Rise and shine & give God the glory! The beautiful campers of Merri-Mac woke up this morning with sweet memories of Christmas joy, and excitement for the day ahead! Chores were done, and girls headed down the hill to be met with a camp favorite breakfast—french toast! After singing some silly songs such as “Sippin’ Cider,” which Frances D. of Tweedle Dee knew all the words to, we were off to Chapel! Counselors Lainey G., Hunter W., and Anna M. led worship, and we sang our praises through the songs “River of Life,” “Amazing Love,” and my personal favorite, “Jesus Paid It All.” Counselor Kristie G. spoke at Chapel this morning, telling us a story about getting lost on a hike at night with no flashlights, and how after getting separated from half of the group, they sang chapel songs to find their way back to each other. Her story taught us that man is stubborn, and God’s faithfulness is the only way we can find our path through the dark.

We had some trips go out this morning as well! Holliday M., Audrey G., Hallie B., Avery G., Kay M., and Mary M. went water skiing on the beautiful Lake James adventure today, while Climbing class took Lucy F., Madigan E., Caroline W., Carter K., Catherine U.. Also Kayaking took Elizabeth C., Olivia J., Izzy E., Audrey S., Elise B., Millie M., Allison F., and Eleanor D. rolling on the river this morning on a trip led by Tweedle Dee counselor Caroline A. and Junior Camp Director, Mary Page Boyd.

Classes were off to a great start this morning, as campers got into the swing of their schedules and skills. Cooking put their delicious talents to the test in a Crepe War, while DIY crafts made postcards! Keep an eye out for the mail, because you just might receive one from your campers! Over on Macky’s Green, Soccer passed and dribbled their way through another challenging but exciting day of classes, with Brooke B., Lizzy B., and Karly K. earning their Bronze bar, and Ellie K., Lynley T., and Hallie B. earning their silver! Backpacking taught the importance of “Leave No Trace,” and girls learned more about how to adventure and explore through the wilderness, while still preserving it. Carson K. led a Fencing tournament today as well, earning herself a mark towards her next White Feather promotion. Up on Windy Hill, Julia P. earned her bronze in guitar, while classes had quite a musical morning, jamming out to throwback Hannah Montana songs such as “Rockstar,” and made a mash-up of “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz and “Hey Soul Sister” by Train to perform for Fine Arts Night next week! In Drama (the best class at camp) Alex V. performed her monologue earning her Silver, and Sarah B. led her class, taking another step towards her Gold bar!

I headed down the road to be met with the fresh faces of the members of our newest activity, Yoga! Counselor and Yoga instructor, Hannah C. read scripture while girls became in tune with their bodies, asking God to send their “roots deep in the soil of your love.” The dock was full of life as the music blared and the girls laughed, creating lifelong memories alongside dear friends in Lake Doris! Kayaking had a blast playing “Kayak Polo,” and Swimming practiced strokes and worked on bars. Canoeing learned how to unswamp the boats, and Lizzy B., Sophie H., Allie M., Meghan R., Mary Elizabeth B., Emma J., Molly K., and Jordan W., earned their Bronze bars! We even had three girls earn their GOLD BAR in Diving today!!! We are so proud of Ryan S., Layne S., and Molly G. for achieving this difficult goal!! After an exciting morning, girls anxiously awaited entrance into Tucker Inn for lunch, because it was Meatball Subs day…and S’MORE POCKETS for dessert!! Tribe songs were sung loudly and proudly, as each tribe attempted to out-cheer the other and show their spirit! Evening activity announcement was met with much anticipation, and was revealed to be….Tribal Battleball!! The Dining Hall erupted into tribe chants as girls got excited for the games tonight would bring!

Rest hour brought campers a time to relax and write letters, before running off to Trading Post for an afternoon snack. Classes started up again with more achievement and excitement, as our adventurous Mountain Bikers rode the Pump Track, while Climbing classes conquered the Upper Tower. In Paws, our precious puppies had a fun day of learning new commands, and of course getting a lot of attention from our puppy-loving campers and staff. Girls feasted on delicious dinner of barbecue chicken and potatoes, with brownies for dessert! Each cabin sang their song with pride, as Stardust even debuted their add-on to songs such as “Can’t Stop the Feeling” and “All I Do is Win.”

I can currently hear shouts and cheers coming from Battleball from all the way down the hill. Tribal events bring these girls the element of healthy competition, but from these games, the real joy is found in their excitement for the success of their peers, building friendships that will last forever. These relationships are made every day here at camp, and I feel so lucky to witness your beautiful campers’ growth through friends and adventure this summer. Tweedle Dum camper Eliza D. put it best at lunch today when she told me, “I just love camp.”

“Bless this camp oh Lord we pray, make it safe by night and day.”

Blessings,

Anne Dillon Loflin

Tweedle Dum Counselor

Drama Instructor

Proud Choctaw: Forever and Always