the difficulty in between had changed. The next two courses got progressively more difficult, and the read course, the final course had a different beginning having to swing rope to rope. The course caused many tries, but the victory made up for it. The trip course ended in two and a half ways. The first was the zip line where you would zip down from the course with your harness. The second way was the bungee cord, this was attached to your harness and then you would fall off the course safely. Van what I call the halfway was invented by Eli Reeves by neither going down the zip line or bungee. Instead, she went around the entire course and went back the way she came. Although the ropes course had me make a few slip-ups it was a fun experience.

 

Q&A Counselor Panel

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Scarlette S.

Age:13

Q&A Counselor Panel

Panel was a great way to answer questions about the Bible or God. It was a great opportunity to grow and learn from the wisdom of people who have walked with God longer than we have.

At breakfast they had us write any questions we may have from who got is, what media is right to watch or read as a Christian, or even what books of the Bible to read first period they were all anonymous questions, so you could ask anything you were curious about, and the panel of four counselors would do their best to answer. The good thing about submitting questions like this is that you can get answers that helped us grow in our relationships with Yeshua and our fellowship together.

There were four counselors on panel Hershey, Lone Star, Maple and Superduck. If you really want your questions answered thoroughly write them to super duck. Maple is also pretty “longwinded” but Superduck is by far the most “longwinded” out of all the counselors the amazing thing about having all of the different leaders and Waldo to kind of sum up the answer at the end is that you get a lot of variety and different angles to the answer retaining to the person answering. It’s also a great opportunity to have God speak to you through the counselors. Because they didn’t get to all the questions, they planned another panel time for us. In conclusion the question panel is an awesome opportunity for growth in knowledge of God and the counselors are super awesome.

 

Yosemite: The Adventure to Begin and End All Adventures

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Sam S.

13

Yosemite: The Adventure to Begin and End All Adventures

7:45 would be a time that would begin the adventure that would both begin and end all adventures. It was breakfast, something that all adventures need. A banquet of waffles awaited us, and once the food was eaten in the cabins cleaned the Calvary arrived.

The Calvary, a carpool of several trucks, cars, and vans. Back end us. As we departed our campground, the thirst for both water and the exhilarating sight of our destination overwhelmed us and conversations to pass the time on the drive.

Soon, we had reached Yosemite. There, we took and ate our lunch, praise the Lord, and went on a car ride to glacier point. Now, standing only a small amount of miles away from us, was Half Dome. The majestic infraction upon the earth proved breathtaking as I’d so often heard.

But even as we prepared to leave the glorious Half Dome, our quest was not yet over. Writing to the small village of Oakhurst, we arrived at the famed pizza factory where, “we toss ‘em, the’re awesome.” The cheese, of which there was an unending abundance, could not pair in comparison to our next and final destination, Vons.

A modern-day supermarket in such a small in rural Township was a certainly stunning sight to behold. Hungrily we tore into our savings and plunged into piles upon piles of groceries, snacks, candies, newspapers, and Starbucks. Once our Vons adventure had been completed, we returned back to the wonderful site of Calvin Crest their ending Tuesday, day two of team camp.

 

 

Bass Lake

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Tyler Hanson Age:15

Bass Lake

The day started normal, I got up, ate breakfast, and went to Tabernacle. That’s when we were told to get our swim gear on. We loaded up the vans and we’re on our way. We arrived shortly and we’re ready for some jet ski riding. Me and Eitan we’re the first group and we went with Waldo. He was crazy. We were flying over bumps and doing Donuts in the middle of the lake it was amazing. Soon after, we were back on shore getting ready for swimming. As soon as we got into the water, Maple got us for a second run. This time we were with our counselor Superduck. He was on a whole different level than Waldo. At one point we literally went vertical I fell three times by being whipped off. One time, I decided to jump off because it was extremely hot and I wanted to cool down. After we finally got back, I went and got some fries. S’mores bought them for me and they were amazing. Finally, we drove to our last destination where we swam, 8 burgers, listen to Gimli’s testimony, and prayed. That concluded my amazing day at bass lake.

 

Rock Climbing

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Ash C.

Age: 13

Rock Climbing

“On belay? Blay on. Climbing? Climb on.” We asked our assigned staff this before climbing. I started going up the giant wall in front of me. My arms burning with each time I pulled myself up. I got through two and a half of the six rock walls before I finally gave up. Scarlett got up five of the six. It was exhilarating. The best feeling was the sound of the bell ringing when you reached the top. The third wall was the hardest to climb out of my 2 1/2, which was why I had to give up halfway. The rocks were just too small to use. More recently, a camper named Avery climbed all of the rock walls! She says, “at some points it was challenging, but in the end I did it.” She also says that wall number six was the hardest for her to climb. There was also a race of times on the walls. Super duck climbed the first wall in eight seconds. What a time! It is also the fastest time the employees have seen on the rock walls. Putting on the protective gear was a strange experience since we had to check if it was tightened and put on correctly. I kept getting worried that one of the staff was going to drop me, or my harness wasn’t fully tightened. Luckily no one had issues climbing and it was a pleasant memory that all of us can take from this camping trip. I hope I can do this again next year and have some more memories on some of the walls!

360 Ropes (Ropes Course)

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Ellie Reeves Age:13

360 Rope Course (Ropes Course)

On Monday, the first full day of camp, all the campers were surprised by the ropes course and the Rockwall. S’mores split us into groups. All the girls except four of us, and all the boys also went on the ropes course with us. All the boys are Ryan, Eitan, Tyler, Isaac. The girls were Rebecca, Avery, Sarah, Ellie. When we first got there the people working with all the gear told us how to put on the gear and how to tighten it. They then taught us how to clip the gear from place to place most of the boys went first, then Rebecca and Ellie went. Rebecca went over the blue then shifted to red. Ellie was following wherever Rebecca went so she also went from blue to red. Red was the hardest level, then purple, then blue, then green. Rebecca got across the cargo net with ease, but Ellie was struggling. Ellie hadn’t known when to go, so once Rebecca was halfway across the zigzag part which was after the cargo net, Ellie started. Halfway across the cargo net Ellie started to go down which was harder because once you got to the end and you were low you had to go back up to get your feet on the small landing. By the time Ellie had gotten to the landing Rebecca was getting strapped into go down the quick jump. Ellie took a break on the small landing while Rebecca jumped off the landing with the quick jump. After about 3 minutes Ellie clipped into the zigzag and went across the zig zag was one of the easiest ones. Once Ellie got the end of the zigzag, she took a small break. While she took the break, she watched other people go across the cargo net. Her she looked like she was struggling with the GoPro and trying to get across the cargo net. She first tried to stay high on the cargo net but ended up gradually making her way down. When she got to the ledge, she basically had to do the same thing Ellie did, she had to hoist herself up the cargo net and onto the small ledge. She then took a break. While her she took her long break Ellie was contemplating on where she was going to go and finally just decided on going all the way around the ropes course, she walked across the tightrope that had the strings hanging down pretty quickly. Once Ellie finished the tightrope part of the course, she debated on whether to do the zip line or continue going all the way around. Again, Ellie didn’t want to go down the zip line, so she went down a ladder that had steps with different shapes and the beginning ladder. Once Eli got off, more people were going a second time, Eli did not want to. Avery was the last person to finish so Ellie went to get herself unclipped as Rebecca did the quick jump for a second time. Once everyone finished, all the helpers put stuff away and the campers and staff went to lunch.

 

 

Swing of the Giant (Giant Swing)

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Avery Mann Age:13

Swing of the Giant (Giant Swing)

Two pillars overlooking the mountains… A hook being hung by a rope between the pillars… A harness waiting to attach you to the ropes. And there was a giant swing. On Wednesday afternoon, everyone began to get into their harnesses and get strapped into a rope to pull people up. At first heaving people up to the very top of the pillars was hard, walking back in the dirt and pulling. But as more and more people went, it got easier. And then it was my turn. I held on to the harness in front of me as I got raised more and more into the sky, getting ready to pull the string that would release me. The wind blowing through my hair, I prepared to make the call, saying “3, 2, 1,” and I pulled the string. For a split second I plunged down the hillside and got caught again by the rope. I swing back and forth and look at the view, stop and get lowered down. More and more campers went on, and all of them saying they had a great time period my favorite part would have to be the freefall down before the rope catches you. Although overall everything was awesome. I’m sure that any campers to go on the giant swing will have a great time.

 

A Notebook and the Elements (Art Night)

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Joy E.

Age: 15

A Notebook and the Elements (Art Night)

We just came back from the giant swing and lunch period it was late in the evening. The sun was setting in a nice cool breeze was emerging. We walked towards the ropes course when I heard someone say we are doing art! Excitement rushed over me the last time I did art at camp Gilgal was two years ago before covid. I sat down on the table as Waldo began explaining what we are doing. Basically, we decorated our journals with the elements. We can use flowers, fabric, lace, magazine articles, and paper etc. I went to the back to get some flowers I also got a green modern camo cloth and denim cloth. Floral and blue fabric also. I got the Golden Gate Bridge and butterfly wings from a magazine. Finally, bark and wheat twigs. It turned out beautiful and unique.

 

Be Grateful (Kayaking)

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Lea Santos Age:14

Be Grateful (kayaking)

Take a breather! As it is important to admire the creations of God. As we live in a very stressful and a fast-paced life. The whole trip has been able to teach me how to be grateful and helped me become closer to God. I was able to experience things that I was nervous about. When Scarlett and I heard about kayaking, we automatically looked at one another as our eyes lit up with excitement. As we got on the kayak, a sudden rush of emotions consisting of excitement, nervousness Kama and anxiousness to try it out. It was such an unforgettable experience that I would be willing to do it again. We both tried our best and put so much effort into paddling. It took a while for us to get used to it. After some time, we got the hang of it. We splashed each other and fellow campers and laid down in our own kayaks. We both enjoyed the experience.

 

Tabernacle

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Eliana R.

Age:15

Tabernacle

            As long as I can remember Tabernacle has always been a special time to connect with each other and God. This year Waldo lead Tabernacle, and so did Lone Star. Waldo covered the message and Lone Star did the Bible verse and the Shama. Sunflower picked the songs and made sure we had the lyrics to each song. This was only due to the fact we had no guitarist this year. Darn it! I knew I should have brought my guitar. Over this weekend teen camp God showed me that worship is sacred. As I lifted my hands up to sing I could feel Adonai holding my hand and I trembled a bit.

            This week we looked into the book of Mark in our bibles, it was a truly unique perspective about how it would look like daily living in Jesus’s presence. It inspired me to draw closer to Yeshua as Waldo reminded us about how Jesus was our healer, our Redeemer, the sacrificed lamb, an amazing teacher, and a gentle and kind servant. Later this evening Lonestar will be talking about how our Messiah is also our king which I am excited for!

            The anointing on Waldo is impeccable and I am so glad I was there to witness his amazing artwork of Jesus! he encouraged us to branch out more and share our beliefs with others. I know Jesus would want that so I have been considering going on a missions trip when I am old enough to do that. Right now, I am content to be where I am now.

 

 

 

Interview with S’mores

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Raina W.

Age:13

Interview with S’mores

First, I asked S’mores some funny questions period I started by asking, “what is your favorite poisonous or venomous animal?” She responded a poisonous dart frog. Next I asked, “What is your spirit animal and why?” S’mores replied, A goat for two reasons. One it’s her favorite animal and two they can be chill or really bouncy. Then I asked her, “what would you like to smell like 24/7? And it can’t be s’mores.” She answered peonies, because they are her favorite flower and they smell really good. After that I asked smores to share one funny thing that she did or help do when she was a camper. She said when she was at camp her and her friend Brighton went to Vons and they bought a whole tub of sherbet ice cream and after they bought it they realized they had nowhere to store it that would be cold enough so they sat at a nearby Starbucks in ate the whole thing. Then I asked her a question that had been on my mind for as long as I can remember, “Why did your parents name you s’mores?” She said that her parents were camping when she was born and they had just eaten S’mores and they thought it was the perfect name. Next I asked her, “What is your opinion on being a cannibal list since you eat s’mores?” She said the food s’mores is an inanimate object and she gives the human S’mores full permission to eat the food s’mores. Then I asked some more serious questions, I asked, “Were you a counselor before you started helping co-run the camp here? She said yes, she was a tribe leader for three years period then I asked another serious question and that was, “What is hard about co-running at camp?” S’mores said that she doesn’t get enough sleep and the food isn’t the best, but it’s worth it because she loves camp. My last serious question is, “Who was your inspiration when you were younger? It has to be a counselor not a celebrity.” She said Snapple, streetlight, and waffles. Well, those are all the questions I asked S’mores.

 

My Cabin

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Channah A.

Age:14

My Cabin

As I entered my cabin for the first time, I felt a wave of nervousness rush over me. Many of the other girls already knew each other by going to each other’s churches. I thought I was going to stick out like a sore thumb period to my surprise everyone was very welcoming and I fit right in. We have had a lot of laughs like the time the toilet got clogged. One of our cabin members, who will remain nameless, very proudly took responsibility for clogging the toilet. I can now gladly say that I have made a lot of long lasting friendships who I know are always going to be there for me and I will always be there for them.

 

Ropes Course

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Eitan R.

Age:13

Ropes Course

With this campground there is a ropes course and a Rockwall on campus. We did the ropes course while the other half of camp did the climbing wall, the ropes course was scary but was fun for me. I am afraid of heights so being about 40 feet above the ground only being held by a clip and a harness is pretty terrifying, but I decided to try to face my fear by doing the hardest route for everything and doing it two times this is the route I took. So first when you walk up the first stair you can go three ways for this, I took the second hardest route where there is a tight rope, then I did the log walk, and after that it got harder. I did the cargo net next, and my arms are still sore from it, after that I did the wobbly boards and the zip line which was a lot of fun. All in all I had a lot of fun doing the ropes course even though I’m afraid of heights and it was hard for me.

 

The Swing (Giant Swing)

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Jonah M.

Age:13

The Swing (Giant Swing)

Heave, ho! He, ho! This is the sound I hear as I am raised higher and higher above the ground. The world I love and no drops away from me and I hang suspended in the air. I think of the last 20 minutes I spent holding other souls up the up the pole., the screams of fear or the cries of exhilaration as the catch is pulled and the person set free. I used to be one of those laborers, heaving on the rope with my fellows. That’s all over now, I shall fly.

“Stop!” I yell, I am raised no higher. “3, 2, 1, go!” I cry, pulling the catch. Nothing happens. Glancing up at it. I yank once more, nothing happens. Finally, at my third attempt, it comes. My stomach shrivels up while my mouth lets out a cry of terror and delight. When I come to grips with my situation, I begin to hear the soft sigh of the wind with every swoop back and forth. It almost sounds like the gentle sigh of the waves at dawn. My haunches will never forget my ride on the giants wing.

 

Interview With S’mores

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Ari Z.

Age:7                                                                                                         Tribe of Dan

Interview with S’mores

Today I interviewed S’mores. S’mores favorite color is yellow and she loves to bake. Her favorite thing to do is to spend time with her friends and people she loves. Her favorite person at camp is everyone! S’mores says campers are the best part. Her favorite animal is a goat because they are cuddly. Her favorite food is chicken masala and garlic naan. Her favorite place to go is camp because it’s fun and she get’s closer to God. Her favorite beach to go to is T-street in San Clemente. Her favorite juice is apple juice. S’mores had a lot of fun at camp. She is really fun.

 

Skit Night

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Rhyder G.

Age:9                                                                                                 Tribe of Dan

Skit Night

I had so much fun on skit night. We did the story of David and Goliath. It was so funny. We had a giant sword for Goliath and pool noodles for swords. Our counselor Fajita played Goliath. In the end the Israelites killed Goliath and the Philistines ran scared. When Goliath died, I ran up to the sword and when I grabbed it I said, “I got it,” it was so much fun. In all, skit night was fun.

 

Flop On Your Bunk

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Azriel S.

Age:9                                                                                                       Tribe of Dan

Flop off your Bunk (FOB)

At flop off your bunk time, I like to flop off my bunk and be crazy! I talk, scream extremely loud, and I keep people from sleeping. Sometimes I hang my head outside my bed and start laughing out loud. I might roll off my bed. I would normally wake up other kids all the time. I really like flop off your bunk time and love that time of camp.

 

Gaga Ball

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Eitan R.

Age: 13                                                                                    Tribe of  Simeon

Gaga Ball

During free time and before Tabernacle a lot of the time we play Gaga ball. Gaga ball is sometimes a little dangerous and it can cause some injuries, for example Lyrit hurt his knee and his hand while playing Gaga ball. Even though it is dangerous, it is a fairly simple game. The goal of it is to not get hit by the ball below your knees, you can jump over the ball or slap it away, but if you use the wall to boost yourself you are out. Mateus, Lucas, and Isaac are the best players currently, but everyone will get better. Gaga ball is a lot of fun and I enjoyed doing it this year at junior camp and look forward to it for teen camp.


Free Time

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Lev R.

Age:11                                                                                       Tribe of Simeon

Free Time

Do you know what camps all about? Well let me tell you it’s free time! You get to do archery, pool time, shopping, and sometimes the water slide! If you don’t like one of those why be at camp? Like seriously archery you get to shoot arrows at targets and have fun. Pool time you get to cool off from the 100 degrees heat and have fun while doing so. Shopping you get cool stuff from the Gilgal Store and goodies from the snack shack, and the water slide while that was exciting itself. I remember at archery Eitan hit a point on the target and he was happy because it was exciting, and it filled him up to the brim with dopamine. At the pool I remember I was counting from archery to the pool, and it was so hot! And I cooled off and had lots of fun. When I was done with the pool, I wanted to have a little sweet treat, so I got a huge Ice Cream Sandwich, and it was very yummy. One day I even got to go on the water slide, and it was fast, but I still had loads of fun. I may have gone on it 5 or 6 times; it was that fun! I know my brother Eitan said he liked playing Gaga ball because he’s pretty good at it. Gimli says he liked taking photos of us doing archery because he got some good shots. Anyways free time is really fun so go out and have some fun.

 

 

What A Mensch

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Isaac H.

Age:12                                                                                         Tribe of Simeon

What a Mensch Night

Today I’ll be talking about what a Mensch night. What a Mensch night is a dinner theme. This theme is about being a Mensch what that means is that you have to do nice things when you do a nice thing the person that you were being a Mensch to has to say, “what a Mensch.” It is fun being a Mensch and doing nice things for people. This is why what I mentioned night is such a great theme night. This year I was a mensch by taking people’s plates, getting them beverages, or pulling out their chairs for them. The whole time I was looking for ways to be a mensch. Once again what I mention night is a very great night! Thank you for reading my Camp Gilgal event writing.

 

Wells Fargo

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Isaac H.

Age:12                                                                                         Tribe of Simeon

Wells Fargo

Today I’ll be talking about a fun game at camp called Wells Fargo. This game is played by stealing all the bags of gold each guarded carefully by all of the staff. The group with the most gold bag wins! If a staff member tags you, you must go to where all the stolen bags are and count to 100 and keep playing. Wells Fargo may be my favorite activity at camp. All the staff are dressed up like Cowboys and Cowgirls. They call themselves the faithful and loyal Wells Fargo agents with an accent. Wells Fargo is usually started with the campers and free time than all the Wells Fargo agents surprise us marching towards us and tells us all the instructions. Then we play three rounds of the great game Wells Fargo. Once again Wells Fargo is a very fun and exciting game played at camp it may be my favorite activity at Camp Gilgal.

 

Men’s Day

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Isaac H.

Age:12                                                                                         Tribe of Simeon

Men’s Day

Today I’ll be talking about something called men’s day. Men’s day is a very fun day for all the men where all men have various events and at the end all of the men drink something called men’s brew it is kind of like a Shirley Temple. The most amazing drink in the world. We also make various treats, such as ice cream or filled cones with various sweets. Men’s day is a very amazing day! What we did this year was war with cardboard swords and Shields. We lined up shortest to tallest and counted ones and twos then we made all the ones and twos beyond teams on each side of the field. Then we fight, the first team that all died will lose. We did many rounds once again men’s day is an amazing day! Thank you for reading my Camp Gilgal event writing.

 

No No Night

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Isaac H.

Age:12                                                                                         Tribe of Simeon

No No Night

Today I will be talking about no no night it’s a night where at dinner time everyone has a pen. If someone makes you say “no” you have to give the pin to the person that made you say it, they get to keep your pin (all of the ones you had). The person that has the most pins at the end wins! This year I won with eight pins. No no night is maybe the best theme at camp. The way I won this year was by making someone say “know”. It might seem mean, but I usually go for the younger tribes. This year was the first time I have won no no night. I am very happy that I won this year. The other highest number of pins was six pins. Even though I won I did not have time to eat. Once again, no no night is maybe the most fun theme night at Camp Gilgal. Thanks for reading my Camp Gilgal event writing.

 

Water Balloon Volleyball

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Eitan R.

Age: 13                                                                                    Tribe of Simeon

Water Balloon Volleyball

Water balloon volleyball this year was a whole lot of fun. We did a double loss bracket system which means when you lose once you are not out, and you move to the loser’s bracket if you lose in the losers bracket you are out but if you win the whole losers bracket you play the winner of the winner’s bracket. This year Judah won the whole thing the final match was Judah and Benjamin it was a very equal game but, in the end, Judah pulled out the victory. The rules for the final match for that each team in order to win they had to win by two points for example if Judah had five points Benjamin would have to have seven to win after the last match of tribes the staff played a game it was a lot of fun to watch the staff play a game of their own. In the end the girl tribe leaders and the out of cabin staff won the game but it was a lot of fun.

 

Lonestar

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Lev R.

Age:11                                                                                       Tribe of Simeon

Lonestar…

Hi! I am writing about Lonestar’s favorite stuff. First, is favorite color is a deep forest Green. His favorite state is Texas because he is from Texas, and his favorite food is Mediterranean food. He also says his favorite dessert is freshly baked boutique cookies. His favorite vacation spot is either somewhere in the mountains or somewhere by the sea. He claims his favorite tree is a palm tree. His favorite poisonous animal is either a black mamba or a blue caped ifrit. He claims his favorite animal is a fennec fox. His favorite place to visit would be Israel. He also claims his favorite beard is his very own. This is when I should mention that he is exceedingly humble (*wink*). Well to conclude Lonestar is very humble and kind.

 

 

 

Bass Lake

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Eitan R.

Age: 13                                                                                    Tribe of Simeon

Bass Lake

This is one of the first times that we went to bass lake in Jr. Camp. It was a lot of fun there. We did activites like swimming, king of the log, and fol (Flat on log). My favorite activity was fol because you did not have to use very much energy to stay floating and whenever a boat came by you would ride the waves. My second favorite activity was king of the log, it was fun because you got to chuck a ball as hard as you could at the king of the log and if you knocked them down you were the new king. That is why I enjoyed bass lake so much.

 

Gadget

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Lev R.

Age:11                                                                                       Tribe of Simeon

Gadget

Hi! I’m talking about Gadget and what his favorite stuff is. First off, the list is his favorite state, it is South Carolina! He also lives in South Carolina. His favorite candy is sour gummy worms! Next, his favorite poisonous animal is a platypus. Apparently, his favorite baseball team is none because he does not watch baseball. His favorite color is Lavender. Next his favorite food is chicken cutlet curry from Hurry Curry Tokyo in LA. His favorite dessert is cold stone ice cream. His favorite tree is a walnut tree. His favorite drink is Coca-Cola. His favorite number is 7, and his brand is Lego. Gadget loves camp and is really cool. Thank you for listening about Gadget.

 

Interviewing Snapple

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Eitan R.

Age: 13                                                                                    Tribe of Simeon

Interviewing Snapple

Snapple’s favorite poisonous animal is a cone snail, and her favorite tree is an olive tree. Her least favorite pet are hamsters and gerbils. Her favorite year is 2014 because she got to graduate college, took a trip to Israel and Africa, and had a lot of good friends that she was living with. Her favorite song is Stand by Me by Ben King. Her least favorite fish is a catfish because it has weird whiskers. Her favorite movie is also Stand by Me and her favorite TV show is Parenthood. Her favorite color is all kind of green. Her favorite soda brand is Coca-Cola. Her favorite clothing brand is free people. Where she shops most is Target. Her favorite seasoning is garlic salt. Her favorite flower is a dahlia and that concludes the interview. Snapple loves being at camp and has been coming for a long time.

 

Sing and Dance for your Mail Night

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Isaac H.

Age: 12                                                                                        Tribe of Simeon

Sing and Dance for your Mail Night

Today I will be talking about Sing and Dance for your Mail Night. This event is a themed night where if you ever get mail you have to sing or dance. This event is a very fun and joyful event. This year there was a ton of mail because the post workers had Sunday off and an additional day because of the Fourth of July. Many people got mail and I was the spinner. A spinner must do a jump and spin in the air and land low to the floor when a staff get’s mail. I also got mail and I chose to dance with my tribe. The tribe of Simeon. The tribe of Simeon dance was to a song called Moscow. The dance is when all the people put their arms around each other’s shoulders and raise their legs in sync. Many people did the Moscow dance. Anyway, Sing and dance for your mail night is a great and fun night! Thank you for reading my Camp Gilgal event writing.

 

Interview with Moose

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Eitan Rubinstein Age:13                                                                                    Tribe of Simeon

Interview with Moose

His favorite poisonous animal is a rattle snake. His least favorite food is beets because they taste awful. His dream pet is a cat. His favorite part of Camp Gilgal is the campers because without them there is no camp. His favorite baseball team is the world champions, LA Dodgers. His favorite baseball player is Gin Sully. He likes camp because it helps campers learn about Yeshua. His favorite flower is a California golden poppy, and his favorite soda is Dr. Pepper. His favorite Bible chapter is Romans chapter 8 and that concludes my interview with Moose.

 

 

 

 

After Dodgeball Fun

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Helena L.

Age:12                                                                                               Tribe of Asher

After Dodgeball Fun

June 30th was crazy after I hurt my foot we went back to the cabin and we were waiting to see if I was going to go to the doctor. I didn’t really want to go. Then we started to play Taylor Swift we were singing it all high and super loud it was so much fun I loved it. Then we started to eat lots of food and give it to everyone, I am pretty sure the people next door heard everything we were saying we started to sing very loud. Oh yeah how I got hurt. So, in the start of the game (dodgeball) I ran to get the ball and that’s when I got hurt. I guess I was playing the game really hard. It took a couple days before I could walk, but I was so happy I did not have to leave camp because it is really fun. Even though I have a cold now. I think I got it from Dylan, but I am sure I will feel much better in a little bit. I also fell and cut my arm and have some purple on my legs from Capture the Degel. I loved camp even though I got hurt more than once and I had fun playing all the games.

 

 

 

Ladies Day

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Dylan M. Age:12                                                                                                Tribe of Asher

Ladies’ Day

Ladies’ day was so fun! First, we went swimming which was fun. We went swimming for a while. Then, we bought snacks from the snack shack and ate them while we threw a ball around and got to know each other. They also bought of snow cones from the snack shack. While we were talking and swimming, we played the song “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and it was so great! When we passed around the ball, we asked each other questions like “What’s your favorite color? What’s your favorite food? What’s your favorite movie? What’s your favorite nickname?” etc. We would say someone’s name and ask one of those questions. We had so much fun on ladies’ day and I hope it’s this much fun next year! I have a feeling it will be.

 

Gimli

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Helena Lawrence Age:12                                                                                   Tribe of Asher

Gimli

Gimli’s favorite seasoning is salt. Gimli’s favorite deadly animal is the snake. Gimli uses “Organix” yes with an “x” for his hair. Gimli’s favorite brand is “Patagonia” I don’t know that one. Gimli’s favorite number is 64. Gimli does not have a favorite fingernail. Gimli does not have a favorite time of day Gimli’s favorite place in the world is Israel. Gimli would shave his beard only for a house. Gimli’s favorite language is Yiddish. Gimli does not have a favorite celebrity. If Gimli could go anywhere in the world he would want to go to Brazil. Gimli’s favorite flower is a rose. Gimli does not like horror movies. Gimli has not seen “It” (Very Sad). Gimli has not shaved his beard since 2015. Gimli has also dyed his hair before. Gimli loves running. Gimli does not have a favorite toe. Gimli came to camp because he wanted to help campers and be closer to God. Gimli’s favorite food is meat. Gimli did not care what age group he got, he wanted to let God pick his group. When Gimli got baptized, he said “I felt like I was washed clean” he felt closer to God. 

 

Steal The Gold! ( Wells Fargo)

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Hannah W.

Age:11                                                                                                 Tribe of Benjamin

Steal the Gold (Wells Fargo)

We were minding our own business until Wells Fargo agents walked up to us and said that we had to try to steal their gold. All of the rules were that if they tag us, we had to go back to the soccer goal and count to 100, and in the end who got the most bags of gold wins. The first round I was walking and out of nowhere Storm comes and tags me like that for no reason and I got mad. Anyway, after I counted to 100 the game stopped, we counted the gold and they won we did not, whatever. The second round we got a bag right away and then Lonestar was sitting on his gold, what? That not fair! But when he stopped siting on it Mateus got it! He is superfast and I almost got tagged by Smores, but she did not tag me and like that the game ended we had eight bags of gold and they had four bags yay, we won that round! One more round to determine the winners and Lonestar was sitting on his gold again and when he got up Mateus fell off the hill backwards and I am surprised he was fine after that, but that was more time for us to grab that bag of gold and be on our way. Everyone was getting tagged including me I watched as we got so many bags and when the game ended, we counted our bags eight bags again! This means they had four bags, we won yay!

 

 

 

Wells Fargo

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Mateus A.

Age:10                                                                                                Tribe of Judah

Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo is a game where the staff dressed up as Wells Fargo agents. The campers are robbers whose goal is to steal the gold from the Wells Fargo Agents and put the gold in a soccer foal. It is super fun and hard. I had a lot of fun playing. You can get a cool prize like going in the pool. That is what I like about Wells Fargo.

 

The Basketball Game

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Gabe V.

Age:9                                                                                                        Tribe of Judah

The Basketball Game

One day during camp after cabin cleanup the Tribe of Judah asked our staff if we can play basketball, and they said yes, and we started playing. When we were playing Mateus passes the ball to Gabe and Gabe passes the ball to Augusto and he shot and missed. The other team steals the ball and shoots and made it, so far the score was 0-1. We were losing. We got the ball Mateus shoots and scores, it’s 1-1. They start with duking everyone and shoots and misses. Augusto gets the ball and passes it to Gabe he shoots “swish”. 2-1 team and Judah wins!

 

Pirate Night

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Judah Z.

Age:9                                                                                                     Tribe of Judah

Pirate Night

Pirate night is one of my favorite nights of Camp Gilgal! When pirate night happens all the tribes dress up as Pirates in a creative way. My tribe used face-paint for our beards. The tribe of Asher dressed up as gold treasure. The tribe of Dan had really cool pirate costumes with eye patches and vests. The out of cabin staff did the pirates who don’t do anything. For dinner we ate barbeque chicken and salads. The Tribe of Simeon also had some amazing costumes. Overall, I love pirate night.

 

Tribe of Judah

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Micah H.

Age:12                                                                                                   Tribe of Judah

Tribe of Judah

The tribe of Judah (arguably the best tribe) is a mens tribe that includes the wonderful tribe leaders, Mufasa and All-Star. We also have 5 campers, Micah, Gabriel, Augusto, Judah, and Mateus. Some of their notable achievements include the great water balloon volleyball victory and over 5 different pets; all named Bob Jr. or something similar, which included, two flies, a baby praying mantis, several balloons, and a stick with a face carved on it. The tribe has made many Gazette articles and has produced an interesting four-star skit about greed and redemption. Our tribe members enjoy basketball, water balloon volleyball, and many other exciting adventures. In conclusion, the Tribe of Judah is a wonderful tribe, they are currently trying to get the tribe of the year and are doing exceptional. They recently received a micahrates.com, 100/101. Overall, they are great tribe I would love to see in the future.

 

This Is Mission Impossible

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Mateus A.

Age:10 

Tribe Of Judah                                                                                                         

This is Mission Impossible

MI was so much fun. We ran a lot and crouched down. We dropped a note and Mufasa had to run back and get it. It took so long so we got caught, but we had a lot of fun and that is all that matters. We also saw a deer during the game. Gadget was the hardest spotter he was listening to music and swinging his flashlight near us. We were on our way back and Waldo walked around the corner and caught us, so we went back to the cabin then we ran to the dining hall, but we got there second. We had 20/10 amount of fun.

 

Tribe of Simeon

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Lyrit M.

Age: 11                                                                                                       Tribe of Simeon

Tribe of Simeon

I am going to be writing about the Tribe of Simeon. The people are me, Isaac, Lev, and Eitan. Our counselors name is Gimli. We all really like to play gaga ball. We won MI and our favorite game was Capture the Degel. Our tribe is full of veteran campers. Our tribe made an inside joke of the song Moscow and loved to dance to it. We also made the Tribe of Suda which is the tribe of Simeon and Juda because we lived next to each other and did a lot together. We are always looking for ways to have fun and we all like to joke and have fun. Our skit was one of the best parts. We did Phineas and Ferb. Once again, I am so happy to be in the Tribe of Simeon. Thank you for reading my event writing experience at Camp Gilgal.

 

Water Balloon Volleyball

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Judah Z.

Age:9                                                                                                     Tribe of Judah

Water Balloon-Volleyball

There they were the Tribe of Judah and Benjamin. They were playing a game called water balloon-volleyball. This is how you play, there are some tarps and a bin full of water balloons. And you are trying to catch a water balloon on your tarp without it popping. Back to the game. The Tribe of Judah tosses the balloon, but Benjamin caught the balloon! It was Benjamin’s turn to throw the balloon. The balloon soared through the air! And landed in the tribe of Judah’s tarp. The tribe of Judah tossed the balloon and guess what? The tribe of Benjamin didn’t catch the balloon. And Judah WON!!

 

Dodgeball

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Micah H.

Age:12                                                                                               Tribe of Judah

Dodgeball

Dodgeball is an intense sport. Anything but child’s play. Gameplay is simple, get hit, you are out. Catch a ball? The thrower is out and one of your eliminated teammates get back in. Any hits in the head will result in elimination of the thrower. One day, the camp dared the challenge of ye ol’ dodgeball. I was there; it was horrific. I have been hit several times, and I have been forced to strike others. Fortunately, my soldiers and I were capable of winning most games. Though I still feel a scar in my heart. I have been on the battlefield many times, but I have never witnessed death this brutal. Please, if you or a loved one have been affected by dodgeball, please contact 1-800-DODGEBALL. You could receive up to $100,000 in compensation.

 

Tribe of Benjamin

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Olivia W.

Age:10                                                                                        Tribe of Benjamin

Tribe of Benjamin

The tribe of Benjamin always stays together for example at MI we always stay together. My tribe had 6 campers and 2 counselors. The 6 campers were me, Hannah, Elorah, Norah, Aviva, and Sofia. Our counselors are Storm and Noodles. They are both really cool and grew up going to camp. Benjamin always works together in cleaning our cabin and we have a lot of fun in the pool. It is fun to be in the Tribe of Benjamin.

 

Craft

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Elorah M.

Age:9.5

Tribe of Benjamin                                                                                               

Craft

This year craft was making tzedakah boxes. Gadget was our craft teacher this year. So, to start we sanded down the wood that we would be using to build the tzedakah box. On day two, we stained the wood with a special type of paint. After a few seconds we had to wipe as much of it as we coated and it made it a different color of wood. On day three, the stain was dry, and we began to assemble the tzedakah box with screws. It took some people two days, but they managed to get it done. On day four almost everyone was working to put their designs that they had drawn on paper before sanding down the wood. Then we painted and wood burned until our boxes were done.

 

Water In Yo Face! (Waterslide)

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Norah B.

Age:9                                                                                         Tribe of Benjamin

Water in Yo Face! (Waterslide)

This is the story of the water slide, it was the funnest day of my life. This is how it goes: It took place at Camp Gilgal, as you all know, Camp Gilgal is the funnest camp on earth! You get to do all sorts of cool stuff, and the water slide is one of them. I have gone to a water slide before. First, before you go, you need to remember to bring a bathing suit, a towel, water bottle, and sunscreen. Before you go on, you have to wait in line patiently. When it’s your turn to go on, there is a giant floaty that you have to sit on. Then the person pushes you and down, down, down the water slide you go! You go as fast as lightning! There are spins and swirls, I screamed my first time. But after that, I wanted to go again and again. At the end of the slide, you are going to land in a bath of soapy water, then you walk up the trail with the floaty and do it again! I had a friend who kept going behind the other people in line because she was so afraid. It took her a very long time to go on. After she did it, she wanted to be the first one to do it again. Do it once, never leave it.

 

Interview with Whammy

March 31, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Lucas A.

Age:8                                                                                         Tribe of Dan

Interview with Whammy

For my article I am writing about my counselor Whammy. Whammy is 20 years old and favorite color is turquoise. His favorite food is fried chicken sandwiches with sauce. He loves to skateboard and push his limits going really fast. Whammy wanted to be a counselor because he wanted to help contribute to Camp Gilgal. He wanted to repay camp for the relationships, friends, and experiences he had when he was a camper. At the same time, he wanted to relive what it was like to be a junior camper and add to camp culture. Whammy’s favorite counselor buddies were here this year too. Whammy is a really cool counselor.

 

Tribe of Dan

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Halie F.

Tribe of Dan

Age 14

 

Tribe of Dan

 

Our tribe consists of me, Maya, Emma, Sarah, and Skidoo. We have many inside jokes that include calling Skidoo “King Julian” from Madagascar. We also like to laugh uncontrollably with each other. We also very much enjoy our double mattresses. We all have rough times that we experience together but we pray through them and it helps a lot. Skidoo had her night off so hiccup ate dinner with us. July 7th 2021 at 7:00 pm is when Hiccup finally realized why we laugh so much.

 

It’s because we are funny. We all have similar personalities when it comes to comedy. A lot of our inside jokes were made the second day of camp. We also all have British personas. Maya is Cassandra, Emma is Margrid, Skidoo is Barbara, Sarah is no name, and I am no name #2. That’s all from the tribe of Dan… for now. Xoxo

 

Canada Day

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Sarah O.

Tribe of Dan

Age 15

 

Canada Day

 

It was a nice, cold, maple-syrup scented morning. July 1st, 2021 was Canada Day. Skidoo runs in, screaming “Happy Canada Day!” in her red Canada sweatshirt and sweatpants. We all immediately jumped up and screamed “Happy Canada Day!” to our favourite Canadian, Skidoo. Halie, Emma, Maya and I put on all our red clothes and got into the Canada Day spirit. We were the only tribe with Canada spirit! We all wrote Canada and drew maples leaves on our faces and hands with a red marker. The whole day we went by the “Tribe of Canada” instead of the tribe of Dan. As the day went by, we went around saying “Happy Canada day” to everyone. Later that day we played Canada trivia as an all-camp activity, led by Skidoo. Although we didn’t do very well, we had the best spirit and the funniest answers out of everyone. For example, one of the questions was “What day was Canada founded?” We answered “Wednesday.” We later realized that it was July 1st– silly us. The day was long so we had to keep rewriting “Canada” on our foreheads. When we tried to wash off the marker that night, it didn’t come off completely, so the next day we all looked extremely sunburnt. That’s all… for now. Happy Canada Day!

The First Ever Teen Camp Mission Impossible

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Emma R.

Tribe of Dan

Age 15

 

The First Ever Teen Camp MI

 

Going into camp this year, I was a little disappointed that I would not be doing some of the activities that I had done in previous years like horseback riding and craft, because I am now a teen camper. But one activity I was going to miss the most was Mission Impossible. I was dreading when I would hear the music that indicates that it is MI for the junior campers. But, when the music came, Hiccup yelled that MI was for teens and juniors! The night started off very well. My cabin got ready in all black enthusiastically. MI is basically a challenge where you and your tribe compete against other tribes. Your tribe has to follow clues around camp and finish first to win. It’s like a scavenger hunt, but at night. There are also spotters that walk around with flashlights. If they catch your tribe, your whole tribe has to go back to your cabin’s door and then continue. To start off the mission, my tribe ran up the hill to sunset. We continued to run around the camp, looking for clues and unscrambling them. We only got caught a couple of times. When we came to the second to last clue, we could not get past the spotter walking around the clue. So, my tribe took turns running behind the spotter, trying to grab the clue. When the guard would start to turn around, we would have to run back to the forest line, and flop down to be as flat as possible so that we wouldn’t be caught. Even with this brilliant strategy, we got caught. As we were walking back to our cabin to try again, Hiccup announced that another tribe won. Even though my tribe did not win MI, it was so fun to get to attempt the challenge. I highly suggest to keep MI a tradition for teen camp, as well as junior camp! I love MI! 

 

Hiccup Dessert & The Tribe of Dan

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Hiccup

Tribe of Dan

 

Dessert & The Tribe of Dan

 

Frozen I stood in front of the ice chest. Indecision over an orange or cherry icey led me to the tribe of Dan. The ladies of Dan sit by the door to the main dining hall. Emma and Maya both had orange iceys while Halie and Sarah had cherry. They came in clutch letting me know the orange was far too sweet. Ever since then they have helped me make my frozen dessert choices and they have NEVER steered me wrong. While dessert at Camp Gilgal is always amazing, the tribe of Dan makes sure I get the best one possible.

 

My First Year at Camp

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Bluebonnet

Out of Cabin Staff

 

My First Year at Camp

 

My first year at camp was different than most years, I was told. The weather was a bit challenging. The first few days were cold and I appreciated having a warm sleeping bag at night. Our next challenge was 3 or 4 days of hot humid weather. The longest consistent weather pattern was foggy misty and stormy (lightning and thunder some days).

 

The report from campers was that because of careful planning or clever adjustments to original plans- most of the regular activities happened. Campers were able to ride horses, do high ropes and low ropes- swim time was shorter than usual- but it did happen. 

 

For camp to happen staff (Hiccup, Red Sox, and Skidoo mostly) worked hard to add some unexpected activities to substitute for field trips. An ice cream truck came to camp! There were also 2 movies nights- one even had hot chocolate.  

 

Mission Impossible!!

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Band-aid

Tribe of Reuben

 

Mission Impossible

 

Hi I’m Band-aid! One of the things I love about Camp Gilgal is the game “Mission Impossible.” It’s been my favorite game more than anything else combined. I remember playing the game with my tribe when I first came to camp. Sneaking around, avoiding the spotters, it was all fun. MI was one of the things I was excited about when I would come back as a staff member, but I had no idea that when we would play the game that I would be a spotter. I was okay with being a spotter, even though I wouldn’t be sneaking around with my tribe. It was a new experience for me being a spotter, but I got used to it quickly. My method to distract the campers was singing loudly and saying funny stuff that would throw the campers off. One song for example was “Crazy love” by Michael Buble. A perfect tip for you if you’re a counselor: if you like to wander off in your thoughts then being a spotter won’t get boring. It was great to learn that MI can be fun for everyone, campers and staff alike!

 

Spot’s Perspective

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Vivian K.

Tribe of Issachar

Age 13

 

Spots’s Perspective

 

Hello! My name is Spots and I’m Vivian’s stuffed furry friend. I live with her but we’re both living with the tribe of Issachar at the moment. I was very nervous to come to camp at first but I’m glad I did I made a lot of new friends with Vivian’s bunk all day waiting for her to come back. When they aren’t in the cabin me and Aylo’s stuffed turtle jump across the bed and have pillow fights. Vivian brings me back little scraps of food to eat. At night I always hear them praying and talking about their day. It seems like lots of fun I wish I could go outside. But sadly, animals aren’t allowed out. Everyday me and Yertle put our tiny faces against the glass to see them playing and laughing. It makes me so happy seeing all the kids smiles. This was my first ever and most amazing camp experience. I am overjoyed that I came and will never forget it. 

Conveniently Elijah

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Maya S.

Tribe of Dan

Age 15

 

Conveniently Elijah

 

Note: You know how a chair is left open for Elijah at Passover? Well, imagine if Elijah actually showed up…but at Camp Gilgal and no one could see him. What do you think that would be like? Here is one possibility…

 

There is a lonely guy. He is at Camp Gilgal. This guy keeps watch of the children, gives them fun games to play, and eats at meals with them. His name is Conveniently Elijah. However (there were some infractions), however, no one seems to notice him. The first few years he didn’t seem to notice and just thought no one had manners. But then he realized that he was invisible to our world. This made Conveniently Elijah so sad. Conveniently Elijah was sad for a while, but he got used to it after a few years. 

 

One day Conveniently Elijah was sitting down with the tribe of Dan, laughing with them as always. Maya put their legs onto Conveniently Elijah’s chair. He thought that was rude but brushed it off.

 

Later in the day Conveniently Elijah was at yet another meal. He got up and walked around. He felt some one following him and turned around to see Peach Fuzz. Just staring at him, Conveniently Elijah got excited and waved at Peach Fuzz, Peach Fuzz waved back.

 

Conveniently Elijah lit up, but before he could go over to Peach Fuzz, Peach Fuzz was taken to the dinner table. Immediately Conveniently Elijah went back to his cabin and started writing down all the things and stories he’d tell Peach Fuzz.

 

Throughout the rest of camp, Conveniently Elijah would tell Peach Fuzz lots of stories and would teach him many things until camp was over. Conveniently Elijah was excited for next year, and for the time being he would happily watch the kids and made sure they didn’t get hurt. To this day Conveniently Elijah still watched us and keeps an extra eye out to help the staff.

 

 

Plants in the Dining Hall

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Halye G.

Tribe of Issachar

Age 13

 

Plants in the Dining Hall

 

In the corner of the dining hall sits tiny plants. Most don’t know about them. Flowers are very pretty and colorful. They light up the room and smell wonderful. They attempt to use other objects to decorate such like paintings, bible verses, desks, and surprisingly many coffee pictures, but nothing can compare to the plants. My counselor, Mochi, kindly checked what type they are. She came back and reported there was aloe, jade, and a Christmas Cactus. My favorite was the jade because of its shape. Like most jade, it has rounded leaves which makes it unique, compared to most plants. I’m looking at the aloe plant it looks extremely overgrown. The leaves are drooping off the edges of its pot. I touched the leaves and they feel very thick and squishy. Lastly, the Christmas Cactus. The Christmas Cactus has spikes on the sides of the leaves. All the plants sit on a back shelf near the window where the sunlight shines in. I named the plants when I get bored. Aloe was named Jeff. I chose this specific name because Aloe just generally looks like a Jeff. I don’t just pick their names but personality as well. Aloe looks like a kind and supportive friend. Aloe enjoys painting and drawing. Next is the Christmas Cactus. The Christmas Cactus looks like someone who seems super nice but is actually rude and toxic. The Christmas Cactus would be named Roberto. Roberto enjoys putting puzzles together and playing ping pong. Last but not least we have my favorite one, Jade. I feel like the name Jade fits the plant perfectly. Jade looks very kind but also shy. She is an introvert and does not like drama. She loves singing when no one’s around and reading. All the plants are friends and love being next to each other every second of the day. Roberto sometimes sits on the bottom shelf because of his attitude. The 3 of them listen to all the interesting conversations from the 5 tribes. The plants know all the secrets each tribe is hiding. The plants may seem like dumb and useless decoration but really, they are the most knowledgeable being in the dining hall. Next time you’re sharing secrets make sure to be extra quiet because the plants are always listening!

 

Mission Impossible!!

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Ava G.

Tribe of Issachar

Age 13

 

Mission Impossible

 

This year we had teen camp MI! This is so exciting because this was our first-time doing Mission impossible in teen camp history. MI is a scavenger hunt where there are envelopes with clues all around camp and you have to find all the places where they are located. Then the first tribe to make it to the mishkan wins the game! This year I was in the tribe of Issachar with my friends Aylo, Vivian, Halye, and Mochi (my counselor). We were very happy because we were all working together. Even though we got spotted with the flashlight 4 times we still succeeded. Since MI is at night, we were dressing very stealthy in all black clothes. When we got to the end of the night, we were proud to be in 2nd place! Since it was too hot outside, we got icies and it cooled us down. We also got to share funny stories with one another. One of my favorite stories was when we had to dive into the ground like 3 times together so we wouldn’t get caught. So, because we were teen campers, it was harder to find clues. The hardest one for me personally was going up to sunset because it was so hot. We were also scared to get spotted by a counselor. When we got there, we had to dive to the ground and all of us had to get up and look for the card with the next clue. One thing about the clues was that the words were scrambled up and we had to guess the words and locations. I can’t wait to come back next year! 

Mud Football/Mission Impossible

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Isaac G.

Tribe of Judah

Age 15

 

Mud football/MI

 

The day was Tuesday the 6th of July at around 8:30-9:00 and part of the tribe of Judah had been playing football. We were playing mud football with the tribe of Issachar and Dan. It was the 3rd down and we were up by 2 points. The other team had the ball and we were really nervous about potentially losing. The QB was frantically looking for someone to pass to. Time was ticked down, 3, 2, 1. The ball was thrown at the last second to Levi, but I intercepted it and started sprinting to the endzone when I was tagged by the swift counselor Simba. It was our ball and I was ecstatic about the idea of winning by three points. Before we knew it the score was 2-4 and my team had won. We had to stop playing due to it being too dark outside and campfire starting soon. Feeling accomplished, I walked back to my bunk and started preparing bug spray for campfire. Once I grabbed my sweatshirt and started out the door, I began to hear a familiar noise from the field. It was Mission Impossible, and I knew I was in for a night full of competition, fun, and most of all running.

 

Tribe Issachar

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Aylo L.

Tribe of Issachar

Age 13

 

The Tribe of Issachar

 

This year I’m in the tribe of Issachar. There are 5 people in my tribe: Mochi, me, Vivian, Ava, and Halye. Our tribe leader Mochi is super nice to us, and is probably my favorite counselor ever! Being in this tribe is really fun. We sing, dance, and chat together all the time. We do activities like volleyball and hiking together, and sometimes we play games like Uno. I’ve known the people in my tribe for 5 years. Even though it is sometimes chaotic, we have a great bond and pray together, do devotions and talk about our faith. One of my favorite memories is spending tribe time on the picnic tables in the field. We were listening to calming music and looking up at the beautiful evening sky. Then we ran into the foggy field. We always have a good time together, and I hope other tribes are having just as much fun as we are.

 

The Family Geese

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Emma R.

Tribe of Dan

Age 15

 

The Family of Geese

I first noticed them on the walk to the first meal of camp. There was a mother Goose with many baby geese hanging out on a path that intersects with the path we, Camp Gilgal, walk on to the dining hall. I was very excited to see them since they were such an adorable little family. The next time we walked to a meal, I expected them to have flown away. But, when I came to the intersecting paths, there they were! At every meal I remember to look for them, they have been there. The babies on the first day were very small. Now, they are almost as big as the mother! When we arrived at camp they very obviously had the coloring of baby geese, but as the days have gone on they have steadily gotten bigger and their feathers resembled the adult geese more and more until they looked almost identical to the adults on the last day of camp. The babies even started to practice flying. Soon, they will fly away in the fall and hopefully return. Even though they were a small part of camp, I looked forward to seeing them every day. It was kind of amazing to think about change that way (in geese and in people), sometimes you can see it happening and sometimes you only notice when you look at where you started from. That is all about the Geese family for now… Honk Honk! 

 

Swamp Cows Backstory

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Matthew L.

Tribe of Judah

Age 14

 

Swamp Cows Backstory

 

Note: There are bullfrogs at Camp Gilgal East that do not sound like bull frogs, they make sounds far closer to the “moo” of a cow than the “croak” of a frog. They were a particular phenomenon this year with all of the rain, we were hearing far more from the frogs and legends were born.

 

In the deep, dark, misty areas of the swamp along the trail at Camp Gilgal, you may hear the muffled moo of the gruesome swamp cow. It all started late at night while the campers were snoozing, when two curious cows from a nearby farm decided to explore the dangerous road through Camp Gilgal.

 

They came across the pond along the trail, which was an odd shade of green. Suddenly a ripple appeared in the water, and the curious cows got distracted and slipped into the pond.

 

The cows mutated and became the “leaders of the swamp,” devouring all forms of life. The swam cows ran out of food, so now they make ripples in the water to lure land animals into the pond, just like they were. That is the backstory of the swamp cows, and if you ever see ripples in the pond along the trail at Camp Gilgal, do not fall for the bait.

 

     

High Ropes

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Ariel K.

Tribe of Judah

Age 13

 

High Ropes

 

One of my favorite activities at Camp Gilgal was high ropes. I really appreciated the high ropes course because it was my first time. I enjoyed climbing the tree and being really high up. I’ve always wanted to know what it felt like. The first part had ropes that were curved and I had to get across to the next wooden platform. It was very difficult and I was nervous but it was good. I would hold on to the side lines and step on the U-shaped ropes. They were very wobbly. Also, in the beginning we put on helmets and a harness and attached a carabiner to the harness so I knew that I was safe. Then we would screw in the carabiner, so a squeeze test and pull test so that everything was safely secured. The next part of the course was a thin line with ropes hanging from the top. I had to walk on the line and hold on to the hanging ropes. It was hard for me to keep my balance but I loved the new experience. The next part of the course was the bridge which had wooden boards spaced out along two lines. The bridge was not as hard as the first two parts of the course. On my first time going, the belayer helped me cross the bridge by telling me to look ahead at him instead of down. The belayers were very encouraging through each part of the course. I trusted them with my life and safety. The last part of the high ropes course was definitely my favorite. After going across the high ropes bridge, I went over the middle of a tree on to the last platform. The zip line was the last part of the course. I would switch out the carabiner the same way I did at the beginning of each part of the course. Then one of the belayers would tell me to yell “Zip clear!” then the person on the other side of the zip line would also yell “Zip clear!” and then I would yell back “Zip away!” I would step off the wooden platform and ride all the way down. It was one of the best experiences of my life. Lastly, I would climb down a ladder after separating the last carabiner from the harness. High ropes were amazing!

 

The Rain

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Levi W.

Tribe of Judah

Age 14

 

The Rain

Twas a dark and stormy night, timid faces peeped out the window as lightning slashed across the darkened sky, consuming man and beast alike. A screaming shadow hurtled across the ominous landscape, clouding all reasonable thought. Undetermined was the source or origin to an indolent awareness of the predetermined nature of the individual. Gone was the sense of calm understanding between grass and camper. An ominous forbearance of doom and suffering covered all aspects of happiness and security. The flapping of the voluminous rain sweater cut through the icy wind, freezing hearts and minds. Life sauce dripping down his brow, heart palpitating in his chest, the wee lad slipped and fell, flattening the once round earth with a mighty quake. And then I woke up and realized that the rain was not simply confined to my sleeping hours but that it was STILL raining at Camp Gilgal.

Archery

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Naomi W.

Tribe of Benjamin

Age 11

 

Archery

 

Fun archery, fun archery, fun archery. Before I tell you about my first-time doing archery at camp, let me just tell you this- I LOVE ARCHERY! The singing of the string, the excitement as I hit the bullseye, the drawing back of the bow. I just love it! But now let me tell you the first time I did archery at camp.

As I walked down the grassy slope to where the archery range was, I held my breath in anticipation. Seizing the bow and grasping the arrow, filled with quiver I ran my finger on the length of the bow searching for imperfections. Loosening the quiver, I drew the shaft to string. Drawing back the bow, arms quivering, string pulled tight, all concentration focused on the target. Beads of perspiration trickled down my brow, clouding my present conception. Realizing my breath, I liberated the dart. Hearing the singing bolt whistle past my ear slicing its opponent in two. Crowd cheering, I was lifted onto the shoulders of my fellow campers. As we paraded through the streets, throngs followed, awaiting the talk of the arrow. Hence this gazette concludes.

 

Movie Night

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Eliran K.

Tribe of Reuben

Age 8

 

Movie Night

 

At camp we do a lot of fun things. One of these things is called movie night. We went in to the cabin to put on pajamas for movie night. We watched the movie “Raya the last Dragon”. We also got snacks. The snacks were sour patches, chips, and Oreo cookies. The movie started, we were eating the snacks with Mason and Band-aid. When we were done eating and watching the movie, we went to brush our teeth and we went to go to bed. Also, we woke up and had a new day.

 

Flat On Bunk

March 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Ilana S.

Tribe of Benjamin

Age 11

 

FOB

 

Every day at camp we have FOB. Junior camp has FOB but teen camp does not. They have TAWG time, which is short for Time Alone With God. I love to spend FOB everyday reading, writing, sleeping, the list goes on and on. But there are 2 rules: 1, you have to stay in your bed, and 2, stay quiet so that others can sleep or do the things that they would like to do. FOB stands for Flat on Bunk. FOB is also a great time to write letters and that is really fun. It is a great time of day for me to reset and it helps make camp fun!

 

Dessert

March 28, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Hannah R.

Tribe of Benjamin

Age 12

 

Dessert

 

Dessert is delicious, yummy, breathtaking, and stupendous! I love the camp desserts, and food! My favorite is either the ice cream, or the cookies. All the desserts I remember are cookies, ice cream, pudding, ice pops, s’mores, brownies, gummies, hard candy, watermelon, cheesecake, mousse cake, chocolate cake, scones, pastries, and banana bread. Last, but not least, Rice Krispy treats. If you are kosher, they tell you if it is kosher or not. All the treats are amazing! I have never met a Camp Gilgal treat I haven’t liked. The only thing is you have to have vegetables and eat your meal first! PS, you are only allowed to have one dessert so that everyone can have one!

 

Mission Impossible

March 28, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Naomi W.

Tribe of Benjamin

Age 11

Mission Impossible

As I walked down to the bathroom to brush my teeth, I felt in my bones that something was going to happen! While in the middle of brushing my teeth I saw, to my bewilderment and surprise, Emanuela running toward me and screaming! Once soaking all this in, trying to figure out if something bad happened, I heard music; loud, boisterous music that rung in my ears. At the same time, I see people running out of cabins yelling “Mission impossible, Mission impossible!!!” In the confusion I ran outside with my toothbrush still in my mouth where I fell upon fellow campers telling me to get some black clothes on and go to the mishkan! I dash up the cabin steps giddy with excitement! Throwing on some adidas pants and sweatshirt, I ran as fast as I could to the mishkan. When I get there, I hear Mission Impossible music. Once all the cabins are ready and at their station, Hiccup shouts “on your mark, get set, go!” we’re off! My cabin darted to the bathroom where the first clue is hidden! We figured out the clue! We’re off again! Sweat trickles down my back. This goes on for an hour, darting here and there, focused alone on the clues, jumping over logs and hiding behind bushes. At last, we find all the clues. We come in 2nd place, hooray! This is my recollection of Mission Impossible!

Movie Night

March 28, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Emanuela K.

Tribe of Benjamin

Age 11

Movie Night

Hi, Camp Gilgal is awesome. But, do you know what makes it so awesome? I do, and it is… Movie Night!!! Now, if you are wondering what Movie Night is I’ll tell you.Movie Night is when we get in our PJs and we bring our sleeping bags and to the mishkan. They set up mats on the floor for us to put our sleeping bags on and then we get ready for everything to start. When all of the tribes are settled down in the mishkan we begin the movie and they don’t tell you what it is until it starts. During the movie we get to eat a bunch of snacks. Movie night is usually on a Friday in the first week of Camp Gilgal and it is extra fun and special. Once the movie is finished, we throw out our trash from the candy. After that we take our sleeping bag and go back to our cabin for bed.

Mission Impossible

March 28, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Mason C.

Tribe of Reuben

Age 10

 

Mission Impossible

 

Mission Impossible started like this.  The Mission Impossible theme song played and we all ran into the Mishkan where Hiccup told us the rules.  You have to collect all the clues, and the first tribe to find them all wins! Also, if you get spotted by a spotter with their flashlight, you have to go back to your cabin before you can continue.

 

These were some of my favorite Mission Impossible clues.  One time, we had to find a clue near our cabin, and Tchotchkie almost spotted us.  But he didn’t because I hid behind a dresser and waited.  Another time, we ran to the volleyball net and I slipped in the mud, but kept going.  For the last clue, we had to run all the way up to Sunset and back down.  I got really sweaty and had way too much fun.

 

My tribe ended up winning, and it felt amazing.  Everybody got popsicles as a prize, but we also got anything we wanted from the camp store.  I got a lot of really cool rubber duckies.  Thank you for reading this, and I hope you go to Camp Gilgal next year. 

Swamp Cows

March 28, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Ilana S.

Tribe of Benjamin

Age 11

 

Swamp Cows (a fictional explanation of a camp phenomenon)

 

As I lay flat on my bunk during (FOB) I heard a noise outside that I didn’t know how to identify. One of the rules of FOB is that you need to be quiet so I couldn’t ask any of my cabin-mates if they were hearing what I was hearing and if they knew what it was. As I focused on the sound I decided that I had to investigate and I became singularly focused on finding the answer to my quest. But before I can investigate, I have to wait 36 seconds for FOB to end.

 

I grab a flashlight, and a notebook and off I go and invite my cabin along with me! We start to go down the trail with that leads to the dining hall and take 13 steps and then hear a “cricket, cricket” sound.  I thought “Is that the noise?” I take my notebook out and write “A cricket-cricket noise.” I put my notebook away and off I go yet again. I take 29 steps and I see something bright, black, red and very small. I decide to pause and listen, but hear nothing. But I still take out my notebook and write “Black and red, small.” I put my notebook back I my pocket, and again, off I go. Then I walk 29 steps before I decide to listen and wait. I saw and heard something! It was big and oh my it’s a person! It is Red Sox and Beardo and Peachfuzz! I say hi to them and decide that they couldn’t be the source of the noise, then I walk 32 steps to a pond. I see and hear something else. Like a “honk.” It’s a- I don’t know so I take out my notebook and write “Honk noise, sorta brown, black, and white color with beak.” We all ran back to the cabin as fast as we could, right as it started to rain (again). I look at my notebook. It reads; “Cricket-cricket noise, black, red and small, honk noise, sorta brown, black, and white color with beak.” My cabin looked at our observations but decided that we didn’t have any new answers.

 

 The next day, I go to breakfast and asked Verde if he knew anything about the weird noises at camp. He said there was a legend of the swamp cows. At night, they call to lure you into the water of Camp Gilgal to swim. But I think they are bullfrogs croaking and I like legends so legends can be changed and stretched which make everything more fun!

Worship Team

March 28, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Naomi W.

Tribe of Benjamin

Age 11

 

Worship Team

 

The worship team is a wonderful group of people who leads the songs for tabernacle. The songs are beautiful, angelic, and divine. The choir of people are Schnitzel, Maya, Levi, some volunteers, and myself, Naomi. We sing 2 songs every day. Schnitzel plays the piano, harmonica, ukelele, or drone. When we sing, he is very talented (oooh, ahhh; that’s something we say at camp!). My favorite song in tabernacle is “By the Waters of Babylon.” The worship team also leads the Shema, Veyahavta, and Amidah. Now, I will list all the songs we sing: By the Waters of Babylon, Bless the Lord O My Soul, I’ll Fly Away, But For You Who Fear My Name, Home, Hallelujah, 10 000 Reasons. Singing in the worship team makes me feel happy and closer to the Lord. I love worship and really like getting to use my love of music with an ability to praise God. Thank you!

Campfire

March 28, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Emanuela K.

Tribe of Benjamin

Age 11

Campfire

 

Hello, I am a camper at Camp Gilgal. Camp Gilgal is awesome. One of my favorite things to do at Camp Gilgal is to go to campfire. If you are wondering what campfire is I can tell you. Campfire is when we go up on a small mountain and praise God. There is a cute fire at campfire. There are also benches made of wood. At campfire we also sing songs, read, talk and praise God. This year at campfire Hiccup read from a Bible storybook and then we talk about the story. We talk about exile and how the people of Israel get exiled from their home. We also talked about how Adam and Eve got exiled from the garden of Eden. Campfire always happens late in the evening before devotions and lights out. We didn’t have that many fires this year because of lots of rain but we had lots of campfire style gatherings. Sometimes we eat s’mores at campfire. I also like looking up at the stars at campfire. Campfire is awesome. I love it.

Tribe Flags

March 28, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Lilly M.

Tribe of Benjamin

Age 12

 

Tribe Flags

 

At Camp Gilgal, a main part of camp is our camp flags! First, we decide our tribe names after the 12 sons of Jacob. Asher, Zebulon, Naphtali, Benjamin, Judah, Gad, Manasseh, Ephraim, Dan, Issachar, Reuben, and Levi. My cabin picked Benjamin. Then, you pick a color. My tribe and another tribe wanted the same color and then had to come up with a speech about why we should get it, and my tribe got most voted for! We had orange. Then you can start on your flag!

 

All the kids work together and bond over deciding what to make their flag look like, centered around their symbol. Each tribe has a symbol, ours is a wolf. Then the squeeze painting begins! We squeeze pain out of bottles onto our flag and everyone writes their names. My tribe wrote out names in plants with the wolf howling at the moon. Ta-da! You’ve got a flag.

 

Your flag gets put on a pole and you bring it to breakfast and dinner. Show some cabin spirit! It represents your team after all. But be careful, if you’re careless with your flag and forget it lying around somewhere, someone can steal it (temporarily). To get it back, the whole tribe has to do a challenge that the flag stealing cabin made up. All in all, I think tribe flags are a special and very fun part of camp!

Camp Gilgal Gazette 2021

March 28, 2022 / / 0 Comments
The Gilgal Gazette is published by Camp Gilgal campers for Camp Gilgal campers and their families and friends.
Use the bookmarks on right side to click on different years articles. 
Grab some popcorn and a family member or two and read through the articles written just for you!

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