Today is still Saturday here in Alaska. Our daylight now lasts until about 11pm, and the sun gets back up around 4am. In about a month, I'm told we won't have any true darkness at all. Even around 1am, it's still not pitch black like you would expect in a place with no light pollution.

Our Internet access is limited to between 9:30 and midnight on every day except Sunday (when we can use it anytime after noon.)

I compiled a list of all the unique wildlife that I have seen so far. Here you go:
-bear
-bald eagles (a LOT of them; they're everywhere.)
-whales
-sea lions
-seals
-sea anenomes
-porpoises
-marmot (it was really CUTE!)
-lunes (so Michael thinks)
-killer mosquitoes
-noseeums

The last two on the list are really awful. The mosquitoes don't actually kill you, but they are HUGE. I have 17 mosquito bites right now just on my arms from the elbow down. It's terrible! But actually, I have gotten quite adept at grabbing them out of the air with one hand. My goal by the end of the summer is to be able to pinch them out of the air between two fingers. (That would be pretty ninja, you have to admit).

I haven't actually gotten bitten by a noseeum yet. They are called that because you "no-see-um." Apparently they all hatched and will come out next week. They are pretty nasty. A noseeum is a tiny little bug that actually eats your flesh. It is hard to see them because they are so tiny, but when they bite you, you'll know it. It leaves a nice welt on your skin. Pretty painful. Worse than mosquitoes, because at least you can see the mosquitoes to kill and or swat them away. Not looking forward to noseeums!

As I'm writing this, I don't have Internet yet (it's about 8pm here) and so I can't see what I wrote last time. So if I repeat something, I'm sorry!

We hiked to Camper's Cove on Monday, the same day that my cousin Kern arrived! It was a two hour-ish hike. Overall it wasn't too strenous, but my hiking boots still gave me blisters. I think I need new ones. However, I DID NOT get sunburned, which was really exciting for me.

On Tuesday night I told my testimony (and I cried, of course). Half of the other counselors also told their testimonies, the other half told them on Friday night. It was all really good; learning where people came from helps all of us to really understand who we all are and get a lot closer.

We went through the Colt and Bronco camps on Wednesday and then through the Maverick and Senior High camps on Thursday. Some of the younger kids really like puppets, so we do shows for them. Several groups of us practiced with the puppets, singing to corny Christian remakes of old songs.

Unfortunately, Thursday night while we were doing an obstacle course, one of the counselors fell and broke her ankle in two places. She had to be sent to the ER in Juneau. She will have surgery later in the week. Please pray for her healing and that her mom can come up here to be with her while she recovers. She came back, and is still living here until the surgery. After that I think she will continue to stay up here, so please be praying for her! She's been a trooper.

The next day we learned the "Sky Trolley" stations. That's our zip line thing. I got certified to harness, send, hook, and catch people who ride it. Today we also got First Aid/CPR certified.

Everything is all about preparing for the campers! Sometimes it seems like it would be great to just continue the Orientation week all summer, and not have campers. But that's why we're here... to tell the kids of southeast Alaska about the love of God. So while this week has been great, I think everyone is excited for our first week of Bronco camp.

Still unsure if I will be counseling or just on "work staff" (the behind the scenes support work we do when we're not counseling) next week. There is a good chance that I will be counseling though. It would be great if you would please be in prayer for the campers and counselors next week. We'd all appreciate it (we need as much prayer as we can get.)

Thank you for everything.

Blessings,
Lauren

PS: Mom, I miss you! :)