It's hard to believe just how quickly the summer flew by. If I'm honest, I am shocked every time I look up at my calendar and see September. A common question we hear in this season is "How was your summer?". If you've ever worked at a summer camp, you know just how difficult it can be to answer this question in a way that truly reflects all that you experienced in those three months. Yet, in this post, I will do my best to answer that question for those of you who are curious.
The summer of 2024 was filled with an abundance of goodness: campers laughed, played games, sang, danced, tried new things, swam in our new pool, and, most importantly, they learned about Jesus. The Lord was so present at camp this summer. It was so beautiful to see all the campers that stepped foot on our grounds and how God has created each and every one of them so uniquely. The character of God was revealed in each camper that we met this summer. We ran nine weeks of camp - one week of Youth Adventure Camp, two weeks of Pre-K, two weeks of Extreme, three weeks of Kick Off, two weeks of Overnight, and six weeks of Day Camp. Each week of camp is filled with so many memories and stories, so let me share a few with you here.
With our Kick Off Camp program, we were able to take Camp Harmony to three different towns: Portage, Meyersdale, and Benshoff Hill. This program was so fitting for our theme this summer of Therefore, Go. Not only did campers come to us, but we also took our ministry out of the comforts of camp with the goal of spreading the Gospel to more kids in our area.
Our Extreme campers were presented with some unique off-camp experiences. Neither group went to all the same places, ensuring that each week was a different adventure. We enjoyed many hikes throughout the beautiful Laurel Highlands, stopped for ice cream, floated in tubes, and slid our way down Flat Rock in Linn Run.
During one of our overnight camps, some of our staff took a group of campers up the hill to our chapel to pray and talk about Jesus, and by the time they left, eight of those campers came to know and accept Jesus! Praise God! There is so much more that occurred this summer, but I'd have to write a book to tell you everything.
What a joy it was to witness how God worked in our campers and our staff! We were so blessed this summer with staff who love Jesus and His children. We could not run our summers without the incredible staff that volunteer their time each year. One of our Senior Cabin Leaders, Sarah Hostetler, has a beautiful testimony of how the Lord moved throughout her first summer here at camp:
"Going into camp, my heart was hard, it was chasing after things that didn’t matter. I was impatient, angry at the world, lonely, scared, anxious, and the list could go on. But as the summer progressed I felt my heart start to soften. I started to feel joy, peace, patience, contentment, and most of all the presence of God. I could see how God was changing my heart and how He was using me to make disciples to grow His kingdom. Because God had changed me early in the summer, I was also able to have a different outlook on how certain situations played out, especially during both extreme camps, but I’ll save those stories for another day!! When other people around me saw “bad” things happening, I tried to come up with other blessings that were happening around us. This summer taught me how to count my blessings and how to find peace in the storms that surrounded me. I also had lots (and I mean lots) of opportunities where I had to step out of my comfort zone whether I wanted to or not. During the last overnight camp, I led worship with some of the other cabin leaders. This was completely out of my comfort zone, but I trusted that it was all under control and led the best that I could. I also discovered that my favorite sound and sight in the whole world is a bunch of children worshiping God and not caring what everyone else around them thinks. BEST. THING. EVER."
One of the many beauties of camp is that it can be life-changing for campers, as well as for our staff. Camp challenges staff physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. As someone who has worked on a number of summer staffs at Christian camps, I can tell you that it is often the hardest, yet most rewarding job you can have. The hours can be long and exhausting, yet each day is a new opportunity to see the Lord move, and to point kids toward Jesus. While much of the job is teaching and guiding your campers, it often feels like we learn more from them than they do from us. We are forever grateful for our staff this summer and all the work they put in.
This summer was so beautiful. Our God is so good and continues to bless this ministry. It is easy to get overwhelmed with all that is going on at camp and in life, yet when we remember just who our God is and how much He cares for us, we can focus on that joy and spreading it to others. We at camp are so thankful for all of you! For your support, your prayers, your encouragement, and your hearts. Thank you so much to all of you who entrust us each summer with your children! To all of our campers, we miss you already, and can't wait to see you at our upcoming retreats and back at camp next summer!
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