Ellie in Poland

Our last camp of the summer is over. It was probably the most challenging one yet, not just due to the fact that we'd already been going nonstop prettymuch all summer. We didn't have a short term team, so all the responsibilities fell to us interns and the local Polish team. This was also an overnight camp, meaning we were doing activities prettymuch from 7:30 am to 11:30 pm all week long. We would have choir rehearsal and sectionals in the morning, then go straight to the first musical workshop. I taught a vocal workshop, then helped with the dance workshop in the afternoon (and actually had to teach one day when the main teacher got food poisoning). During free time, the intern team was usually either rehearsing the worship set for the evening program, or working with students in band rehearsals for Saturday's concert. Even after the evening program, we would have activities and night games before everyone finally went to bed. It was a full, FULL week. Since we had so m...

I feel like I say it every week, but man, what a week! We finally had our first full Fusion camp. Our intern team was divided, half of us at a camp in Suszec, and the other half (including myself) in the gorgeous mountain town of Wisła near the Czech border. We teamed up with a short term American team from Indiana and the leaders of a local youth group called Echo to lead our week-long English and Fusion camp. The kids had a choice whether they wanted to take English classes or be part of the Fusion choir and learn instruments during the workshop time. For meals, sports time in the afternoon, theme days (baby day and superhero day), and the evening talks and discussion groups, everyone in English and Fusion were together. I was responsible for leading alto sectionals, leading the choir, teaching choreography, and leading a choir directing workshop. Our main goal was to prepare 5 songs with a full choir and band for a big concert at the end of the week, with only about an hour an...

Another whirlwind of a week behind us, another tornado of a week ahead of us! Such is the life of a Fusion intern. We spent the past week traveling around to different English camps, spending the afternoon teaching a Fusion choir workshop, and playing worship for their evening program. We covered a lot of ground and interacted with a LOT of students, and it was a little overwhelming at times, constantly being surrounded by brand new people. But, the campers and staff responded really well, and we ended up having some great interactions, and quite a few people showed interest in possible future Fusion programs. Super exciting! Our last English Camp workshop was at a camp in the woods in a town called Marylin. One of my favorite moments of the week happened when we led worship at their camp. Towards the end of Forever Reign, we asked people to declare truths about God while we played softly in the background. It started with leaders, saying things like "God, you are light," ...