Thoughts on Teen Camp: An Interview With My Sister Callie!

 

Thoughts on Teen Camp: An Interview With My Sister Callie

*this post was used with an audio mic so wording would be more typical of listening to a podcast then reading an article.

For today's post, I have my sister Callie with me, and we're going to be talking about our thoughts on teen camp. At the time this post is being published, teen camp is just around the corner—only nine days away—and I am excited.

 

Silas: I'm super excited. For me, one of the most exciting parts is not just going to camp and all the fun parts of that, but also packing. Making a packing list, putting together your clothes, and gathering everything you need is just super exciting. It really gets you hyped up for camp.

Callie: I enjoy it too. It's really hard trying to fit everything I think I might need into one small duffel bag, but somehow each year I've managed to make it work, and I get super excited while doing it.

Silas: Is there anything special you need to do between now and camp to prepare?

Callie: I need to do some last-minute shopping and pick up a few different things.

Silas: For me, I've got everything. I just need a haircut. Next Saturday, two days before camp, I'm getting a special mid-taper fade haircut, so I'm pretty excited about that.

Before I ask another question, our youth group is taking separate vehicles to camp. We have a total of 12 teenagers going this year—seven guys and five girls. I'm really excited. I think we have a great group going, and I believe it's going to be a great year of camp.

Favorite Activities

Silas: What would you say is your favorite activity at camp?

Callie:  It's definitely carpetball. I love carpetball. It's what I do every time we have a free moment, and I feel like I've gotten pretty good at it over the years. It's one of my go-to activities.

Silas: For me, when it comes to free-time activities, it's definitely ping-pong. At camp, there are things like foosball, air hockey, carpetball, and ping-pong. I love ping-pong. I never play the foosball because one side is leaning, so one person always wins every time. It's not even fair.

Callie: I've never played the foosball, I don't think.

How Camp Usually Works

Silas: For those who don't know how camp works, here's a quick rundown of the schedule.

We wake up around 7:00. We go to the flagpole and sing a very interesting song that goes super high and super slow. After that, there are separate devotions for the men and ladies. Then we have breakfast, clean our bunks, and usually get a little free time before the morning service.

After the morning service, there is preaching, activities, games, and the verse competition. Then comes lunch, followed by a full afternoon of organized activities. After that, everyone showers and gets cleaned up for the evening service. Usually there are 30 to 45 minutes of free time before dinner when you can play games or just hang out. Then comes dinner, the evening service, canteen time, and finally bed—only to do it all over again the next day.

Favorite Organized Activities

Silas: Out of the organized activities, what would you say is your favorite?

Callie: That's a hard one, but volleyball is my favorite. A close second would be the dodgeball-gatorball game that we do. It's one of my favorites.

Silas: For me, it's definitely football. Sometimes I don't get to play as much on offense, but whenever I do get on the field, it's a lot of fun. If you've read my blog, you know I have an entire section dedicated to football.

My brother Micah is really excited about baseball, and that's always fun too. Dodgeball is another one of my favorites.

Least Favorite Activities

Silas: On the flip side, what is your least favorite activity?

Callie: The obstacle course. I don't like it at all. That's not complaining about camp—I just don't enjoy it.

Silas: That's exactly my answer too. No question about it.

For those who don't know, part of the obstacle course includes ratchet straps stretched between two posts. One year I put the upper strap behind my neck while trying to go fast and ended up rubbing my neck raw. It hurt the rest of the week.

Callie: Kids get hurt every year.

Silas: And your entire team is standing there watching you while you're struggling through it. That's definitely my least favorite activity.

Camp Food

Silas: Camp food can vary depending on where you go, and we've been to several different camps over the years. This camp has some pretty good food. What's your favorite meal?

Callie: My favorite meal is the hamburgers because you can customize them however you want. They have condiment packets set out, and it's a simple but really good meal because they grill them themselves.

Silas: For me, it's probably the breakfast where they serve those little sausage links that look like mini corn dogs. Those are awesome. You wake up in the morning, you're sitting there with all the guys from your youth group, and it's just a cool meal. Plus, they have chocolate milk, which is great.

Callie: I never drink the milk.

Worst Meal?

Callie: By far, it's the spaghetti.

Silas: The dry spaghetti, sweet tea, and then banana pudding for dessert. I don't like bananas.

It's not that we're picky. If we had to choose a worst meal, that's just the one we'd pick. 

Verse Competition

Another part of camp is the memory verse competition. Usually before the preaching service, teenagers can go up and quote Bible verses.

Silas: How do you prepare for it?

Callie: Throughout the years, I've compiled a notebook full of verses that I plan on saying. I study them a couple of weeks beforehand, study them on the drive there, and make sure I'm brushed up on them. Before each session, I already have my verses picked out and reviewed.

Silas: For me, I don't do a ton of studying beforehand. I'll probably look over some verses a few days before camp. I'm not necessarily trying to win. If I can get up there and quote a few verses, that's good enough for me.

The Preaching

Silas: What do you think about the preaching?

Callie: I think they're some of the most amazing preachers in the United States. They're great at what they do. They connect with teenagers, use great illustrations, and have the ability to make you laugh and then make you very convicted about what they're preaching. Throughout the years, I've made some really great decisions because of their preaching.

Silas: For me, the preaching is top-notch. You have William Davis, who is probably my favorite preacher there. Then you have Justin Cooper and Terrell Hopkins, who are also excellent.

Most Memorable Message

Silas: What message stands out to you the most?

Callie: One that comes to mind is Brother William Davis's message last year called Out of Order. He talked about how we usually say "body, soul, and spirit," but Scripture puts the spirit first. The message was about getting our priorities in order and making sure our emotions and lives are lined up correctly. That was very memorable to me.

Silas: For me, it was a message Brother William Davis preached in 2023 about preparing for what God has for your life. It was based on Elijah and Elisha. I remember it because I wrote it down in my Bible. The points all rhymed:

• Kill the cow

• Cook the chow

• Burn the plow

• Do it now

And then he talked about how that's how you can get a "wow" in your Christian life. It was a great message about preparing for God's future plan for your life.

Final Thoughts

The entire camp experience is something I look forward to every year. Oconee Baptist Camp is the best camp I've been to. I've attended several camps, and this one stands out above the rest. The spirit is great, the preaching is excellent, and the standards are strong.

I'm looking forward to a great week of camp. I hope to make some good decisions, and I pray the Lord works in my heart and in the hearts of everyone in our youth group. My prayer is that we'll leave camp encouraged, challenged, and with a renewed fire to do something great for God in the future.

Those are our thoughts on teen camp!