One big change this year, Pete decided he needed time to pursue furthering his Pastoral degrees and that he would not attend camp. Don would take his place. Don spends lots of time preparing the worship time for the campers. Worship time is never just someone talking there is always plenty of prompts, camper interaction and humor. When you're dealing with the range of handicaps found at our camp keeping all of them interested is no small accomplishment.

This year we were back in Lick Run. I was Mike C.’s counselor again. The other counselors in our cabin were Jay, Dave B., and two brothers Chris and Andy. Jay was Mark’s counselor. Dave B., a physical therapist, had Mike U., another boy with total-care cerebral palsy. Chris, who was in high school, had Peter and Dave G., a new boy Peter’s age. Andy, who was too young to be a counselor, came along to help.

One day we had just finished making sun visors in crafts and Jody, one of our new campers, was showing me her craft. It was a simple, happy picture of two people, with a rainbow and the sun shining. I told her it was very pretty. She informed me that one of the smiling people was me. "Thanks that's very nice" I answered. Then she said "Now I can scratch your face off" and took her fingernail and scratched the face off one of the people in the picture.

That night we were getting ready for bed when something very smelly and very messy fell from a hole in the roof of our cabin. Our guess was that it came from some LARGE bird sitting up there. Every night Dave, Jay, and I stayed down in the cabin and let Andy and Chris visit with the other younger counselors at the main lodge. Tonight we put a price on their nightly excursions, they cleaned it up.

One of the new campers was a young man named Kevin. Kevin never stopped talking, and he was always full of wild stories. As we walked to the dining hall he would show us were he wrecked his dirt bike, and where the Jaws of Life pulled him from his wrecked jeep.

Because we had gotten to know each other last year, and more importantly, because of his good nature and sense of humor, Mike C. had become easier for me. With the nervousness from the year before gone we really enjoyed ourselves. We laughed and joked our way through the week.

David, from scouts, really helped me out this week. Every mealtime David would be waiting to push the wheel chair to and from the dining hall. David was a big help considering all the walking we did this week. Sometimes I was tired just after getting Mike C. up and dressed.

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