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Week three of WildHeart came with new activities and challenges. We embarked on Sunday on our week long canoe trip. The second we stepped out of the vans to unload by the river, swarms of mosquitoes attacked us like the fresh meat we were. Throughout the week the mosquitoes abated and we learned how to deal with them(albeit not without a fresh dose of complaints every morning.). During the second to last day, we had the opportunity to ride some class 2 rapids in our canoes and body-surf them afterwords. This was an exciting and enjoyable experience. It was this day that I had a peak in my counselor career. One of my campers was in a canoe that flipped while going down the rapids. That camper found his way to an island in the middle of the rapids. With white water break on either side of him, he refused to jump in and float down to us. In the end, I ended up swimming to the island and talking to the camper. It became abundantly clear that he was not going to jump no matter what anyone said to him. I told him that I was going to push him in. He shook his head no, but in the end I had to push him. He went screaming and flailing down the rapids. I jumped in after him laughing my head off. That particular camper ended up thanking me later for getting him through the situation.
Towards the end of the week, we returned home from the canoe trip. Although we faced some vehicle trouble along the way, we made it back in one piece to enjoy the evening with some long awaited reunions between father and son. The last few days of camp was spent in the father son structure, enjoying activities ranging from games, to white water rafting, shooting, and many other enjoyable activities. Through all of these activities were chapels and services that helped the campers and myself to stay focused on spiritual things. Specifically about restoration in the relationships around us. As camp wound down to a close, many bro hugs were given and many tears held back. But through it all I was able to enjoy seeing the progress made by guys that I thought I would never be able to get through to. Thank you for a great summer, WildHeart.
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Week two was much different than week one. Week two started with a road trip up to Munising, Michigan as the first leg in our hiking trip. Through week two, the campers not only got a chance to use the skills and training from week one, but also had the opportunity to show their strength and resilience throughout the 27 miles of hiking. That is not to say there was no complaining, but when all was said and done, everyone made it to the takeout point and the trip was complete. For spiritual impact during the second week, Aaron Brewster provided thought provoking chapel services daily. Though everyone on the trip of week two was stretched and pushed, many came out the other side stronger physically, and spiritually.
In the first week of WildHeart Adventure Camp, the campers received training in the arts of camping. This training includes (but is not limited to): fire building, blade safety, knots, lashing, tent pitching, and many other skills. Throughout the week, many campers absorbed this information like a sponge and were able to use those skills on a daily basis. The campers were also introduced to various activities and challenges such as the obstacle course and the team pyramid challenge. These activities and many others helped to build up the team, but also helped the individual campers grow. Chapel and devotions were also performed daily in order to accomplish the primary goal of WildHeart Adventure Camp: spiritual growth.
 Russell Massey grew up in Amberg, WI at Victory Academy for boys. He spent his early years running through the woods and playing in mud puddles in the classic little boy manner. This gave him a deep seated appreciation for the beauty of our planet and its nature. As he grew up, he began to gain an interest in more structured activities. These include hunting, fishing, shooting, snowboarding, mountain climbing, and hiking. This summer, he looks forward to using all of these hobbies to further the gospel through WildHeart Adventure Camp. He also looks forward to working together with this excellent group of guys, that makes up the counselor team at Adventure Camp, to make camp a fun and profitable experience for all parties involved.  |
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