Camp Highlight Stories
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BOYS CAMP - SECTIONAL CAMPFIRE |
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A Frontiersmen camper came to camp with no previous experience with Christianity. This was a source of much concern for him, since he knew Pioneer was a Christian camp. He was not opposed to learning about God, but was very nervous and hesitant about asking faith-related questions. As the session went on, however, he really opened up to learning new things and asking great questions about creation and the significance of Jesus dying on the cross. It was clear that he was really interested and that God was at work in his life. During the session at one of the sectional campfires, he committed his life to Jesus. |
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GIRLS CAMP - ON FIRE FOR GOD |
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Part of my role was leading a Bible study for pilgrim campers. This year I am now affiliated with the Port section, and during second session I had 3 girls I had 2 years ago in the same small group. It was amazing to see how in those 2 years their attitude towards bible study had changed from completely uninterested to very interested. It was as if they were completely different girls. They are on fire for God. When I asked what brought about this change one of the girls replied that there was something about Pioneer that caused her to feel God in a way much different than outside camp… her words were “ the staff have a love that I know doesn’t come from them, and I want that in my life”.. Girls Camp Volunteer. |
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ADVENTURE CAMP - LITTLE VOICES |
One night at an “All Camp campfire” when we had a campfire built on the water and all the kids sitting along the beach, our program director invited the kids to close in a popcorn prayer. Kids had done this in their chalet groups before, but never in a large group setting with over 120 campers and 70 staff. The prayer time was introduced by saying, “I know you’re all spread out way across the beach right now, so I just want to you know that if you start praying at the same time as someone else, that’s okay. You can just keep going. God can listen to more than one prayer at a time”.
Suddenly there were 120 tiny little voices all started praying at the same time. Little voices carried over the water with prayers to Jesus.
“Thank you for my parents”. “Thank you for pets”. “Thank you that you died for us”. “Thank you for swimming lessons”. “Thank you for my leader”. “Thank you for Jesus”. “Thank you that you love me”. “Thank you for stars”.
It was a mystical, amazing, mysterious, beautiful moment. All of the kids sat with heads bowed and hands together on their laps (as they were instructed to do before we started praying) and all of the leaders worshiped God and raised their eyes to look at each other in awe and amazement of what we were witnessing. More than 100 prayers from little voices of little people offered up to God at once. |
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Children with Exceptionalities - That's Okay |
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A young woman with an extremely rare syndrome attended camp this summer. Her body lacks an enzyme to break down complex sugars. As a result, the sugars are slowly attacking her brain. She can no longer talk, perform any personal care and will very soon no longer be able to walk. She has a very low cognitive ability. A young boy of 8 at camp was mesmerized by this young woman. He always wanted to be with her and asked a lot of questions about her. One day he asked her leader if she was able to understand what people were saying. Her leader said that mostly she could not. This young eight year old boy became very serious, looked directly at her and said, “That’s okay, a lot of times grown ups say things to me and I don’t understand them either, but I do know that Jesus loves me and loves you too!” |
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BOYS CAMP - A SUNSET TO REMEMBER |
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A Voyageur camper who went out on the 5-Day Canoe Trip during the second week of 4th session. One evening he took out a canoe by himself, and sat just off-shore watching the sunset. Once back at Boys’ Camp he told his chalet leader that watching that sunset had been the first time he had truly seen God’s hand in all of creation, and that in that moment he had asked God to come and be a part of his life! |
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ADVENTURE CAMP - CHALET DEVOTIONALS |
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In Discovery (ages 5-6) one little girl asked her leader what heaven was like during chalet devotion time. Her leader (who was very animated and warm with bright red hair and a huge smile) started to describe heaven. She said, “Heaven is where God is. It is the most beautiful place you can imagine. Everyone is kind there, everyone is friends with each other, everyone is happy.” The little tiny girl responded, “So is it like Camp?” |
One camper who arrived was coming from a very difficult situation at home. We had high hopes that he would enjoy the week but were prepared for him to act out in a violent manner given the background we were provided with. From all accounts, he had an incredible week at camp and sent the following email to his section head upon his return home:
Camp was so well done. It looked hard for you guys to pull it off but you pulled off more then I expected! Fuel was an intense-growing rush of things to do and happiness everyday for me. I wont forget any event! Hope things are all well and just saying Hi. Most importantly I met Jesus here. Next year’s far too long to wait. |
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Three young boys came for the last week of the summer that had come to Canada as refugees. Two were Islamic and the other grew up Muslim but was no longer practicing. When they first arrived at camp they were very apprehensive and unsure about what camp was all about. When we started bible study with them that week we weren’t sure what to expect, but slowly they began to be interested, asked a lot of questions and were very engaged. One of the boys in particular was especially interested and asked a LOT of questions. Towards the end of the week he made a decision to follow Christ! |
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Genesis - Take This Bible |
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During session 1 we have a very diverse bunch of teens. There was a young man who kept asking question after question about Jesus and who he was and what he did and why he did it. During the week I had the opportunity to pray with him and have him ask Jesus to be a part of his life. We ended up giving him a Bible to take home to read. |
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BOYS CAMP - LEARNING ABOUT GOD |
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A young man who came to camp this summer who didn’t really know anything about God when he arrived at Camp. When he first arrived at Camp he didn’t quite know what to make of everything; particularly the community and the way in which people were so friendly and how staff cared for the campers so much. Over the course of the session it was clear that he was learning about God, and some of the campers from his chalet were praying that God would work in his life. At the worship night he went outside to pray by himself. Later on that night he came and told his chalet-mates that he had prayed that Jesus would come and be a part of his life and that he might receive forgiveness. It was amazing to see God speak into his life and it was very encouraging for the campers who had been praying for him that week as well. |
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Girls Camp - First Bible Study |
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While leading Bible study in the third session, I had a camper who had just received a bible from her pastor. After our first Bible study, I asked her if she had read any of the books in the Bible yet, and she hadn’t yet but she was really interested. Throughout the rest of the session, she and I read four books of the Bible, and she learned the value of journaling while reading the Bible. When she left at the end of the session, she asked me to write out some more interesting books that she could read, and gave me her mailing address. I sent her a letter in session 4 to encourage her to continue reading her Bible. She decided to come back in session 5 and she was excited to tell me that she got my letter and was still reading her Bible. |
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Campers with Exceptionalities - This is Important |
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A young girl with Down syndrome attended camp. She loves camp and loves being a camper. Each night around 3:00am she woke up. On night number three I was awakened by her tapping my arm and saying, “Wake up. This is really important. It’s the ABC’s – Admit, Believe and Choose to follow Jesus. This is important, we need to do this.” She was choosing to wake me up in the middle of the night to share what she had learned in bible study that day because she knew that it was really important and she was right. We prayed and asked Jesus to come into her heart. This is why I love camp. |
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BOYS CAMP - AUTHENTIC UNDERSTANDING |
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The response of the Leadership Team to our collective reading of Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer was very exciting. God was clearly at work in people’s lives drawing guys to a deeper, more authentic, and more Christ-centered understanding of what it means to be in community and to live life in Christ. Guys took big steps and were prepared to be honest and transparent with one another in their desire to see God work within our community. We all felt that God met us this summer and it was very exciting to see and be a part of. Many guys experienced life-altering transformation this summer as a result of what God was doing. |
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WOMENS MINISTRIES - GREAT PROGRESS |
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Last autumn at a weekend one woman came to me and spoke of the way in which her intense outbursts of anger were destroying her relationships – especially with her husband. We talked and prayed and this winter – over emails because of distance – we have been working on the issues that were disturbing her – including some very intense Bible studies and personal questions. She has allowed me into her life. There has been great progress, but a month ago there was a huge breakthrough as she wrote to tell me of an experience the day before where she had been able to bring every person she was angry with to the foot of the cross and hear Jesus say “Father forgive them.” She told me ‘if Jesus could forgive them, then I knew I could and must. She has truly been changed since then. |
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