Begin Week 2

It's 8:50 P.M. and I'm driving up to MD to get back to Camp Bennett before 9:00 P.M. As I'm driving, I approach a light and it suddenly goes yellow, and by, "approach a light," what I really mean is that I'm right in front of a light as in, it's just a few hundred yards from me. So, I decide to speed up to EASILY catch this light, this is something that in NoVA would of course be no problem.... But then I remember... speed cameras! Fun Fun! (screw you Maryland.)

My consequent thought process becomes,  "I can just ease my way through that light at 30 MPH and not set off the camera, I might make it JUST under the red, but that's fine." As I carry out this extremely sensible and reasonable action, and as I pass the point of no return i.e. underneath the light, I realize, it also has a camera for those who run red lights... (Screw you again Maryland, your crab cakes suck). Moral of the story?

Screw Maryland and it's ridiculous traffic regulations/enforcement.

After arriving to Camp Bennett I dropped my luggage into my cabin which smells like rancid milk mixed with cockroaches and mold, highly appeasing/appetizing I know.

Time drifts on and with every passing series of minutes more and more people arrive at the campsite, and I realize... why I'm so excited about Camp.

It's not for the kids. I'm excited for the counselors. I'm excited to get to know this passionate group of people who're taking time out of their summers to: care for, inspire, discipline, strengthen, and encourage, a new generation.

I'm excited to see this body of Christ, breathe life into those parts of the body that will soon replace us. I'm excited to see the evidences of grace and godliness in my fellow counselors, to be humbled by their strengths while rejoicing in the marvelous work that God has done in them.


It's late and I should be sleeping, but I can't sleep, there's so much anticipation in me. My mind is racing and I'm nervous about a thousand different and mostly unrelated things: nervous I'll mess up, nervous I won't be able to relate with the kids, nervous I'll get sick, nervous I'll beat a child with an umbrella, nervous I'll get mauled by a bear (or at least a raccoon), but my biggest worry?


Having a seizure in Prince George's County, because apparently they're the slowest EMT ever. Or that someone with less incredible CPR training than me, will have to perform CPR upon my limp and quickly-becoming-lifeless-body....

 and I won't have a mouth...

or head.

End Week 1

First blog post, and first week of C.B. (Camp Bennett) has ended, did some paperwork, cranked out some skits and paperwork, got certified in multiple things, and can belay like a champ (or so I like to think).

My initial thoughts...

1. I'm excited, excited to be working with all the counselors I'm working with, they're all unbelievably, great, and passionate people who really love what they're doing here at Camp Bennett.

2. I'm tired, it's been an exhausting first week, and I've just been passing out this whole weekend as soon as I get into bed, I don't think I'll have many problems falling asleep here at Camp (assuming kids sleep, and we get rid of all those friggin' spiders right above my head).

3. I'm going to miss camp, after only the first week, I got back home on Friday evening and suddenly felt very lonely. I'm going through withdrawal. I've spent every waking moment with people for the past 5 days and suddenly there are hours of the day when I'm alone, I've got time by myself, and there's no one to talk to, eat with, play with, etc. I miss the nighttime snores and occasional yelps, the mealtime conversations and communal prayers, the morning devotionals, the afternoon set-ups, and Darryl, the initially unsettling-ly friendly cook.

4. Prince William Georges County EMT sucks (apparently). In the midst of my CPR, AED, and First Aid qualification the instructor keeps taking these snide shots at Prince William Georges County, as a police officer, he keeps talking about how Prince William Georges County EMT took forever to get to victims and how he was forced to perform CPR on a victim for twenty minutes whereas in Montgomery county only four minutes if even that long.

On that note, I cannot BELIEVE I am First Aid certified, this instructor literally just talked about First Aid for about ten minutes, demonstrated an Israeli bandage (which we don't have), talked about how to use Quick-Clot (which only the military has), and said to wash bee stings in soap and water, tie a tourniquet (with no instructions/demonstration), also that poisonous snakes/spiders exist in this area of Maryland. He just kept telling stories about ... CPR scenarios where victims might possibly not have mouths, or even heads, and in such instances it was necessary to perform only the chest compressions rather than both chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth since the victim did indeed, have no mouth (he seriously talked about this hugely unlikely scenario more than double the amount he talked about the much more likely case of cuts/concussions).

I leave for camp Sunday night, and get the first group of kids in! Prayers are appreciated, will try to update as often as I can and avoid, "blog-splosions." God Bless!


EDIT: It was Prince Georges County not Prince William County, thank you very much for the correction Senor Stude.