Return from Hidden Acres

Yesterday, Tina and I made the drive up to Hidden Acres to pick Ben up from his first camp. He was there from Sunday to Wednesday, and that was long enough, if you ask us! He is really a great kid and we really missed him. Being apart for that many days wasn’t easy, but we knew that it would be a good time for Ben. I’ll share a few photos from the last few days.

This is the view of the cabins that we saw when we took Ben back. Well, actually the photo I took of the cabins was not very good, so I decided to run with Ben’s shot. The cabins are known as “tree toppers” because they are built at the edge of a ravine. The front half is on the ground and the back half is supported by stilts. There is a back porch on the tree toppers, and you find yourself at eye level with the trees going down the hill, hence the name of the structure.

Here’s a closer look at one of the tree toppers. Ben took this photo also. You can see a kid in the doorway, maybe eight or nine years of age. This should give you some basis for estimating the size of the building. They are thin and tall, with room for eight kids in the lower level bunk beds and up to two counselors up a flight of steps in the middle of the tree topper. Ben usually acts older than his years, which is fine. But sometimes I wish he would cut loose and just be a kid. He did just that, when he and a few cabin mates had a peeing contest off the back porch while the counselors were away during a free time period. No word on just who won that contest… I do understand that a counselor won a sanctioned spitting contest though. Excuse me if I begin to tear up.

Ben’s cabin did have two counselors. In this shot, you can see Grant on the left and Gage on the right. The good looking one in the middle is Ben. Grant and Gage had to dish out punishments for bad behavior on the part of some of the kids. This involved push-ups or other exercise, the monsters! When we got Ben, all of the kids acted like G&G were big brothers to them, leading me to believe that once the punishment was done it was over and forgotten. Good job guys!

Grant is a student at Iowa State University and Gage is going into the Air Force after the summer. They are two young godly men who love the Lord. It showed in the interaction I had with them when we dropped Ben off and also through the stories Ben told. They treated the kids with responsibility. That’s a lame way of saying that they treated them like adults, speaking to them with authority when needed, as equals in conversation. Kids are like goldfish. A goldfish will grow up to the size of the tank you place them in and no bigger. Kids will grow according to your expectations of them… for the most part. G&G understand this and it paid off as you could see the respect in the eyes of the kids. I prayed for them and will continue to do so. They’re good guys!

Here we have a picture of the BB gun course. Several targets were set up and the kids could take shots at them. Ben has never fired a gun of any kind, but Gage told us that he is a crack shot. Ever since we picked him up, he has been asking for a BB gun for his birthday. I wonder what the neighbors will think! It’s a good thing Ben has a nearby grandfather who lives out in the country. I’ll have to teach Ben some gun safety and we can begin target shooting. Other activities included archery, swimming, mini-golf, capture the flag, carpet ball, foosball, chapel, bonfires and other typical summer camp offerings.

There was more to do at camp than just play games. The kids also went to a nearby building with comfortable seating for devos. That means devotions for those at home. Here we have Gage leading the kids in a Bible study. I do find it odd that all of the kids were given a New Testament, but the devotions centered on the story of Gideon, which is in the Old Testament. No matter. Ben told the story of a young boy not much older than him who took an army, reduced it according to the commands of God, and won a battle by the power of God and not by the numbers of fighting men. Ben really understood the applications from this study, which is the desired result of such study. Knowing him as I do, I know he will be one to put these applications into practice.

Here’s a shot from inside the tree topper. I purposefully didn’t share images that had a good view of any faces of the other kids. and that cross bar really worked out well for this one. You can see Gage again, talking to the kids in the cabin before lights out. From Ben’s vantage point in the back of the tree topper, you can see the steps leading up to the counselor area of the cabin. From above, they can have a little separation and also be right there if any of the kids need them.

I’m glad Ben got to spend a few days at camp, but it is so nice to have him back. I won’t let him go back to summer camp at least until next summer!