Health Inspection

Today is over! We can all breathe a little easier. The state health inspector came to check our facilities. We "live" for the health inspector's visit. Actually we sit on pins and needles waiting for her arrival. When she comes we are glad it is over!

We served taco salad for lunch. All the campers had been served - some even on 2nds. The staff had been served. No taco meat left. There were plenty of chips, lettuce, tomato, cheese, onions, salsa & sour cream. We had left them on the counter until the campers were dismissed since some of them were returning for a taco salad minus the beef. Lunch was finishing up. 4 of the teenagers were being recruited as volunteers. 2 to help wash dishes & 2 to help set the tables in the dining room - after one meal we get the table ready for the next. The 2 who were asked to help in the kitchen had already washed their hands & were starting to help with the dishes. Those of us at the staff table noticed that a car had pulled into the driveway and a lady got out carrying her clipboard. We knew this was THE VISIT. Before she entered the dining room we buzzed into health inspector mode. Making sure no cups were sitting in the kitchen looking like they were being used, looking around & making sure there were no "violations" we could see, sending the two volunteers out of the kitchen with the promise we would use them for supper - and then forgot at supper to choose them as volunteers.

She is a very thorough inspector. She opened every cabinet & cupboard. Looked in both the staff fridge & walk in cooler - even testing the temperature of the sandwich meat & milk. Opened both freezers. Took lots of notes. We were waiting to see what the lots of notes were. After checking the kitchen, she went to check the pools & then the cabins. We sat in the dining room waiting to hear what the kitchen score was. We made a 94!!! We fixed the things we could. The 50 year old crack in the floor we were not able to fix.
The cabins & pools were all in the 90s also. She won't be back for the cabins or kitchen until next summer but will come back at least one more time before summer ends to check the pools again. We will still continue to keep the kitchen & dining room clean. We'll just be able to breathe a little easier knowing the inspection is over.

As we were sitting in the dining room waiting to hear the scores, the former ministry director who now purchases the food said "there is only one person who gets everyone in such a tizzy all at the same time. She came today & won't be back until next year." (not an exact quote). I went back up to the office and thought about what he had said and how true it was. She comes in & we all go into this fast paced mode of getting things whipped into shape. And then I thought about the campers & how they come to camp & are saturated with God's Word. They make promises & decisions for the Lord. Then they go home. Some will build on those promises & decisions they made but others will be sent back to homes where they don't get the spiritual support they get here at camp. They will forget all about those promises & decisions until they next year when they come to camp and remember what they promised the Lord the previous year. Then they will go into a tizzy trying to make up for forgetting the promises they made. We pray that the fire lit under these campers will stay with them as they go home. We pray that they will be "in a tizzy" to tell their friends & family of the Lord's love.