PALMETTO  BIBLE  CAMP When I was a teen, I went to church camp.  As a leader in the church, I have been going to church camps for the past 32 years.  I have served in almost every capacity that can be found at camp.  I have been a counselor, a cook, a Bible class teacher, a camp director, and chairman of the board.  I have worked with Camp WAMAVA in the D.C. area and with Camp Manatawny in the Philadelphia area and with High Rock Bible Camp in the Tennessee Tri- Cities area.  For the past six years I have  had involvement in different capacities at Palmetto Bible Camp up in Greenville County, South Carolina.  Three years ago I became part of the Palmetto Bible Camp board of directors.   Camp, I believe, has helped me to keep young in my attitude and understanding regarding the real issues facing our young people today.  At camp I make and have opportunities to have one-on-one    discussions with young people.  Other than their parents, many young people have things they want to bounce off someone who they can and do have some confidence in.  Many of our young people are struggling with issues of divorce in their families, peer pressure, drugs, and sex.  These adult     issues often are difficult for adults to deal with;  and because of their age, those in the stage of change from childhood to adulthood are vulnerable and not equipped to deal with many of these difficult issues.   Church camps give our children a break from the routine and an opportunity to get out on their own.  They are placed in a safe Bible- centered surrounding.   Last week I went to camp with Sam Soper, who was the director of the third week of Palmetto Bible Camp.  I worked with the Bible Bowl activities that went through three nights.  I also assisted with the canteen and craft programs’ “cashless camp” system.  We had a full camp of about 170 campers and a full staff.  We had two days of torrential rain and thunderstorms.   We were without power for some five and a half hours last Friday and the phones were knocked out.  The campers cheered when I went down the waterslide into the lake.  Then there was “Wacky Tacky” night.  All were to be as wacky and tacky as they could be.  I went into town and picked up a few things.  I had a monkey around my neck and one of those plastic necklaces that you can break and will give off light for several hours.  I had goggles on — and are you ready for this??? — red spiked hair.  There was 100% agreement that I was both wacky and tacky.  Camp is to be fun, and it is okay to enjoy my childhood for the sixty- first year.   We had five campers last week from St. Andrews Road.  These included Shila Johnson, Joey and Jessica Reeves, Nicholas Smith, and Matthew Young.  These went tubing and swimming.   We were supposed to go on a hike, but the rain made this impossible.  We had athletic events we participated in as groups and as individuals.  Our theme for our week was “Cross Examination.”  T-shirts were made available to all the campers and staff with this theme clearly printed on them.  Adam Richardson wore a fifty-pound, concrete cross all week and gave us a great closing lesson on Friday evening.  On Friday evening we placed candles out on the lake.  It was   beautiful.  Over the years many young people develop friendships with other young people from other congregations.  Some of them go on to the same Christian college or university together.  Some of them date and marry.  As parents, we must make opportunities for our young people to grow in their friendships with other young Christians.   Statistics are not good for our young people maintaining their faith after leaving home.  Some say that within four years after graduating from high school as much as 75% of our young people lose their faith.  Remember, we are in a war,  parents.  We want to go to heaven ourselves, and we must do all we can to encourage and help all our children to maintain their faithfulness.  During the week, there were at least fifteen restored and asking for prayers, and there were some six or seven who were baptized at camp including our Shila Johnson.   Others are close to being baptized; and good seed was sown in the hearts of all who attended — both campers and staff.   MINI-CAMP Mini-camp is a unique opportunity for children ages six to nine.  On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 29-31, Mini-Camp will take place at Palmetto Bible Camp.  For these three days parents or grandparents are encouraged to come to camp and stay in the cabins with their children.  Moms/grandmoms and daughters/granddaughters stay in the girls’ cabins, and dads/granddads and sons/grandsons in the boys’ cabins.  This gives these children some exposure to camp life.  This helps the parents to understand what camp is about and sometimes gets parents involved in helping with the staff.  During Mini-Camp we do ask the parents to help function as the staff during the weekend.   Our theme for camp the end of this month will be, “JESUS WAS A CHILD JUST LIKE ME.” Our four Bible lessons will be Baby Jesus in the Temple, The Wise Men See Jesus, Jesus Is Saved from Danger, and Jesus Grows Up.  We hope to go tubing and down the water slide.   We will do flashlight tag on Friday and will have craft projects to do.  The canteen will be open for treats.  Hope you  parents with 6 to 9 year olds will join us and bring with you your child.  I still need some more staff help.  Please see Stewart if you can be free to help this weekend.