CSR 2010: The Last Picture Show

The gate to Camp Takatoka in Wagoner, Oklahoma, where Camp St Raphael is held every year (Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America).

The days begin and end with prayer …

A typical “Ask Abouna” group; beware those guys in the upper left corner 🙂

Arts and Crafts help fill the morning hours following Orthros.

This year’s topic of Christian Ed was The Parables. However, the priest’s also taught about the Funeral Service. One of the things that came up during the week was how the Roman Catholics recently dropped their teaching on Limbo. While the Orthodox have never taught it, it has been attempted.

Dodgeball. Ready?

(I just like this picture because everyone seems to be doing something different.)

For “Color Wars” this year, teams were blue or green …

For the Eighties Night Dance it didn’t matter what color — as long as it was bright and bold …

There … with the headband in blue? I think that’s Olivia Newton John.

This is the look though, right?

My, how times have changed since the 80s. It was not unusual back then to see those who shied away from the dance floor. But boys arm wrestling girls?

Funny how a little slab of pavement, with a basketball goal at each end, can serve as the main gathering place of 100+ youth (weather permitting).

Where you may sit …

… pose …

… or reminisce about belting out a tune during “Ask Abouna” (here – at the 4:58 mark).

“Some folks think that when you join the Antiochians, you’re given an icon and a hula-hoop. That’s completely false. Believe me—you have to pay for the hula-hoop!” (We Came, We Saw, We Converted; p. 24).

Well …

… looks like someone’s missin’ one!

But, of course, like all camps — we had them!

The really white guy in the back, behind the Houston contingent, with the fading hairline …
I don’t know the man.

Here’s a shot of the older girls singing their “Tim Farha” song parody of Taylor Swift’s “Tim McGraw”. There’s a line in the song — listen here (especially to the “boxers” line at the 7:57 mark) — which needs some ‘splainin. The wife had me half way to the airport when I remembered that, uh oh, I’d not packed everything (under-stand?). Well, Greg Zrake volunteered to run to Walmart and buy me some, uh, unmentionables.

Y’all? These were not only unwearable — they really were unmentionable! (Except, of course, in this song parody.)

The indefatigable Gayle.

Bishop Basil surprised us with a visit on Thursday …

I was just glad this guy (he was ha-uge) didn’t surprise me on my morning walks. He did, however, increase my prayer life. O Lord … Ole!

Aaron shared the raft with me on Tuesday as we drifted 12 miles down the Illinois River. Yes, I did relate my previous rafting experience (listen here) — but this one was totally different.