Ozark Mind Games 2004 Report: Wednesday


Morning worship

The worship was pretty unenergetic, so the Ozark camp staff asked if they could get the students involved in some action songs. (This week, for the first time in Ozark Mind Games history, there are no other camp activities going on, so the summer staff is able to join us for all of our sessions. They are a great joy to us, and an unexpected bonus!)

The camp staff led, and the students (and faculty!) joined right in.

Scotty Wayne Wayne (the root'nent, toot'nest, sharp-shoot'nest cowboy of all time) made an appearance at lunch to announce the first ever Ozark Mind Games Golf Tournament on their brand-new 9-hole golf "course." (Think golf course without the nice groomed greens. Or tees. Or long holes.) Ray Bohlin (who came prepared with his golf clubs) was the first to say he wanted to play.

Twelve people sprang out of their seats to sign up for this afternoon event, creating six twosomes for an "Ozark Scramble" golf tournament (also known as "Best Ball").

Rick Wade leading his reading group, discussing a written debate between a believer and an unbeliever on "Does Man Need God to Be Moral?"

A group of guys tried their hand at the boomerang a second day. Zach Wright has just let go of it here, watched by John Burris, Greg Grooms, Grant Nabholz, Ryan Jones, and Andrew Marsh.

Josiah Wells shows his form at the golf tournament.

Holly Porter, who plays on the golf team at her high school, shot a beautiful long drive. The winners of the golf tournament, by one stroke, were Ray Bohlin and Michael Holets, OCC executive director.

Those who wanted to run the ropes course did so while the golf tournament was going on. Lindsey Ambrester had never done the ropes course and was justifiably proud of herself for conquering it!

Grant Nabholz is an old hand at ropes courses, and almost literally ran through it. Grace in motion!

Heidi Jostes, Probe's Mind Games coordinator, had told so many people about the ropes course at Ozark that she thought she'd experienced it. But once she got up in the harness and stepped out on the rope, she realized that nope, she just THOUGHT she had! She was also proud of herself for making it all the way through it.

One of the students' favorite teaching sessions so far has been Greg Grooms' "Perspectives on Film," a discussion on how to watch a movie--for more than simply mindless entertainment value. He showed several clips and had the students evaluate three aspects of what they saw: the message, the production values, and the performances. This was all preparation for the two movies he will be showing the next two nights.

His concluding remarks were wonderfully instructive: 1. If you can't watch a movie to the glory of God, STOP. Walk out of the theater or turn it off. 2. Always exercise your skills of discernment when watching a movie: think critically, prepare to build bridges to unbelievers in your discussion of it, and seek to view the film as God does, through His eyes.