First Sleep-Away Camp and a Test of My Faith

So last week it was horseback riding camp and this week it's been church camp.  The difference, other than the obvious?  This is sleep away camp!

Bebe has spent several nights away from us before, but it's always been with family members in a house that I've been in several billion times.  I would know what she is doing, where she's sleeping, and pretty much what she's eating.  I was sure she was bathing...because the adults told her to!  I could also call her anytime I needed something.

This is different.  I have not been to these camp facilities before.  She's one of 34 campers and has 9 church members as chaperones at the camp, but I don't know them 'like family'.  I don't know EXACTLY what she's doing.  I have no idea what she's eating.  For all I know she's eating straight desserts and not taking baths!  I can't really call her, so I have to wait until right before she goes to bed for her to call me.*  They give her about 5 minutes to call in the evening so I feel like I barely get time enough to tell her we love her. There's definitely not time to find out in detail what she's doing and how things are going.  I assume all is well because she says she's having fun and then she giggles with her friends on the other end of the line and she's gone.

While she is hopefully expanding her faith in God and gaining independence, it is stretching my faith that she is making good choices...eating a vegetable, being kind, using soap, using manners, etc.

We pick her up tomorrow and I can't wait to hear all about it!  I've literally spoken to her 15 minutes max since Tuesday.  I hope she's made new memories, new friends, and has new stories to tell.  The litmus test for this camp will be whether she wants to go again next year.  And though I missed her, and boy did her siblings miss her, I love that she is taking steps to become her own person!  A tiny step to being on her own and hopefully (fingers crossed) remembering the lessons that her parents have taught her.

*I could call a chaperone if there was an emergency!  I'm not crazy!