Camp!

Last night I had the opportunity to meet an Aboriginal man or as they prefer to be called around the area, the Murray people. They really don’t like the term Aboriginal, so most go by either a sort of tribal name or something like Indigenous Australians. Gary is a man that Stan and his wife take care of from time to time offering him a place to sleep and a hot meal. Last night Stan told me Gary happened to be a little drunk, nothing I’m unaccustomed to really. We sat around and I talked to him about America a bit. I showed him North Carolina on a map and we talked about the American and Aussie landscapes for a while. He was an interesting character, I hope I get to talk to him more in the future.

High School camp was awesome. Very similar to what I am used to in the States, but minus Tub-a-mania and the Gong Show. I traveled to a town called Coolum up on the Sunshine Coast. It was very beautiful place right on the water. The whole week I had the opportunity to gaze out on the Pacific Ocean. It did rain for four days in the middle of the week, but we still made it work.

The first day of camp was a little hard for me. I didn’t know anyone, with the exception of the leaders. I’m naturally an extrovert, but even in that kinda situation I take my time with people. I don’t just want to run up in someone’s social circle all uninvited. Lucky for me the kids loved talking about Australia and America so I made friends quickly.

Most of the week consisted of normal camp things, team times, rallies and games. I really enjoyed my team; they were a good group of kids. One of them is actually going with me tonight to see the Dark Knight with some other leaders I became friends with.

The rally times were great. John Wood a Wesleyan pastor from NY was the speaker and he did an amazing job preaching and leading.

When the rain finally let up we had the opportunity to go down to the beach. This was my first time setting foot in the Pacific. A couple of my friends, Nathan, Matt and Simon taught me how to play Cricket. The game is interesting for sure. I took a few bowls and managed to crank one into the ocean. They decided to break out the regulation ball and I still managed to get a few hits. I was still trying to do the baseball swing. After that they showed me how to bowl. That bit is slightly difficult. I threw a couple American style pitches just for fun and then attempted to grasp their style. I was starting to get it before we decided to call it quits.

The whole week was a wonderful experience and my kids kept asking me if I would be back next year. We will see what God and the future holds. It was great to see young people who are committed to and desire to live a life reflective of Jesus. It was also great for me to form the first relationships with people my age here. All the leaders were great and I do hope to get to hang out with them more.

It was a great time. Kinda hard to leave because you realize that we will never all be in the same place again. But life carries on and I’m thankful for all the days I’m given.