Love Plus High School Camp

If there was one thing I wish I could do forever, it would be helping out at youth camps.

Although this was my second time to help at a high school camp, this camp was different, mainly because this was our first youth camp without Ate Chette and Kuya Api helping us out, or overseeing.

working late at night, preparing for high school camp, haha. photo taken from Minneli's Instagram

The camp staff was made up of just us... You know, the old campers, the kiddies, the not so mature ones, haha... And we were going to be “guiding” a 100 plus souls?! Golly... Sure there were still the “elderly ones”, like P. Eug, Kuya Mike, and Pastor BJ to help us out, but it was still different not having Ate Chette and Kuya Api around, haha.

The camp staff... a combination of Angry Birds and villains in black. 

They actually surprised us during the last night, while it was testimony/praise and worship night. They came over to see how we were doing, and brought us ice cream and Coke. I thought I was going to cry seeing the two of them. I don’t know... Wait, I do know. It’s just that, Ate Chette leaving the youth ministry was a sign that it was really our turn to lead... And I thought being a youth was something I could be forever, haha. What was I thinking anyway? That Ate Chette was still going to be there, even when I’m no longer in the youth ministry? That my own children (oh gosh...) would be under Ate Chette as well? Haha... What was I thinking... 

my buzz group and I doing their "so-called" favorite "derp face"

Learning never stops when you stop becoming a camper, because you still learn even when you’re a counselor. I learned a lot from the plenary, even though we were already given a heads up on the topics that will be talked about.

i told them to pose like athletes, and so we did, haha

And I learned a lot from the campers, even though they were learning from us as well.

I had the opportunity to handle Nica’s y-group. They’re good girls... Talkative, but good girls, haha. I got to know each one of them a little bit more when I got to talk to them one-on-one. Since they talked to me in confidence, I can’t say any of the stuff they told me here. So that’s that. Once again, I’m affirmed about how much I love teaching.

Karen told me that I would have probably loved being a camper at this camp, because of all the outdoor games, haha. YEAH, IT’S BEEN A WHILE, since we had this many outdoor games...

game face for volleyball. Taken from Minneli's Instagram

I actually had to constantly remind myself  that I was counselor, because I couldn’t help getting riled up and being competitive, haha. Halata bang kating-kati na ko maglaro?

Not to mention the gaw-gaw fights. Maaan. One thing I don’t get is why some people don’t like getting involved in gaw-gaw fights. I mean, it will come off anyway. That’s the “beauty” about getting all dirty, you can clean up afterwards. Sure, it might take a while, but it’s not like you’ll die cleaning yourself up, haha... Personally, I think one of the advantages high school camps have over college camps are the gaw-gaw fights. Oh well...

after the gaw-gaw fight

 I was really unprepared for this camp. I actually wished I got to prepare more, but stuff in school got so busy, so I felt like half the time I was playing it all by ear. But once again, this was also a reminder, that at the end of it all, we can only do things by God’s grace. Not that we shouldn’t do our best, but... You know what I mean, haha.

 Another thing that I thought made this camp extra special was the fact that this was the first camp where my brother and I were both counselors at the same camp. What a blessing indeed!

For the most part, what added to the joy of helping at this camp was the fact that I was serving with my friends.

my twin, Minneli

That’s why half the time, although we each had to fulfill our own responsibilities, and everyday was quite exhausting, it never felt like work.

check out the MerSeant. "Would anyone like a power up?"

 Haaay, LOVE IT. Wish I could do this forever. It’s a joy and a blessing to serve with friends.
We serve an AWESOME GOD.

the camp staff with the Sebastians

***all other photos were taken from GCF Youth L.I.V.E.'s Facebook