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Tamarack 2014

Last week a group of about 180 young people made a great migration up north to Bracebridge, ON. They gathered at a camp, Camp Tamarack, and there they were introduced to 6 chaperoning couples and 3 different speakers. The theme of the week was gratitude, taken from Col. 3&4. Upon arrival each person was given their own book with all the information they would need throughout the week including their cabin number, sport's team, discussion groups, workshops, map, schedule, and room to write notes.

The campers threw their stuff into their cabins and went down to the theater to hear the rules of camp. Following rules and welcome Rev. Bouwers came forward to speak about the focus of our gratitude; namely Christ. After the seminary we went to our designated discussion groups and then back to our cabins to finish unpacking. Dinner followed shortly after and then we changed into our grubby clothes to get down and dirty in Opening Games.

I never really knew what the purpose of opening games was before but now I think it might just be so that the chaperones can laugh. Seriously, 180 kids over the age of 16 laying on their backs with one leg in the air must be an interesting sight to see. Following opening game, once everyone smelled like dirt and sweat, we finished off the the evening with a campfire. Back in our cabins we learned each others names, where they were from, that we all spread the same awful smell, and did devotions. Come to think of it, perhaps that same awful smell is what makes us all bond--it's pretty hard to judge someone who smells just as bad as you do.

The days that followed the first day ran in a smooth order. Each morning contained prayer, polar dip, personal devotions, and breakfast. Following breakfast a speaker would lead a seminar and then we would have discussion groups. An hour and a half of sports finished off the morning right before lunch. After lunch a number of different things could happen; workshops, free time, wide games, sports, swimming, etc.

Tamarack is like it's own world. One person commented that everyone is nice. I don't know that that's true across the board but it is true that I didn't hear any swearing or rude conversations during that week. This year God really showed me the harm in judging people. In my cabin we did personal testimonies at devotions time. They were powerful. As the girls listened to the struggles their sisters in Christ had gone through you could sense a feeling of pain from them. Sorrows and struggles were not absent in the stories shared in our bunks at night. We learned that our brothers struggle too. It was either Pastor Williamson or Pastor Bylsma who asked in one of his talks "has any young man here not willingly looked at pornography before?" and a dead silence suddenly hung in the room.

At the end of the week, after making new friends and deepening relationships with old friends, group pictures were taken, the guys helped carry girls' stuff down to their cars, and then we hugged and say "goodbye". Going with our theme of gratitude let me just share a few things I am personally thankful for and a few quotes from the speakers.

1. an amazing cabin that was real with each other
2. the cabin challenge; we may have lost the amazing race but we were still had the most energy and team spirit
3. morning prayer with the few devoted people who got up extra early to pray for camp, the world, the church, and each other
4. the singing (seriously, it's like a precursor to heaven)
5. the organizers who did so much work
6. good conversations with chaps, speakers, and other campers
7. the workshop leaders who did so much work, helping others grow in grace and knoweldge

Quotes;

"Do you know what it is to be thankful for the cross?" Pastor Greg Bylsma
"Humility is knowing your place. Jesus knew His place....Patience. Jesus living with His disciples--that's patience." Pastor Williamson
"Can you do _________ in the name of Jesus? His reputation is a stake." Pastor Bouwers
"The man you look to is either following the way of the fool or the way of Jesus. He will become like the one he follows. Who is he following?" Pastor Williamson
"If we all have different gifts what do you think our futures will look like?" Pastor Greg in Girl's Split Workshop. "That's right, they're going to be different. Not everyone gets married at 21."
"Prayer is the highest expression of our gratitude." Pastor Bouwers

Thanks for reading. Hope to see you all next year!

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