Visual Journalism

 A Summer at Camp Siloam

During the summer of 2021, I had the fantastic opportunity to work at Camp Siloam in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Camp Siloam is a Southern Baptist church camp where churches can spend a week during the summer. I worked in the kitchen for the entire summer, and it was an amazing experience. 

The theme for the summer was "Wanted." For twelve weeks, I was surrounded by cowboy hats, wanted posters, bandanas, and "Yee Haws." The whole camp was decorated for the theme, and the recreational games also matched. Immediately when a church bus entered the campus, they were welcomed by staff members wearing cowboy hats, wielding pool noodles, and yelling with excitement. I had the opportunity to do this most Mondays. 

Something unique about Camp Siloam is the drama they perform that lasts the entirety of the week and matches the theme. For "Wanted," the drama told the story of Flint, a parallel to the story of Gideon found in Judges chapter 6. The drama this summer did not disappoint in visuals and special effects. From a cowboy riding in on a real horse to fake gunshots, you were truly experiencing the "wild west." The entire drama can be found on the camp's Youtube page, with each day highlighted. 

Photo Contains Link to "Drama - Day One"

Camp Siloam also has a character that appears every year. As a tradition, the campers get to participate in the "Crobster Hunt." What is a Crobster, you may ask? Well, a Crobster is a half Crawfish and half Lobster creature that causes havoc at Camp Siloam every year, and in 2020, he succeeded. A Crobster video debuts every Monday that introduces the creature to the campers. Then late Monday night, they get to participate in the hunt. During the search, the campers must take a red bean and make it to the other side of the camp without their bean being taken. Once at the other end, they receive a white bean that cannot be taken from them. They then travel back to a table near the pool and cash those beans in for points. These points are added to their color teams' overall score.

 

Each church is a part of the red or blue "color teams" every year. These teams compete against each other all week, and the winner is revealed before they leave on Friday. The teams receive points through rec games, the Crobster Hunt, and memorizing Bible verses. The overall color team winner is announced at the end of the summer. This is the team that won the most weeks. This summer, the winner was the Blue Team. 

Blue Team Won!

Every day, campers participate in "hype." Hype is a time for campers to watch a video highlighting their previous day at camp. They also get to show off their outfits that match the day's theme. From Tuesday to Thursday, the theme days for the summer were USA day, Western day, and Jersey day. They also get to earn points for their color team. 

There are worship services that take place every day during the week. Onward Worship led the music this year, and several speakers made their way to camp. This is one of my favorite parts of camp. Many campers make decisions during this time and worship. 

Camp Siloam has a number of social media accounts where they post announcements and photos from past summers.

Icons Contain Links

Through working in the kitchen at Camp Siloam, I learned a lot about teamwork. We were separated into two shifts, with myself working in the evening. There are several places for staff members to work at camp. The Hub is where campers can get snacks and hang out; there is also the camp store, Two Canoes. Staff can work as spirit leaders, rec staff, security and maintenance, and more. Every spot at Camp Siloam is essential. 

2021 Camp Siloam Kitchen Staff

2021 Camp Siloam Summer Staff

Reminiscing on my time at Camp Siloam, I remember all the Lord has done for me over the summer. I made tons of new friends, and I got to experience so much. The theme for Camp Siloam 2022 is "Steampunk'd." I will be returning for the summer of 2022, and I cannot wait to start my next adventure as a Camp Siloam Summer Staffer.