3.0 Three years?! Let it begin again!

Yep you read that right! 3.1! The third chronicle has begun! While I won't physically be at camp until tomorrow I was doing a great deal of last minute prep today and thus it seemed appropriate to begin my annual recording now rather than tomorrow.

While this will actually my fourth summer in Wyoming, it is the 3rd  one that I've committed to keeping a record of. The first year was lost in the sands of memory and to be fair I was spiritually a walking-wounded that first year and thus it's probably for the best that I didn't share the inner monologue that year.

In any case, here begins the blog MKIII. It is highly likely that I'll be updating nearly daily (or as close as I can get). Judging from years past you can anticipate 4-7 posts a week. It should be an interesting journey as I'm always a little different person as I come into the season. This year is no different. I never know what the summer holds or what I'm supposed to learn this year...

Year zero (the lost year) I'd summarize it in the following: Hope Realized. I was surprised by the incredible richness of finding a new camp family (which is not to say anything bad about the one I grew up with) but I figured I'd aged past the opportunity to be involved in a camp full-time again. I was welcomed even though I was a mess... Physically I was VERY overweight (to be fair that isn't entirely untrue now.. but to a much lesser degree), pale as a ghost from working overnights, and spiritually I was still shaky from a dark season just prior. I didn't dare to hope that it would be as good as I remembered camp being, but I found healing and renewal and made many friends whom I still count among my closest even these years later.

The first year (the ones that are just labeled with days not year numbers in the archive) my best recollection (I could go back and read the archive I suppose...) would be Joy. I rediscovered a passion for camp ministry and realized the shadow I was the year before. Instead of being sad about the past I pressed forward glorying in restored strength and I look at the things I accomplished that year with a little jealousy because it came so easy, and at the end I was ready to collapse but I still had a huge grin because I felt so alive! I didn't even need a nap during the day until the last few weeks of camp!

Last year is the clearest in my memory. The theme in my mind was Faithfulness. I had recently lost my father and once again was spiritually a walking-wounded. But I had a host of new responsibilities and carried more on my shoulders than I ever had. It wore on me in powerful ways and always dogging my steps was a undeniable fatigue and a temptation to just give up. I'd like to say that I fought it off every time but in reality it'd be a gracious interpretation to say that I was just one step ahead all summer. For survival I was forced to put one foot in front of the other, and I knew that if I stumbled... it'd get ugly quick. Thankfully I was given the energy I needed when I needed it and despite some of the most difficult situations we've ever faced at this camp (at least in the horse program) we made it.

This year? Who knows... I've been at Grace University in Omaha, Nebraska for the last year scraping together the rest of my Bachelors degree (stay in school kids, it's easier the first time). I've grown and been seasoned in ways I didn't expect... and it seems that all of the odd and bizarre things I've learned in my "random" journey to this point has been useful in one form or another.

Combine that with the fact that for the first time in Wyoming I won't be working as a wrangler, nor will I be the head of the team that I will be working with. In an exciting turn of events I'll be the rookie at the rappelling wall! (not to be confused with repelling; that takes a bit more bug spray and far less carabiners)
To be honest I'm not even sure if I'll have any official leadership role at all this year. Except for the week at the end of June that I'm directing I'm just one of the crew.

To be fair all of that is based entirely on the few emails I've received and largely by my own failure to multitask well while in school I'm quite out of the loop this year. You might even say that if the loop were to explode for some odd reason... I might not hear the sound for a few days, if ever. Quite the contrast to this time last year.

Anyway, The long and short of it is... the year is beginning! I'm finalizing my support letter (which should have been finished and sent months ago) tonight, and will try to stuff envelopes tonight too. But I'll be looking for addresses to send em to! If you want one (and many of you are getting them already) I'd love it if you'd send me a message on facebook, text, email, or comment here and I'll send you a hardcopy. Otherwise if you're all digital It'll be posted here in the next 24 hours.

Whomever you are reading this... I'm glad you're here. I hope you continue to join me for the no-doubt whirlwind ride ahead. At very least it should be somewhat entertaining!

-Nick