Can't Stop Dancin'!
Last night in the gym boys chanted, “Can’t stop dancing, hoo, hoo, can’t stop dancing, hoo, hoo” while bobbing up and down to the beat. The ladies from Camp Desoto had just left for the evening and the mood was festive to say the least.
We ended afternoon activities a bit early in order to give everyone time to “get shined up”. Your boys clean up real nice. Richard rang a bell about 5:35 calling all the Hunters, Trappers, and Scouts to the waiting yellow school buses in front of the Lodge. One cabin of 9 year olds told me slyly that they already had paper in their pockets. For what I asked? They looked at me like I was dumb. For getting girls’ names and cabin numbers. If only it was that simple and innocent in the real world, right? One young boy told me honestly, “I’m really excited but a little nervous.”
As the buses rolled out you could hearing singing and chanting that no doubt continued all the way to Desoto. They were kind enough to host these younger campers for the evening. Those same buses, once unloaded, returned with the older girls from Desoto.
At Alpine, we dined on a Fajita buffet, complete with black beans, grilled chicken, sauteed onions and peppers, cheese, salsa, and guacamole. Carter and her crew go all out to make the girls feel welcome. Cut blue and pink hydrangeas in mason jars adorned the center of each table in the dining hall. The scene was set for the dance in the gym with twinkle lights hung from rafters along with multi colored bandanas strung on twine overhead.
Our DJ’s for the evening played all the old favorite line dances. Desoto girls know them instantly and begin to motion with the beat. The Alpine boys gladly follow along. We mix in some newer favorites and the night is set.
Very appropriately, camp minister Jordan Griesbeck brought us a message from Luke 15 this morning and talked about how Alpine is a place where we celebrate a lot. We celebrate birthdays, we celebrate special events like Mountain day, we celebrated last night. Luke 15 brings us various parables that Jesus told where people celebrated the finding of something that was lost (sheep, coin, and most dramatically, a son). He reminded us that the Bible is not just full of rules and no fun. It’s full of celebration especially when lost souls are found. And that we’ll celebrate to no end one day in Heaven.
The images were vivid and fresh after last night’s celebration with Desoto. And again today at lunch when the winning tribe celebrated their slightly larger point total for week 2. The Mohawks came out ahead and thus enjoyed an extra bowl of ice cream. The competition is close and it’s anybody’s to take for the term.
Sunday lunch is traditional. Crispy baked chicken breasts, green beans, brown rice with gravy, rolls, and pears await us after church. This afternoon each cabin will pick a fun activity to do with their counselors. A few cabins are playing board games on our back deck while making homemade ice cream. I’ll probably need to sample some! Other cabins will go on hikes or maybe have a scavenger hunt around camp.
Late this afternoon, before showers, Richard will cut cold watermelon on the team sports field for all to enjoy. Sundays at Alpine are joyous.
Alright, I better go check on that homemade ice cream . . .
Thanks for reading,
Glenn
