I'm donning my rose-colored glasses to give you a further glimpse at our experience of CBLI this year. Although we aspired to arrive at camp for the 1 p.m. opening of registration, we fell short of our goal (thus I never placed a sign requesting any form of help). The delay was partly caused by our desire to stop in at an old favorite haunt near where we used to live.
My oldest was a huge train fan when he was a toddler. We fed that love frequently and one of our rituals was to head over to Rochelle, Illinois to buy lunch at Wendy's and then eat it at the spot where two train tracks cross. With a small gazebo and picnic benches, many train enthusiasts head there to take photographs and log in information (always interesting to watch those men who sit in their cars and write down detailed descriptions of the time the train went by, the engine number, the model, etc. - who knows maybe they even counted the number of cars being pulled, like we usually do).
Since my youngest holds a similar fascination with trains, we decided to stop there for lunch. We lingered for quite a while because the boys were having so much fun. Over the years, the location has grown to include a gift shop, a small eatery, and train cars for children to climb on.
What a thrill to finally arrive at camp and take care of our registration. Right off the bat, we ran into our niece, Kari. She just celebrated her 14th birthday and had smashed her finger in the door of the car (weird way to celebrate, no?). Her brother and sister were both out, as well, so it was fun to bump into them from time to time.
The welcome meeting on the first night featured an officer's kid I grew up with: Randy Bonifield. I mentioned before that he had been a rousing worship leader during our first years out at CBLI. He now performs concerts. The tweens were included in this service and I was thrilled to hear Bryce's impression of Randy's performance. He said, "That guy was funny! I liked his songs!" (Remember boys can be very terse in their communications habits.)
Randy sang a song about eschatology. What is eschatology, you ask? It is the study of the end times. Being a pastor's kid, he grew up in the midst of the eschatology craze as well. His song referred to that famous Larry Norman song we all remember (I remember it, don't you?), called "I Wish We'd All Been Ready." His point, something God seems to be hammering into to me these days, was that God has all that under control. The lyrics were really funny though. I tried to remember some of Randy's lyrics, then did a search. Lo and behold, you can watch him perform this funny song for yourself.
Monday evening, we were treated to the performance of "My Name is Daniel" by a group called Theater for the Thirsty. Believe it or not, you can view a brief clip (not the whole performance, sorry). You can also visit their web site (where I found the clip).
Thus ends my virtual tour of CBLI. On to the things you had to be there for! Tuesday evening, special guests, Aaron and Cherie White presented about the 24/7 Prayer movement sweeping the nations.
Wednesday evening the camp showed "Ratatouille" for those families who failed to see a whole day at Great America as an adventure worth partaking. I was surprised that my two little guys lasted for 45 minutes. It was followed by baths, books, and bed (these are a few of my favorite things, when they all go smoothly - and they did that night, so I was able to read Mary's books until my weary oldest son dragged in at 11:30 with tales of his fabulous day).
Thursday evening was the night of the adult banquet. How I love this event! It is the one meal during the encampment where I get more of an opportunity to fellowship with friends. The food and service was catered by one of The Salvation Army's Adult Rehabilitation Centers and I must say, they did a splendid job. The food was delectable, the atmosphere cozy (round tables with tablecloths, centerpieces, the works), and the entertainment (a barbershop quartet of sorts) fun.
Friday evening was the World Mission Night service. We get a chance to hear reports from all the young people who went on summer mission teams. This is always interesting to me, since I once served on a SA summer service corps to the Philippines. At the end, they always invite former team members to come up on stage for a time of prayer. I must say, this was a bit difficult since my mind was focused on being apart from my husband during a time when his father might pass away. So our cell group prayed for my father-in-law, in addition to missions.
Saturday evening, I had to take Trevor with me for the Children's program and Award's Night (yes, those campers who attend ALL of their classes and participate in extra-curriculars and athletic events can actually win awards - sometimes even a scholarship to return to CBLI the following year). I coaxed quiet behavior by promising that he would see a video of himself at his own class and of Sean at his class. Plus, he would get to see super heroes (because the 6-10 year old track had a super hero theme this year). He did remarkably well, apart from a loud response of "Why wasn't I on the video?" when he realised they had taken pictures of everyone else in his class but him. See, that's what happens when you take a lax view to class attendance!
NO WAY! You can actually view the video of the Kid's Tracks here. (The link didn't work when I tried it, so try this one or search under "CBLI 2008 Kids Track.") Too cool! Sean is wearing a green t-shirt and plaid pants in the video. Oh, and he's the one who gives a big yawn. From the looks of it, you'd never believe how much he squalled when I left him! They did get a few shots of the petting zoo - one of Trevor's favorite activities that week. He got to pet a snake. Now he thinks we are going to buy him one. Think again, young son!
Now, if I could only find a video of the Tween track doing the ropes course. It would give you an idea of why I may never try it. Very high. Very perilous. Plus, you have to really trust those you are tethered to (and I have problems trusting God, so I don't know if I'd do so well at this activity - hee, hee). Plus, their video showed footage of their afterglow (when they did activities like trying to eat a doughnut dangling from a string, bobbing for Ding Dongs, etc.).
For myself, I really enjoyed the Bible teaching of the special guest, Dr. Roger Green. He did a study called "Portraits of Paul from the Prison Epistles." Here were some of the highlights of his comments:
"The health of the body (church body) is more important than the health of any individual within the body." "Christianity is a very personal religion, but should never be a private religion." "The gospel is good news, but it is also hard news." He quoted someone by the name of Siprian as saying "You cannot have God as your Father, without having the Church as your mother."
I also appreciated his discussion on how hierarchy is a fallen, human way of relating. He felt that Paul's goal was to abolish hierarchy as a way of establishing relationships and to restore relationships to the way they were meant to be, in mutual dependence (which is why our desire for independence from God leads to such problems). It was a wonderful study, and I wish I had been there for all of his classes (new wonder - I can listen to the classes on-line!).
As for my elective classes, I attended one half of the class on "Facing Your Giants." I discovered that this class focused on a book by Max Lucado. They did not provide the book this year (in previous years, books have been provided), so I will attempt to check it out from the library. Perhaps I will still be able to glean wisdom from this class, despite missing half of it.
So you see, when we look back, we will view this as any other CBLI year. It is kind of like childbirth. During the pain, things feel bleak and not so fun, but the end result always makes up for the momentary pains. We were fed. We did receive more than our share of rest. What's more, none of us were stung (yes, one year Trevor was stung by a yellow-jacket and had an allergic reaction of a high fever for a few days, which meant lots of worry and loss of class time) and my father-in-law is even home from the hospital (see, good thing we had all those extra prayers of the missions teammates!).
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