68 pre-teen campers were excited in Kansas City and even more excited as they arrived in Warsaw, MO and stepped of their buses into the welcoming arms of camp staff. The first day is always exciting as returning campers greet familiar faces and new campers begin to build trust with the staff they have met for the first time.

After a great lunch, everyone headed down to the chapel to sing familiar camp songs, learn a few boundaries for the week, and FINALLY meet their new "family" for the week.

The afternoon was spent getting to know their fellow cabin mates, marking clothing and belongings, and going swimming! The pool felt great as the temperature was starting to hit the low 90's. Each cabin was able to choose a special activity for the evening. Over half of the cabins chose to go down to the camp lake where they either jumped on the lake trampoline, went swimming, canoeing, or paddle boating. One cabin chose to set up for their very first camp out.

Esther, one of the cabin leaders said:

Camping out at Camp CUMCITO for the first time was a blast! I'll never forget the girls who responded to the call of nature, coming back like pheasant flushed out of a bush at the sound of coyotes howling in the woods behind them! We all enjoyed S'Mores. The girls listened well and asked great questions during devotions around the camp fire. Two of the seven girls had never seen the night stars sparkling above them without the glare of city lights. One girl commented, "I've never been camping in the middle of nowhere before."

The first night in a cabin can be challenging as campers adjust to the camp setting and attempt to slow down and go to sleep. This is an important night for cabin devotions as the cabin leaders set the climate for sharing the Gospel.

One of the first-time cabin leaders had this to share about her first night:

This is my first time to be a cabin counselor here at Camp CUMCITO. Before I came, I was a bit unsure of the idea of counseling the pre-teen age because my comfort level is with the younger kids. I really felt God gently nudging me to jump in and step out in faith.

Trusting Him and stepping out in faith in the little things is something He has been growing me in! So I prayed about it and volunteered even with so many unknowns ahead of me. I knew God would be with me and give me wisdom and peace! The first night was in my mind as one of the most important devotionals of the whole camp because it was where we presented the Gospel of salvation to the girls in our cabin. We have 7 beautiful young ladies, and a few we know for sure have Jesus in their heart, but there is one girl for sure who had never heard the greatest love story of all. Several others "say" they know Him and have a relationship yet their lives aren't reflective of a commitment to Him.

So, to present the truth of God's Word to them was such a joy! I shared with them the Gospel using the bridge illustration and then worked the Wordless Book colors in, hoping that it would add thoroughness for them to understand the Gospel clearly.

The girls were so captured by the amount of love that God has for them that He would give up his own life for them. When you consider the rough lifestyles these girls come from, to have One who loves you that much is a big thing! The girl who had never heard of the Lord had lots of questions and you could tell by the looks on her face that she was really pondering what she'd heard! We're praying that she will come to know Him by the end of the week.

Please pray for this girl and all of the other campers that they will be drawn to Jesus! We know the Lord is present at the camp. We know the seed has been planted and/or renewed in the hearts of all the other girls in our group. Please keep us in your prayers! God is at work and doing awesome things in this place!"