Have you ever been around people who were overly excited about taking a seat, saying a number, or eating lunch? Maybe you have heard people go by some of the most bizarre names and not seem to notice that it’s not socially acceptable to use names like “Guinea Pickle” or “Friend Fry” in the real world. If all of the previous are true, then it is safe to say you have had an encounter with someone who has been bitten by the Pine Cove bug.

Pine Cove, in a nutshell, is a summer camp, but it extends so far past what we envision when we think of “camp” that it is almost an injustice to even call it a “summer camp." Pine Cove is one of those special places that leaves an imprint on your heart that lasts far beyond the camp grounds.

"Pine Cove exists to be used by God to transform the lives of people for His purposes and His glory."

This mission statement is the heart and soul behind every single activity, song, Bible study and cheer that is done at Pine Cove. Everything done at camp can be tied to Jesus, and has a direct correlation to the whole reason why any of us are here: to share the good news of the Gospel. The slip and slide is no longer just a fun inflatable, but becomes a representation of how easily we stumble and fall and how we always are shown God’s grace and get to get back up again. Cheering about sanitizing our hands isn’t just so more campers get excited about killing those germs (even though it might be a little bit about that), but we cheer about nearly everything to amp the kids up! If kids get excited about washing their hands, then when we tell them the good news of Jesus, they are bound to be jumping off the walls! What we do in excess, campers do in moderation, so we continue to act insane, lose our voices, and never stop jumping, because it’s all for the sake of radiating His love, am I right?

Now, the reason any summer camp has ever been created was to attract and entertain the campers; without them, there would be no camp! Camp is there to draw kids in so they can play games, meet new people, and get a chance to experience something outside of home. What is so unique about Pine Cove is that campers are not the only priority; the staff is as well. A big saying around camp is that “Our staff is our program,” and Pine Cove takes the weight of sharing the gospel with people so seriously that they are constantly pouring into their staff to make sure they are properly equipped to speak identity into these campers and make a lasting impression on their lives. When you are given the responsibility of handling kids' physical, emotional and spiritual health, you quickly learn how little it ever is about you. After you spend all day, every day waking up well before the sun and running around with kids, you are humbled really quickly and realize your strength does not come from you... or else you would have been done after Week One. One thing that blew me away was the intentionality of each and every staff member. People get deep quickly and genuinely care about you in such a short amount of time. Whether it is moving luggage or assisting in a kid having a meltdown, you are never alone; someone always comes to the rescue. What a perfect picture of God's love for us; He will never forsake us and He is there to help with even the smallest detail because He cares that much.

This past summer, I was a counselor for children going into first through sixth grade, and every week, we spent time in Bible study solely teaching them about the Gospel. I was worried that, because I was working with smaller children and teaching the Gospel, I wouldn't learn anything new -- boy, was I wrong. We all become desensitized to the story of the Gospel because we have heard it so many times -- He died for us, we accepted Him into our hearts, and we are good to go and can move on, right? So easily we look past the cross and forget how amazing of a gift it is! What an eye opener it was to watch children receive the Gospel for the first time and see their excitement! God calls us to childlike faith, and what a better example then to see kids going nuts when they hear the good news of our Savior?

Growing up as a camper, it did not take long to recognize just how special Pine Cove is. The atmosphere is electric, and it is impossible not to experience God on those grounds. I thank you, Pine Cove, for giving me lasting relationships with past counselors and current coworkers who make camp what it is. I thank you for taking the time and effort into stretching and growing each of us in our walk with the Lord. I thank you for teaching us that what matters most is when you leave camp, and equipping us to share the word with drive and passion like never before. And lastly, I thank you Pine Cove (and Team E) for giving me the best summer of my life!

Sincerely,

Leah "How to Lose a Guy in One Bouquet" Doherty