Category: Teen Camp West

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.