The next chapter…

Hello again dear friends.  Just wanted to let you know that although this blog is stopping here, you can follow me to Washington DC as I spend a year volunteering through the Lutheran Volunteer Corps!  Just check out mandavolunteers.wordpress.com.  I leave tomorrow morning to move in, and probably won’t get a chance to blog for several days, so bare with me.  You’re also always welcome to keep in touch with me via email (amanda.k.weber@gmail.com) or send me some letters (email for my address)!  Thanks for gettin in on the Shawn Hill action…

WHAT?!?!?!!?!

Out of Words

Ok, in all honesty, I must admit I’ve been avoiding this final blog post… …for a couple reasons: one is that I have had such a fun time recounting all of this (I’m a sucker for living in the past), and I don’t really want it to end. But the other reason I’ve stayed away from SIT week 4 is because I’m not really sure what to say. I mean…this final week is the number one reason these ten phenomenal campers came this summer. It was the moment they had all been waiting for! And to be honest, Math and I didn’t do much… we really felt lost for much of the week. Both of us took a few hours off, which were much needed. I was supposed to take about 72 hours off during the month, but I only took about 4, basically because I wanted to get a Misto at Rita’s and put some checks into the bank. Why would I take a break otherwise? There’s nowhere I would rather be than on that mountaintop with Shawn Hill. So after slurping down that delicious icy custard, I returned home (to the ridge), and Math and I did our best to spy on our kids as well as get some video footage as they ROCKED it in their groups all week.

It really is hard to describe the week. Math and I were often frustrated with the staff projects (or lack thereof) we would receive, so we took it upon ourselves to finish off Shawn Hill…you know, the mound in Area 3. Our kids had demolished that thing, but there was still a hefty lump that needed to be removed. So we typically spent our mornings shoveling, rain or shine. After lunch, we got to spend daybreaks with our kids. In a way, it felt like a waste of our time…we basically laid around all day! But at the same time, it was great to catch up with each SIT, ask about how their groups were going, and give them encouragement and advice. Spirits were high for the first part of the week, that’s for sure.

After dinner, Math and I were sure to attend and critically watch each campfire and worship, as our kids were actively participating in them.

Nite break was most certainly a different kind of festivity! We had been teaching our kids how to have a crazy – yet healthy – good time all throughout the month, but nite breaks really took it to the next level. Each night, half of Shawn Hill came to the SIT Lounge in cabin 4, joined by much of staff, to release any leftover energy – positive or negative – in the form of pure craziness. At precisely 10pm each night, the music would go on, the cornucopia of junk food would spill over, and the PDA room would be activated (…please, no questions). I must say that each night’s nite break was crazier and more creative (Go Fish, anyone?)…there’s nothing like the energy that results from having NO energy after a day of whiny kids.

Shawn Hill quickly learned that if they wanted to shower, relax, nap, read, or write letters…that would happen on their DAY break. Nite breaks are for fun and community.

About halfway through the week, we witnessed some of Shawn Hill start to fall… their groups began storming, and they were finding themselves running on reserve energy. But as the counselors they were shadowing grew more and more tired, Shawn Hill realized that it was their time to shine. They really pushed through to the end, and I can’t tell you how proud I was to watch them work! It probably got annoying to hear, but I told them so many times earlier in the month, that the best way to be a good counselor is to genuinely care about your kids. Yes, sometimes, it seems scary to have to find the energy and constant conversation with your group… but if you really want to get to know each camper… if you really care about them, you’ll never run out of things to say, questions to ask. This was more than evident on Friday, as our kids said goodbye to their campers. As Math and I pulled them out of their groups after their closing worship so we could have our own closing, none of them wanted to go. I may have even seen a tear or two from Shawn Hill… and that’s what it’s all about. I mean… not crying necessarily, but genuine love and honesty. Now obviously, I could go through and tell you which kids had harder groups, or did a better job, or had the most patience, or did the best bible studies… but what is more important is the way in which they all grew and supported one another.

Math stressed to the kidz that the way they would grow closer to one another and create staff unity is by having shared experiences as they focused on the campers. And Friday, as we gathered once again, united by our never-present SIT Shawn Hill, I think we all found this to be true. It was so good to be together, and we all felt so much closer to one another; we told stories from throughout the week, and as each kid spoke, Shawn Hill was able to relate and understand the joys and the trials. I don’t think we ever had so much fun together as a group until that moment.

We held a closing worship, which almost all of staff chose to attend in addition to the family of each SIT. The worship, though simple, was composed of Shawn Hill’s favorite camp songs, and the laying on of hands and praying for each member of the group. What a beautiful and honest way to end a month of growth.

still a blur

In some ways, Shawn Hill got the shaft throughout the month. Math and I always took second pick – our own decision – whenever we worked out schedules with the other SIT group. One of these picks was to have our kids shadowing week 4 (- the other group shadowed week 3). We were apprehensive about what that would mean for us. For one thing, it meant that we would have about one hour to debrief everything the kidz had come to camp to do! Not the most ideal situation… but generally most cons have an accompanying pro. In this case, though we had to send Shawn Hill off without much time to take everything in, they are being sent back into the world with all of this fresh on their minds. It is an opportunity for them to share and continue their growth off the ridge, as they learn that God is everywhere, and the need for ministry calls out.

For the summer, for Shawn Hill, for the words to describe it all, the photos to see it, and the heart to feel it…thanks be to God!!

Lots of Rewards

Week 3 was definitely tough. Not only were we all physically tired, but many of our kidz were losing patience with one another. (Math and I never lost patience with any of THEM….cough cough…) One of my favorite nights of the week ended with a long conversation as we chilled on Chapel Rocks. We talked about many things…mainly involving poop…and told story after story of hilarious, disgusting, even repulsive things. Talk about group bonding. I mean, seriously though…Shawn Hill’s ability to talk so openly about everything has really helped us form a strong community. We ended all the stories with devotions, led by Math. He suggested that rather than the typical thorns and roses (which many people know as highs and lows), we should do corns and snowses. Your corns is something someone did to upset you that day, and your snowses is the moment which you felt the most at peace in your day. A pretty good chance for many of us to let things off of our chests. This was, however, only practice for the next night’s thorns and roses, which Math called scorns and noses. For scorns, we were directed to actually point our finger at someone in the group and call them out on something they did that was upsetting. Then, noses encouraged us to go over and sniff someone that did something good. Without going into detail, let’s just say things got a little heated.

All of our hard work paid off, though, and we received many small, unexpected rewards throughout the week. During our first day digging up Shawn Hill, Mr. Ben gave us leftover cookies and icing from day camp! After our night chatting on chapel rocks, Miss Jenni gifted us with a pie and a half that she bought specifically for us, in thanksgiving of all of our hard work! Other staff members began hanging out with us at our sleepouts and bringing food from the staff lounge for us to munch on! The kidz really began to feel a part of staff, and it was so incredible to witness the bonding that began to happen between the SITs and staff.

The greatest reward came at the end of the week! Shawn Hill attend its first full staff meeting, and although staff meetings aren’t typically rewarding, this particular one meant the kidz received their first assignment!! That’s right… each one of our SITs was paired with a group to shadow for week four. We didn’t really like to call it shadowing though, because the SITs role was exactly that of any other counselor (…just with fewer breaks). After the excitement of the staff meeting (which was relatively short, all things considered), we attended a staff worship with the rest of staff, and then had our final Dance Party. Bedtime came early as we anticipated a day of fun spent in Washington DC the following day.

All things considered, we were definitely ready to get off the Ridge for a day and chill in DC. So, we woke up early Saturday morning, had the typical cold breakfast, and Andrew drove us to the closest metro station, at the end of the line. Boy were we excited to ride the metro!

Err…tired, but still excited!! We brought Mr. Kevin with us… better known as Kevlar – the international counselor at camp this year. He’s from Thailand/Australia, and really wanted to experience DC. So we got off the metro, bagged lunch in hand, and walked towards the Washington Monument…which we figured was a good landmark to start with. Once we saw the Capitol, we headed in that direction, only making it about halfway across the Mall before we decided the bagged lunches would have to be devoured. So, down we sat, finishing our lunches at 9:30am. Whoops. With new energy, we conquered as many museums as we could find: The Natural History Museum, the Hirschorn Art Museum, The Air and Space Museum… even The Postal Service Museum! It didn’t take long for us to get cranky. It must’ve been well over 100 degrees, and there’s not much shade in that city. We walked around Chinatown, checked out Union Station, and before we knew it…we were ready for dinner. I can’t tell you how stressful it is for me to make decisions on my own… let alone with 13 people! Somehow we ended up at Fuddrucker’s with few complaints, and after dinner, we decided it was time to head back. After all…we had shirts to silkscreen!!

The trip to DC was a success, I’d say. Everyone got to see SOMETHING they were interested in, we got some exercise, milkshakes, and a breath of…well…polluted air. Yeah…some things at the Ridge will just always be better.

Silkscreening shirts was pretty chaotic. We had so many good design ideas that we ended up making 5 different designs! We screened shirts well past midnight. The results, however…were TERRIFIC! So many sweet shirts were made!

I think we all increased our wardrobe by a fourth at least. With kids coming the next day, everyone was on a high. It was sort of bittersweet, considering that our last weekend was coming to a close… but week 4 is what we’ve all been waiting for…

The Shawn Hill Song

I am eager to share with you one of our most prized possessions!  This is the result of Math’s 12 hour break.  He came back and played it for us over and over until we mastered the song ourselves.  So thank you, Math, for getting little sleep in order to create such a masterpiece.  And thank you to Math’s parents, for ignoring the noises from underground as he whispered Shawn Hill’s story in his basement.

(press the play button if you dare)