As a kid, I was never really the outdoor type. I hated getting dirty, and if I remember correctly, I even managed to avoid sitting directly on the ground for the most part of elementary. I really preferred to stay inside in the air conditioning to draw or read. The act of sweating was terrible with the way it felt as it dried on my skin and the thin film of grit it would leave behind. Even worse was the smell, as it would linger for what felt like hours after recess, and I guess the humidity so common to Louisiana weather didn’t help with that either.

So while the other kids would run outside to the playground, I was content sitting inside the classroom and filling my head with fictional characters or doodling across the backs of my homework. As a result, I grew up pretty introverted and only had a handful of friends. I didn’t see my peers outside of class except for accidentally bumping into them at the local grocery store, and I definitely didn’t schedule sleepovers or playdates with anyone. I was alone in a sense and was by no means ready to be thrust into a social atmosphere like summer camp.

Around the same time, my parents thought it would be best for me to change schools, and I guess as an 11-year-old it had, so far, been the greatest tragedy to occur in my life. I was being uprooted from a place I knew and was taken away from the few friends that I had managed to make over several years. I was afraid and insecure and unable to voice any of my concerns. Amidst this, my mom would occasionally mention camp--King's Camp in particular. She didn't know much about it besides what she had heard from her clients, but I wasn't really interested in anything like it to begin with. Like I said earlier, outside was not my thing, and I had other things on my mind.

I eventually realize that my mom's pretty serious about signing me up for camp, and although summer hadn't even started, I had already begun to dread it. I knew of maybe two people who would be there, not even well, and I was under no circumstance ready to be away from my family for an entire week. To say the least, I was terrified. Terrified of what the other kids would think of me, if I would embarrass myself, how I would make friends – looking back, I think I had some serious social anxiety that summer, but I put on a brave face for my family and told them how excited I was.

When June finally rolls around, I pack way too many things in a suitcase too big for my slight frame to carry. In addition to the normal clothes and bedding and toiletries on a packing list, I carried with me a notebook, a pen and my KJV Bible. Now before this point in my life, I had only a general understanding of Christianity. I knew the stories and teachings everyone received in Sunday School as a child. I knew that Jesus had died on the cross for me. I knew that by doing this He had freed me from sin and death. I did and said all that I was supposed to and what was expected of me – but what I didn’t do is understand. Nothing up till that point had truly resonated within me, and my ‘Christian walk’ was just me going through the motions.

Now I’m not really sure how to tell this next part of my life story, but I guess I can start with what should be very obvious.

King’s Camp changed my life.

I showed up to camp grounds feeling a swirl of emotions, mostly anxious and scared, and at the end of the week I left crying – sad because I couldn’t spend the rest of my life there. That summer, for the first time I think, I had a real genuine experience with Christ. And after attending plenty of other ‘Christian camps’ since then, I can still confidently say that King’s Camp provides a sincere experience unrivaled by any other. And I almost hesitate to say experience because I don’t want you to assume that the camp experience ends at the end of the week. The staff, the directors, the counselors – they all strive to show you how to live in and through Christ every other day of the year. So while the memory of camp has blurred and faded into the past and you don’t quite remember what activities were your favorite or who the speaker was that week, you will always remember feeling truly loved and truly cared for. And besides that, having possibly one of the best times of your life, making life-long friends, conquering fears and coming home to only start counting down till the next summer.

Whether you fish off the pier, canoe on King’s Lake, or climb 40 ft in the air to conquer a ropes course, you will undoubtedly experience Christ in some way, shape, or form. If you ride horses, make bracelets and paint in the art room, or hit a bullseye at the archery range, you will undoubtedly see Christ in a new light – a part of your daily life.

Over the years, I have returned again and again to grow and learn, not only in my walk with Christ but also as a person. I have made many friends, learned many things, and become part of a camp family that I can’t imagine doing life without.

I’m 19 now, and this summer I’ll be returning for my second year as a camp counselor. If you want your child to have possibly the greatest summer ever, grow and make friends, become part of a community that cares and loves for each other, then send them to King’s Camp.

You won’t regret it.