The day started out clear and a pleasant 78ish. Worship services for several traditions were held in various places around the site. Several staff from our subcamp chose the Methodist service which was held just behind our tents and served communion. About 250 adults attended this service.

Did you know that the United Methodist Church and the BSA is leading an effort to eradicate mosquito-born disease in Africa called "Nothing But Nets"? They are providing long-lasting, insecticide-treated bed nets that are an easy and cost-effective method to help prevent malaria. Bed nets prevent malaria transmission by creating a protective barrier against mosquitoes at night, when the vast majority of transmissions occur. For more information about Nothing But Nets, visit www.NothingButNets.net.

As the day wore on the temperatures climbed again to 101 degrees. While I hesitate to say we have gotten used to the extreme heat, I will say that we have figured out ways to stay as cool as possible by finding shade, limiting activity and tanking up on water. Water coolers are all over camp and are kept filled with ice water all day by a band of youth staff, God bless 'em! It was so hot that staff from the Southern Region areas (us) were not allowed to go to the Staff Appreciation Arena Show (Navy jets, military jump teams, music, a magician/motivational speaker...). We weren't sure whether to be disappointed or grateful as the arena is about an hour and a half walk from here! A little while after that announcement a storm appeared to be imminent, complete with wind gusts and lightning and they canceled the show all together. As it turned out the storm blew by with a flurry and didn't drop a bit of rain. Figures.

Earlier in the day I took a walk around camp and visited with the various services that have been working all week to set up and be ready for tomorrow when the troops arrive. I visited our amazing, nine examining room medical facility first and interviewed physician Steve Cico, MD from Seattle, Washington and asked him to tell me about the facilities we have in camp.

Steve also told me that there are some 800 medical staff on hand at Jamboree to serve the 38,000 -- which grows to 75,000 on visiting days! And remember those tedious medical forms everyone filled out? You may think that nobody ever really reads them, but you would be wrong. A group of physicians reviewed everyone of the 38,000 forms and tagged those they had concerns about for further review upon arrival. That's a lot of late nights on personal time, folks!

The ladies below are responsible for keeping the medical records in order for the 2600 residents of Subcamp 20/21. Each scout and staff member has a name tag with his or her troop number and council. Each tag is bar coded and ties back to the Jambo computer system which is tied to the scout's BSA ID number as well as his/her Jamboree number. Everyone wears this tag everywhere they go. That way if anything happens and they end up in one of the 12 medical facilities all the medical personnel has to do is scan their tag to instantly gain access to their Jambo records - both personal information like parents contact information and of course their medical form with critical information needed to properly treat each patient. After treatment, the documentation is scanned back into the system so that it can be accessed anywhere on site. WOW. Again, just one more example of why this is "the best, most exciting, fun-filled, safest jamboree ever!"

And speaking of safety, a high tech alert system in case of emergency that is tied to cell phones and computers, plus there is a staff announcement system that is tied to cell phones allowing texting of important announcements (like, "the Staff Show at the arena is canceled for tonight.") They are taking advantage of technology in a big way! Awesome!

I visited the commissary next. This consists of a huge tent that stores and distributes food stuffs to the patrols for each troop. Based on a BSA provided menu (and you can find the menus on the Jambo site at http://www.bsajamboree.org/Food.aspx) the commissary staff divides the food into labeled bins for the patrols to retrieve. The patrols are issued the official menu and cooking instructions for the entire Jamboree. The commissary staff, which takes turns sleeping in the big tent, accepts the food for the next day at night, along with the all-important ice deliveries, between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. (Sleeping is probably not the best description for what this over night person does!)

Each patrol gets a quantity of "staples" first - salt, pepper, Pam, paper towels, napkins, dish washing soap, water purification tablets to help insure sanitation, and last but not least...a big jar of peanut butter for both an alternate and supplement to the menu. A huge stack of propane tanks awaits distribution as well.

Here is Loren Kitterlin of Bella Vista, Arkansas, the Commissary Director, with William Ingram of Tulsa, OK, with a few more fascinating facts:

FUN FACT: The Commissary will distribute 520 10 pound bags of ice a day to the troops and we have been using about a 100 bags a day for staff water containers and food service. How would you like to have that ice concession?

Tomorrow is the BIG DAY as the troops will begin arriving at about 7:30 in the morning. I am excited that I will get to be one of the greeters to meet the Westark Area Council contingent which includes my husband and son! Tomorrow our big empty field -- along with others all across "The Hill" will metamorphose into a bustling city. I anticipate that the first 24-48 hours will be an exercise in "controlled chaos" as the scout troops check in, set up camp, take their first look around and prepare their first meals. It will take a couple days to embrace the routine of it all, but by the end of the 10-day Jamboree proper, they will have the system down pat.

Time to get to showered and wash off all the sticky (and subsequent dust that sticks to the sticky) and get to bed! As I get ready to sign off the temps are down to a relatively balmy 84 degrees. A huge relief from 100! Tomorrow is to be a high of 90 and low of 63. Awesome!

OH! One more thing, you can keep up with the happenings at Jambo through QBSA Radio at 102.9. It is being streamed through facebook at: http://www.christiannetcast.com/listen/dynamicasx.asp?station=bsa