Summer Camp

In a few short days my family and I will be going to summer camp. We'll be there all summer long, and for me, the excitement is mounting, along with the sheer terror of tackling the unknown. Let me back-track....

This has been nothing short of the fulfillment of a life-long dream for my husband and me. We actually met at this same camp in 1993, so it holds a special meaning for us. After a year long courtship, we married the following summer, and have always hoped and prayed that one day we would be able to have a camping ministry. It would take almost 15 years for that dream to become a reality in the very camp that started it all, Camp Pinnacle near Albany, NY. After meeting with the new camp director and his wife last year, we began seriously praying about becoming a part of the ministry. In a strange coincidence, the summer camp ministry director we were replacing just happened to be Bill's old baseball coach. Through emails with him and the directors, we slowly saw the Lord's plan begin to take shape.

The camp itself is nothing short of spectacular. It was founded in the early 1900's as a Christian girls' retreat and has since grown to include boys, horseback riding, archery, skateboarding, low and high ropes, running, swimming, fishing, atv's, paintball, a gym, a conference center and some incredible acreage on the top of a beautiful mountain in the Helderbergs. The gorgeous natural setting provides a backdrop for real ministry in the lives of the campers and staff members. This camp has always been God's work, and he has allowed us to be a part of it!

So here's where my fears set in. What an amazing burden it is to be in charge of a summer program that could be the first time someone has an opportunity to become a Christian! What if I'm not good enough at witnessing, mentoring, leading.... etc.? What if I mess this up? It's almost too good to believe that I'm going back there, so I'm afraid that something must go wrong. There has to be a catch.

Luckily for me, there is not much time for me to fret and worry. We are busily packing and tying up loose ends before leaving. I know that my part of this awesome ministry is not what matters, it's God's plan and he's going to work it out through the people he's called to work there. I'm just so thankful he's called me.