As my dad pulled up to this campground on a hill in Meredosia, I was freaking out. It was the summer of my 6th grade year and I had absolutely no idea what to expect out of this weekend summer camp. As we pulled up to the campground, people were jumping, screaming and running towards my car. I was terrified. I had wondered what I got myself in to. One of the counselors, scooped me up, grabbed my bags, and I was in for a ride that weekend. From that moment on, I started seeing the joy that camp had brought to people.
The people at the camp were so passionate about the arts, but they were more passionate about spreading the love and joy of Jesus Christ more than anything. One of the most amazing things about Performing Arts Camp is seeing the kids realize that they can praise God through any talent they possess. As a camper, you get to experience the performing aspects of music, drama, dance, art, puppets and mime. PAC is where I discovered my love for dance. I never thought I was very good at dance, but through PAC, I learned that dance was my God given talent that I will be forever grateful for. Small group time as a camper was one of the best parts of camp. During this time, I really got a deep understanding of God and how amazing He is. The counselors really poured into the lives of each camper and I’m forever grateful for that. My absolute favorite part of camp is altar time. This is where I came to the realization that this God guy was pretty freakin’ sweet and that I wanted Him in my life, so, that summer, I accepted Jesus into my life and my life now has been radically changed.
After PAC, I was on a “Jesus high.” I just wanted more camp, so I decided to go to go to Green Pastures’ week long summer camp, Fire In Our Hearts (FIOH). This camp was a little different than PAC. FIOH is more laid back, but just as amazing as PAC. During FIOH, the campers really drive in deep into the Bible all while having fun and praising God during different activates. I never thought one place could leave an impact on my life, but Green Pastures did. During FIOH, I not only discovered my love for worship, but I found my best friends along the way. The people at FIOH are some of the most caring, loving and kindest people I’ve ever met. One of my favorite parts of FIOH is the services. God does something powerful when many are gathered in His name, and that is very evident at FIOH. I’ve never experienced God in a more powerful way than at FIOH.
As a camper, all I ever wanted was to one day grow up, and be a counselor so I could pour into kids’ lives. Well, that dream came true. I’ve been blessed to be a counselor at PAC for seven years and a FIOH counsellor for five years now. I’ve had the opportunity to teach dance to many children and see their faces light up while doing the dance, I’ve poured into campers lives and I’ve seen many friendships blossom over the years I’ve been there. Green Pastures is practically my second home. Now that I’m older, I don’t get to go back to camp as often, but the joy of camp, the friendships, the memories, and the experiences with Jesus I’ve had will forever be in my heart.
