Elijah and Moira Hall TRIBAL MISSIONS - Reaching the unreached 
What to do when jungle camp is canceled?
Substitute another camping experience!
Traditionally New Tribes Mission students have spent six weeks at a “jungle camp” where they build their own pole frame homes, cook from scratch, and other activities associated with simple living. Since there was no jungle camp for us this year we decided on the next best thing: forest camp!
A couple of the other students had built a rough cedar cabin with an outhouse on the other side of the lake, and we got permission to move in during the Practical Skills class. So we took over piles of winter clothing, blankets and food and made the “cabin” our home for a while.
Over nights we all snuggled right close for the chilly nights and awoke to start a fire in the stove (made from half a metal barrel). Breakfast was a rush because we had to make the canoe ride back across the lake in the semi-dark to make it to class on time!
The kids enjoyed grubbing around playing with sticks and rocks and “hunting raccoons”. Needless to say, they didn’t catch any, but one smart raccoon almost caught us! The little back door was not latched properly and after scratching several places, the smart little thing began to pull the door open! I guess Elijah is scarier than a raccoon though, because he growled and it ran.
Being pregnant, attending classes, taking care of three children ages three and under (and trying to keep them clean enough to be presentable) made it a tiring experience for Moira, but she consoled herself with the large jar of green olives as comfort food.
Highlights included long conversations while sitting close to the campfire, singing and playing guitar with some friends, and seeing the delight in the faces of our children as they did such exciting things as make toast or roast marshmallows.
After a week of cabin dwelling we joined the class for a wilderness camping trip. We hiked into our location packing kids and all our gear; Elijah set up a tepee-style shelter out of black plastic and twine that was voted “most creative” by all the other campers. That was a fun weekend but had some ramifications: we stopped counting ticks after pulling 80 off Elisha and over 100 off Jerusha. Elijah and Jerusha were also attacked by chiggers and are still itching constantly two weeks later.
Necessary? Maybe not…
Fun? Absolutely!
