A Funny DDA Prayer

Last week I served as a counselor to developmentally disabled adults at White Memorial Camp in Council Grove, Kansas. The theme for the week was, "On the Way." Pictures of this special camp are available here.

When you spend time with DDA campers, you always experience a few surprises, which once prompted a fellow counselor to say, "I love coming here because I'm reminded that what they've got, I've got." This year was no different.

Tuesday night our entire group of 49 played Bible Bingo. It's like regular Bingo, except instead of finding "N-23" on your card, you look to match a Bible picture. My job was to announce the picture. Glenda, our camp director, said, "I'll be your Vanna White and walk around the room with the picture card."

That Vanna remark gave me an idea.

Before the game started, Glenda and I left the room and I had a fellow counselor introduce us to the campers saying, "It's Bible Bingo at White Memorial Camp! Please welcome your special hosts. From the Wheel of Fortune, Vanna White! And from the Price is Right, Bob Barker!"

Stoking everyone's imagination always make activities a little more fun. When "Vanna" and "Bob" entered the room, we received a hero's welcome.

So I announced the Bible bingo cards and kept announcing them for an hour until everyone in the room won a prize. By the end, the once quiet room was now abuzz as half the participants were mingling at the prize table.

The game was over, but one of the campers, a guy name Jerick, came up to me and frantically said, "Bob, Bob, you didn't say what you always say at the end of your show!" There wasn't time for a sign-off I explained. The room was too noisy. Half the people were out of their chairs. Apparently, only Jerick was expecting a "closing" to the "show."

After an evening snack, our whole group--campers and counselors--went out to Inspiration Point for evening Vespers. We sang some songs, heard a brief Bible story, said a prayer, and closed with a song.

Right after Vespers, it's tradition that the campers stand up and give a testimony or offer a prayer. Some use the chance to shine the spotlight on themselves by talking endlessly. Others use it to say their parent died ten years ago. And some like to tell how much they enjoy camp.

On this night, Jerick immediately stood up at testimony time. He talked about God, camp, his Mom, the food, sin, and the cross. Then he said, "OK everybody, bow your heads and I'm going to say for us a prayer."

And here's the prayer:

Dear God, Thank you for camp. I like swimming. I want to go swimming tomorrow. And oh yeah, Ted forgot to say this, "Bob Barker reminding you to have your pet sprayed or neutered. Goodbye, everybody!" Amen.