Treasure the present for it is a gift | Adventurer's Journal
‘Treasure the present for it is a gift’. Husky taught me this and I’m so proud that I did treasure every moment. There’s so much more that I could write about my adventure in the USA for summer as a camp counsellor. If you’re reading this, you can’t see me beaming widely at you. This is my story for my summer 2017. I’m glad that you have decided to take the time to share this joy with me.
I was mulling over my thoughts as I walked through the trails to Northshore with Strawberry. Surely, everyone wants to be someone that they are proud of in the future. What about now? The present? Then suddenly this thought clicked in my head. How silly of me to keep thinking of the future but not the present. Whatever that I do now, the decisions that I make now will determine the future me.
I’m so proud of my younger self, the little me who was three months ago. Time. Time. Time. It was draining away so quickly as I thought about something to do for summer and up to the stage where I had to juggle a million other commitments as composedly as I could be. Spent a few days cracking my brain over whether to choose the internship or summer camp opportunity. Well, I’m pretty sure I did not send my application for Forest Glen properly. Plus, I couldn't ask for a better friend than Stephanie from AIESEC to help me out in the applications. Besides being the Vice President, look at how she goes when she explained all those to me. An epitome for all to learn from. Getting a right mindset, my expectations and an attitude to push further.
Then, somehow, God pulled me and gave me lots of comfort as a huge sense of disbelief hit me when I got lifted up into the clouds, putting myself at a distance of 9,654 miles away. At the very least, I had the courage that I knew God will always take me on an adventure that I would never have dreamt of.
A good summer ahead starts with bonding and building relationships between the summer staff. Pool parties, color splash, minute to win it games, girls night out filled with dancing (like never before dancing and singing!) always filled Forest Glen with sounds of laughter. There came a set of sisters toe nails where Strawberry, Megaphone, Swift and Scraddles and I painted the same nail colours for each other. Nice pizza buffet and movie time of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ at the theatre on a Sunday after Church Project worship. Everyone was so hysterical when Tianna and I visited Walmart for the first time. Meal times in the dining hall were made entertaining with serenades (guy singing to a girl while holding hands and not breaking eye contact or vice versa) and dancing parades around the hall. I remember the night where Seconds took Mask and I on a night trail to the game of ultimate frisbee where nobody could see anything else except the glowing light sticks that were hung all over our bodies. Another night, Monica brought us to lay on the ground near the lake. The sound of the frogs at the lake filled in the silence. There, I saw a hundred stars filled the pitch-black night sky with bright lights shining back into my eyes. It was such a mesmerising night that was etched in my memory. I love having worship nights too, being immersed with singing with lovely voices and small group sessions led by Swift that taught me so much about getting close one another. Seeing each other 24/7 a day, playing and learning new things together was the bud of blooming friendships.
Leadership taught us that introducing oneself by giving a firm handshake with a smile is one of the keys to making good impressions. Plus Jeremy’s extra one percent to stay connected with the guests. With these values in mind, it was absolutely rewarding having to facilitate activities for the kids. For example, stringing bows for a game of archery tag, standing up on a paddleboard in the middle of the lake, getting faster with the steel pulleys on the double zip lines ladder. I had my many first time of playing gaga ball, riding on a horse named ‘Pokerdot’ and catching a Bask the very first time I cast the bait into the lake. Learning to rake the volleyball pit from Stitch and vacuuming the swimming pool with Scraddle Pat. Cleaning the cabins bathrooms with a good dash of different sprays, wiping them down till it sparkles bright and finishing with a fresh aroma of lemonade. Sweeping cobwebs off the lounges and making the old sheds clean. Serving meals by pilling each plate with some vegetables or just completing the basket with a mouth-watering chocolate chip cookie. Not forgetting my favorite dish pit workplace of washing nearly 200 plates at a go with my friends. Furthermore, God gave me the opportunity to be the role of the ‘hype’ to dance jam worship songs on the front stage for all the kids and the role of a bus counsellor singing bus songs with an hour drive to town (most of the time shouting those songs at the top of my lungs with them because they love it so much). I loved how the kids are so loving each other and to us despite being notorious at times. Taking fifteen little ferocious fire breathers with Mama Llama to activities such as fishing, canoeing, hiking, teaching them how to shoot a BB gun, dunking the kids into the pool. (Rather, being dunked by them because they like to gang up to get the counselors dunked). Snowcones, candy floss and being smacked by a handful of whipped cream were some of the main highlights for the carnival for late night. Taking the role of a floater also gave me the best view of seeing how amazingly my friends were at their best with the kids.
Friday night meetings was a precious time in a home setting where everyone shared their most memorable week moment. Not to mention the yellow ribbon stories that could make anyone burst of laughing because of the embarrassing things that they did. I love listening and seeing my friends faces lit up as they reminiscence on how wonderful their week had been. It was also a time for recognition to the ‘Agape’ and ‘Ardent’ for being the most loving and enthusiastic staff respectively. Everyone would each cast a vote anomalously for their teammates and share their moment of how the Agape or Ardent recipient deserved the award by speaking directly to them. It is by the grace of God that my friends voted me to be the recipient of the Ardent award twice. God gave me words to speak as I made my speech to encourage everyone, especially on my last Friday night. Then, the announcement of next week’s assignment would get always everyone up on their feet. Lastly, a heart-warming time of prayer requests to be shared vulnerably. It was a total blast for both day camp and retreats group.
I was trying to smile after a long back-breaking position of making popsicle sticks for everyone. Then, came the conversation that I believe God intended. ‘‘Boo, friendships are meant to be intentional,’’ as Nightingale looked deep into my eyes to convince me of her point. As more memories flew back, I vividly remember the times where I had deep conversations with my friends. Some are so heart-warming that brings a huge beam to my face while some are so heart-breaking that I wish I could be there with them. I loved how strong-willed and the feeling of genuine joy that my friends had despite being placed in such circumstances. I can emphasize easily with them too. Well, this is indeed the environment that Forest Glen provided me to encounter God. To see the little God in everyone, how He works in their lives and to continue to see how His magic unfolds as time passes by.
Tears flooded my eyes so crazily and would not be held back at all as I pry opened the thick stack of letters written to me with my icy cold hands on the plane. Although everyone’s phones have been kept away most of the time, it has been a blessing to bond freely together. Along with the little photos that I’ve taken, I trust my little brain of mine to hold on to the memories as long as I can.
It is the intentional conversations God provided that led us to be genuinely close to each other, like a family. I loved how everyone would always call my name so enthusiastically with a huge smile each time they see me. Oscar and Faceplant taught me to say ‘See ya later’. For some, I made a promise to look for them 10 years later. Just to keep my promise with God and I’m excited to see how they will become, for they will go very far in life. I’m proud to have made life-long friends and such an amazing adventure at the mere age of 20, for I get to spend so much more time with these lovely people. Even if I don’t see them again in this life, this family that I’ve made will be reunited in Heaven.
P.S. Now, this little foresight that I had of myself as I shared during the small group session led by Swift. I told them that when I reach Singapore, everything that happened in Forest Glen would feel so surreal. The completely different environment that I was thrown into and to be sucked back out to reality makes everything feels so extremely distant. Those heart-wrenching feelings of waking up from a dream that I would not get back into indeed came true. For the past few nights, I woke up with little glimpses of forest glen and my friends. Gosh, my mind is working so hard to picture everything in my deep sleep. Just to give me back my little glimpse of my forest glen family that I knew I would treasure with all my heart.
Janalyn embarked on a Global Volunteer program to the USA as a camp Counselor at Forest Glen Camps. We are happy to hear about the memorable moments she had in the camp, proud of the impact she has made to the people in the community, and glad that she has made true friendships and discovered a new side of herself through the trip. That is the impact we strive to achieve and quality experience we aim to create for each and every exchange participant.
