“I would rather go on 5 GPs in a row than ever go to camp.”

I’ll be honest, when I first joined staff with Inter-Varsity, I prayed that I would never be sent to work at one of IV’s Pioneer Camps. I remember once boldly saying, “I would rather go on 5 GPs in a row than ever go to camp.” That changed this summer. I not only went and volunteered my time with one of IV’s summer camps, but chose to do so at the Rocky Mountain House site in Alberta at their Senior Girls Camp in July.

In addition to being a significant site for LIT, and Senior Boys and Girls camps; this camp is where MarkWEST is often hosted (a week-long scripture conference that is the Western field’s equivalent of City/Script). Many of my friends have worked and spent significant portions of their year at this camp, and I was struck by how familiar the site was based on their photos. I distinctly remember having feelings of having memories of a place at which I hadn’t spent time.

As a campus minister to University students, I was more than a little concerned that I would have difficulties working with girls aged 13-17. But, what ended up being the case was far from true! I was amazed that even in my support staff role at camp just how much time I got to interact and spend time with the campers.

My days were very full! I would start the day at 7:15 with a leaders meeting, then begin my day helping prepare and serve breakfast and lunch for the campers, then in the afternoon I would spend leading program blocks and following dinner I would help with technology needed for our evening program. In the midst of very busy days I got to have great points to connect and bond with fellow camp staff and campers.

Some of the highlights of my time at camp included:

• Reuniting with many of my friends who participated in the Global Partnership to Zambia in 2008, especially in their “home-turf” and getting to grow deeper in relationship with this common experience
• Working in the kitchen with an eclectic kitchen crew that consisted of men and women ranging from aged 14 to 77!
• Spending time with a group of welcoming, empowering, and affirming women of many generations!

I was inspired to go to camp after a conversation with my good friend Jenna, who impressed upon me the importance of the camp and campus connection, and instilled in me vision and excitement to be at camp. As an immigrant child of Asian descent, I’ve never experienced a “Canadian” sleepover camp, and so parts of camp were a little culture shocking for me, but I was struck by how many people kept checking in on me and making sure I was settling in well.

I didn’t expect to love camp as much as I did. By the second day, I already began brainstorming how I could come back next summer. I loved the staff, the campers, and the vision of camp, and really was excited to pursue further partnership between camp and campus ministry!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.