Last week, I went up to PVM to help out … and discovered that Dale, their media specialist, had just become really sick. I decided to step in and help with the photos, video, and DVD … something I used to do back in the day.

Here are some of the photos I took … and the video is above. Putting it together was quite a challenge … in one day, I had to sort through previously taken footage, fill in the gaps (half of the footage in this video was taken in about 2 hours), and stay up all night assembling the pieces.

Thankfully, I think it turned out pretty well!

I spent all week at PVM for our fifth annual Sixth Grade Camp … well, technically I was only out there Wednesday through Friday, but I spent the first couple of days preparing for it, so I’m counting that.

Rather than take the time to tell you all about it here and post the 91 photos that I took, let me just refer you to the Sixth Grade Camp website … I blogged about our experience there all week. Enjoy!

I spent some time volunteering out at Pleasant Vineyard this summer … and I couldn’t resist breaking out my camera to snap some shots of the gorgeous people, beautiful landscapes, and fun activities going on.

To see all 114 images, just look at the photo set or the slideshow!

[via dunf]

The theme for Pleasant Vineyard’s 2005 summer camp season was Area 52: Portal to the Lost World. To get campers and families excited about the coming summer, we created this video and put it on the PVM website.

While preparing for our pirate-themed summer at PVM in 2005, I sat down with Matt and Amber to record an audio introduction for the staff website. Here’s what ensued:

The quality was pretty bad, so we never ended up using any of it. But it still cracks me up!

The theme for Pleasant Vineyard’s 2005 summer camp season was Area 52: Portal to the Lost World. To get campers and families excited about the coming summer, we created this video and put it on the PVM website.

The quality looks terrible on YouTube because of the manual static and interference, but you can still get the idea.

Hello,

Our daughter had the time of her life at camp! We have pushed her through many camps — it has always been a physically and emotionally draining experience as we watch her get left out and left behind. What a delight to instead have the exact opposite occur.

I have so many moments etched into my memory of each and every one of the CHCA and PVM teachers and staff taking time to talk with, lift, push, and laugh with our daughter. I am absolutely blown away by the fact that you took the time to consider her while juggling so many educational and spiritual needs.

She’ll never forget being an Assistant Missionary, terrified and hysterical with laughter in alternate moments while wheeling around in the dark and attempting to convert “Professor Heart.” Never in her wildest dreams did she think she’d swing in the orbitron, go up and over a challenge wall, and down a zip line all within 24 hours.

I woke up Friday morning thinking with the phrase “the last shall be first” popping into my head — and I was sure I’d seen a glimpse of what heaven will be like as I watched the sweetness of seeing so many men and women acting as the hands and feet of Christ lifting her up. Mr. Salisbury’s chapel theme that morning reminded me just how long that eternal “wow” is going to last. What a privilege it will be to share it with all of you.

In Him,
[name removed]

The past three days have been absolutely exhausting and exhilarating … we took our entire sixth grade class out to PVM for a three day camp experience. Even though it rained the first two days, the teachers, kids, and parent volunteers were absolutely amazing, traipsing around the grounds and participating in everything we planned with enthusiasm and wonder. It was fantastic, and I can’t wait to see how the whole experience resonates in the hearts and minds of these kids.

I took a lot of photos out there but decided to narrow it down to only forty to upload to Flickr … if you’d like, you can either see the slideshow or look at the photo set. Enjoy!

Me: “Man, this blister on my thumb hurts!”
Caitlin (6th grade): “It’s camp, Mr. Webel.”
Sydney (6th grade): “Yeah, suck it up.”

Well, I’m out at Pleasant Vineyard with our entire sixth grade class. It’s been a blast … but after sixteen hours and 22,582 steps (yes, I’m wearing a pedometer) I’m absolutely exhausted.

I’m uploading photos and doing a mini-blog-type-thing for the parents while we’re out here … check it out by clicking here. I mean, if you want to, that is. If you’re not interested, then you can ignore that command.

Peace in the Middle East.