THE POST IN WHICH I WRITE ABOUT THE FINER POINTS AND PARTS OF ENGLISH CAMP [BONUS: I DON'T TURN OFF CAPS LOCK]

HERE IT IS.

BOOM.

IT ALL STARTED WITH ENGLISH CAMP: THE AMAZING RACE!

TOOK THE TRUSTY, NAVY BLUE DACIA LOGAN UP TO THE BRASOV AREA. MET THE ORGANIZING TEAM, AND WAITED FOR THE SIXTY SOMETHING TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS TO ARRIVE. AFTER THEY ALL CAME, THE REST OF THE CAMP WENT BY LIKE A BLUR. IT SEEMED TO LAST FOREVER, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT DIDN'T SEEM LONG ENOUGH! IT WAS THE STRANGEST BLUR.

SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AMAZING RACE ENGLISH CAMP (IN NO ORDER):

1. THE AMAZING RACE PART

WE WERE ALL SEPARATED INTO TEAMS OF ABOUT 13 (ALTHOUGH WE HAD ABOUT 10 THE FIRST DAY) AND WE WERE GIVEN THE DIRECTION - "FIND A TRAILER (MOBILE HOME TYPE VEHICLE)"

SO OUR TEAM STARTED RUNNING UP, ON, AND OVER (AND DOWN) THE HILLY TERRAIN AROUND US. BY THE END OF THE RACE, WHICH WE FINISHED IN FIRST PLACE, WE HAD MILKED A COW, TRADED A SNICKERS BAR FOR A PIECE OF BREAD (BELONGING TO A VERY OLD WOMAN WITH A VICIOUS DOG ON A CHAIN THAT LOOKED JUST STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD HIM BACK), TAKEN A SELFIE WITH FARMERS WORKING IN THEIR FIELDS, AND OF COURSE RUN ALL OVER THE HILLS. AS TIRING AS IT WAS, IT WAS LOTS OF FUN.

2. ZIP LINE AND ROCK CLIMBING

THE NIGHT BEFORE, AT AROUND MIDNIGHT, I WAS ASKED IF I WANTED TO HELP SET UP THE ZIP LINE AND I SAID OF COURSE I WOULD. SO SIX (OR FIVE, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE) HOURS LATER I WOKE UP TO SET UP SAID ZIP LINE THAT HAS BECOME A SORT OF TRADITION AT ENGLISH/ADVENTURE CAMPS. THEN TWO OR THREE HOURS LATER THE REST OF THE CAMPERS CAME AND I SPENT MY AFTERNOON "CATCHING" PEOPLE AT THE END OF THE ZIP LINE AND UNDOING THE ROPES AND HARNESSES THAT KEPT THEM SAFE THROUGH THE 6 SECONDS OF FUN ALONG THAT LINE. IT WAS REALLY FUN! MY OTHER HELPERS GOT BORED BUT I DIDN'T. NEAR THE END OF THE ZIP LINE I WAS RELIEVED OF MY DUTIES SO THAT I COULD TRY THE ROCK CLIMBING THAT WAS SET UP A WAYS DOWN THE ROAD. THE ROCK FACE WASN'T TOO DIFFICULT, BUT I THINK THAT WAS ALRIGHT BECAUSE IT GAVE SUCCESS TO PEOPLE WHO HAD NEVER ROCK CLIMBED BEFORE.

3. MAKING MUD FROM THE EARTH ITSELF

ANOTHER TRADITION OF SORTS AT THESE ANNUAL CAMPS IS A WATER DAY. IT STARTED AS FUN GAMES WITH WATER BALLOONS, BUCKETS OF FREEZING WATER, AND A SOAPY SLIP N SLIDE. BUT IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS WE HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED TO A NEW LINE OF FUN - WATER AND MUD DAY! IN ADDITION TO WET T-SHIRTS AND  SOAP SUDS WE NOW PLAY TUG-OF-WAR THROUGH A PEN OF MUD. (AND OF COURSE AFTER THE TUG-OF-WAR A FULL OUT MUD BATTLES ENSUES.

THIS YEAR WAS NO DIFFERENT... EXCEPT THEY FORGOT TO BRING A BIG SACK OF DIRT TO MAKE THE MUD (YES THE REALLY DID THAT LAST YEAR).  SO, WE HAD TO FIND A BUNCH OF LOOSE DIRT OURSELVES, DIG IT UP, AND ADD WATER UNTIL IT WAS A CREAMY BROWN MUD. AND COURSE WE MIXED IT ALL UP BY GETTING IN AND DOING A SORT OF GRAPE-SQUASHING DANCE... BUT WITH MUD. IT WAS DEFINITELY A MEMORY...

(SOMETHING LIKE THIS.. EXCEPT NOT REALLY AT ALL)

4. PLAYING VOLLEYBALL

OF COURSE THERE WAS A TIME SPENT PLAYING SPORTS. AND VOLLEYBALL WAS LOTS OF FUN. OBVIOUSLY I WASN'T THE BEST AT IT (BECAUSE I HADN'T PLAYED IN A YEAR) BUT IT WAS STILL SO MUCH FUN.

5. CAMP FIRE AND DIGGING FOR GOLD IN MINES

AND ACCORDING TO TRADITION WE END THE LAST NIGHT WITH A MASSIVE CAMP FIRE, AND WE ALL STAY UP UNTIL EITHER 12, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, OR 6. LAST YEAR WE LEFT EARLY, SO WE DIDN'T GET TO EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF THE CAMP FIRE, BUT THANKFULLY THIS YEAR WE DID! THE FIRE WAS ABSOLUTELY HUGE... AND THE SKY WAS FAIRLY CLEAR SO ALL WE COULD SEE WERE STARS.. AND FLASHES OF LIGHTNING AROUND THE EDGES OF THE MOUNTAINS IN THE DISTANCE. I WAS ACTUALLY THE LAST PERSON OUT AT THE FIRE.. AND I HAD SOME GOOD CONVERSATIONS AND ENJOYED THE OUTDOORS THAT I CAN'T ENJOY IN THE CONCRETE JUNGLE I CALL HOME.

AFTER THE FIRE HAD REDUCED TO MERE EMBERS AND SMOKE, I WENT INSIDE AND PLAYED A REALLY FUN GAME CALLED SABOTEUR. I PLAYED THIS (AND LOADS OF PING PONG) ALMOST EVERY NIGHT OF CAMP. THE GAME WAS SUPER FUN. AT THE START YOU PICK IF YOU ARE A DWARF OR A SABOTEUR, AND IF YOU ARE A DWARF YOU ARE TRYING TO LAY YOUR BUILDING CARDS SO THAT YOU CAN END UP AT ONE OF THE THREE END CARDS. ONE OF THESE OVER TURNED CARDS HAS A PICTURE OF GOLD ON THE BACK.. AND IF THE DWARVES END UP AT THE GOLD THEY WIN.  THE SABOTEUR, MUCH LIKE THEIR NAME MAY SUGGEST, ARE ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE DWARVES FROM SUCCEEDING. SO WE PLAYED THIS UNTIL ABOUT FOUR, AND I FINALLY WENT TO BED.

6. SPEAKING IN ROMANIAN

AT THIS CAMP I FINALLY FELT CONFIDENCE IN SPEAKING OPENLY IN ROMANIAN. AT THE END OF THE DAY, CONFIDENCE IS ALL YOU NEED. EVERY MORNING THERE WOULD BE A 30-SOMETHING MINUTE TALK ABOUT THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON. FOLLOWING THE TALK, WE WOULD BREAK INTO SMALL GROUPS AND DISCUSS. SINCE IT WAS AN ENGLISH CAMP.. OUR GROUP ATTEMPTED TO CONVERSE IN ENGLISH... BUT NO ONE (NOT EVEN THE CHRISTIANS) WERE ABLE TO DISCUSS MUCH IN ENGLISH. SO.. I SAID SOME OF MY THOUGHTS IN ROMANIAN.. AND THEN A DISCUSSION STARTED. UNFORTUNATELY THE DISCUSSION WASN'T ANYTHING TOO DEEP, BUT AT LEAST WE HEARD SOME THOUGHTS OFF THE NON CHRISTIANS IN THE GROUP.

ASIDE FROM THE SMALL GROUPS, I TRIED TO TALK TO LOTS OF THE CAMPERS, PLAY GAMES DURING FREE TIME, AND AT THE END FRIENDSHIPS WERE STARTED AND CONTINUED (FROM LAST YEAR). 

ALL IN ALL, THIS YEAR'S CAMP WENT VERY WELL. TOO BAD THERE'S PROBABLY NO NEXT YEAR FOR ME..