Camp Tilikum

Hi all, it's been a while since we've been able to post anything new for you. Thanks for keeping updated with us. This has been quite the transition here in Oregon. I think we both came here with some expectations of what we were getting into, but those thoughts have long vanished. (For the better, not for terrible reasons). Now we are feeling more acclimated to the new surroundings. We feel blessed to be here and have enjoyed the staff that we are working with. Nate wasn't able to help with the hiring process of his own staff because he himself was hired on after they were all selected. We have really enjoyed all of them and couldn't have asked for a better crew!

I (Lissa) am working around the camp a few days out of the week helping out wherever there's a need. Nate is catching on to his job more and more all the time. He has decided to try to make this summer as close to previous summers at Tilikum (based on what the returing summer staff have informed him of) to figure out what the camp is like. Then in the fall we will re-evaluate what went well and what he would like to try differently.

One of my jobs has been camp photographer. I get to work with a professional photographer (and use his camera too!!) to take weekly pictures of each group of kids. They're posted on the internet for the parents to check out during the week. So far it's been a good opportunity for me to get around to all the groups and check out first hand what they do around camp. My favorite activites to watch are rafting, the Big swing, group initiatives, and the barn. Camp Tilikum has a barn on site with all kinds of animals for the kids to pet. Probably the funniest looking animal right now is the alpaca named Bear. He just got shaved and looks like a giant poodle!! I've decided that there really isn't any way to make an alpaca not look ridiculous.

Everyone at Camp Tilikum gets a "camp name" for the summer and sometimes for the full time staff it becomes their camp name for the remainder of their stay at Tilikum. Nate's camp name is Flash because he told his staff that he's as fast as Flash Gordon. They latched onto that REALLY quickly and his name was unanimously decided as Flash.
My camp name is Spidy (also spelled Spy-D for our camp theme of "I SPY"). The story behind that one comes from a story I told the staff about a time when I lived at Hancock Street house at George Fox. Missy can fill you in on the details =0)

I tired attaching pics of the camp, but it wasn't working, so we'll do that later.