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Mobile, AL M-Fuge 2006 - The Conclusion

July 21, 2006

I'm sorry I ran out of time and energy the last couple days of camp so I couldn't give any updates. After a week of little sleep, working and playing out in the extreme heat it gets a little rough for an old man like me. Ok, so I'm not that old, but still.

Looking back at the week in Mobile I would have to say that it was one of the better trips we've had over the years. We have been to Florida, Colorado, New York, Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Mobile, and even ventured into Canada a couple of times. Each trip is unique and they all have had their ups and downs, but as far as the group of students that went and the Fuge camp that we went to, it was an excellent experience. Despite dealing with a few issues from one of the staffers, we were able to get over that and move on.

The picture that I have burnt into my head from this trip is when I saw the face of the little boy who had stopped to watch us leave on our last day. He was so sad, and we were the last Fuge group to go to that particular site. It showed me how much we meant to these children, just being their for them and loving on them. I am pretty sure that it sunk into our students heads as well.

The only things that went wrong during the week really had more to do with other church groups than anything else. We had church groups that broke shelves, set off the fire extinguisher, shaved other kids eyebrows, kept kids up all night with shaving cream in the face, and one group even had kids that went to the bathroom in a sack and left it sitting around the dorm area. Others went through the halls and shut off everyone's air conditioners on the first floor so that we all woke up hot and sweaty. I simply don't understand where the adult sponsors are when this is going on. How could you not know that your students were doing this, I mean aren't they sleeping in the same hall as you? Even I could hear the ruckus and I was all the way downstairs. That, to me, is unacceptable. I can't believe that adults let teens act like that and think that it makes them cool. It doesn't make you cool, it makes you foolish. I am known to be rather strict, or more strict than others when it comes to our students. I ask them to be in groups of three and to turn the lights out at the right time, to be in their rooms, and not to do anything that would hurt others or damage other people's property. Sure, we play around and play jokes on each other and it is all fun. I've never had a teen say to me, "I'm not going on your trip because you don't let me do whatever I want to do." Having some level of control over your youth group does not make you an old fuddy, duddy that nobody likes. It actually makes you the adult leader you are supposed to be and it enhances your entire groups experience. The kid who got his eyebrow shaved, his experience was not better because the adult sponsors were no where to be found. In fact, I would say that he might have had a horrible time and its his adult leaders fault.

Maybe I am just fortunate enough to have an adult or older responsible youth in every room so that things like this don't go on. This makes the 6th year that I've taken a group of teens from this church to M-Fuge and out of those 6 years there is only one year that I can remember that sleeping in the dorms was not a negative experience. Almost every year it is horrible, and it is always other church groups with poor leadership when it comes to the dorms.

Next week is the last week for M-Fuge in Mobile. Continue to remember the staff and the campers who will be finishing up the last week.

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