Category: Teen Camp East

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 7^th 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

Sarah O.

Tribe of Dan

Age 15

Canada Day

It was a nice, cold, maple-syrup scented morning. July 1^st, 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 1^st– 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!

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

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.

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.  

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!

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. 

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.

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!

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 2^nd 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! 

Isaac G.

Tribe of Judah

Age 15

Mud football/MI

The day was Tuesday the 6^th 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 3^rd 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.

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.

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! 

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.

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!

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.