Covenant Camp Journey

Our goal is to help out in the freedom school in Mount Zion Methodist Church in Longdale. With a lot of courage and inspiration, I couldn’t wait. However, when I reached the church, I entered a comprehensive state of shock; I couldn’t believe my eyes. The freedom school was burned down. As a devoted Christian, I couldn’t believe that someone would burn down a church, the place of God! I stood there

City Youth is a non-profit organization in downtown Jonesboro that provides programming for youth in Jonesboro. This semester I had the privilege of volunteering my time to further their vision of “developing Christ followers while building strength, wisdom and character in young people.” (“Mission and Vision,” 2001) As an after school and summer program, City Youth reaches children who would be engaged in little to no activity if they did not attend this facility. Throughout this experience, I discovered the emotional benefits of participating in physical activities with Jonesboro’s youth.

My youth was devoted to being an example and role model for my family. Something I could never accomplish if not for the summer after my father left. We were invited to a summer camp where I gave my life to Christ. It was only with His help and the guidance of my pastor that I was able to carry such a load at a young age. It wasn’t until I was away at college, that I met and counseled with a new pastor, that I realized I was carrying a burden that should never have been mine to

I rode down the road with anticipation as many thoughts and questions raced through my mind. Scared to death, I tried to suppress these thoughts and gather up all the courage I had within myself because we were almost to our destination. What would this experience be like? What exactly would I be doing? I was in unknown territory in Louisville, Kentucky, where I knew no one except for the other members of my youth group. “Okay everyone, we are almost there. Gather up all your stuff you need. Make sure you leave all valuables on the bus,” I heard my youth pastor say. He continued, “No name tags and do not tell anyone your full name. Not even the children.” My eyes got wide as soon as I heard this, and I wondered what in the world I had gotten

Three years ago I went to the Cumberland mountains of Tennessee. June came more quickly than I had planned. Before I knew it, it was time to go on my mission trip. Twelve hours of driving seemed like it took forever. During that twelve hour drive, I thought a lot about what I had imagined the week would be like. I knew it would take hard work and an open mind. Those twelve hours finally came to an end, we were in the mountains of Tennessee. I had mixed emotions that was going through as we settled into our cabins and looked around the camp site. It was definitely overwhelming when more church groups arrived, but I had to keep in mind that I needed to have an open mind about the week. Monday morning came in a flash. We fueled up with breakfast before we

We discussed problems that were going on in the world like school shootings and killings; we talked about these events and how we felt about them. In this meeting we discussed not only about the outing but we got to share something about ourselves. The purpose of this meeting was to talk about previous events and goals for the upcoming outing at the York Convention Center. I came here to interview one of the leaders of prison ministry and to get her input on what was prison ministry to her. Our goal during the meeting was to find a scripture in the bible that the children could relate to in their lives.

On a sunny, steamy summer day in mid-July, as I passed under a bronze archway reading Rocky River Ranch, little did I know what the future held. Camp life was a 180-degree turn from the peace and quiet I was used to in my calm home. Being an only child from a household with two loving parents, my life lacked conflict. As a shy, introverted person I quickly had to adapt to a place full of endless chatter, interaction, and wacky songs. I was nervous about my ability to make such a difficult transition, but the love and positivity abound at camp simplified the shift.

Sitting in church on a cold Sunday in January, the hair on the back of my neck stood up as my pastor preached a sermon that, for once, made me feel like she was speaking directly to me. I’m not an extremely religious person; I don’t go to church every Sunday or pray at night before I go to sleep. I just go through the motions. But this time was different. “The time we spend in between leaving home and finding our way back home is where people gain the ability to grow into their full potential.” Those words spoke to me, and I was reeled in, just like the rest of the congregation, wondering what our Pastor was going to say next.

Nine years ago, my parents dropped me off at overnight camp for the first time ever. Wow, nine years ago… that’s just hard to think about. Anyways, I do not remember much about that first summer, but it must have been fun because I came back the next summer, then again, and again, and again, and again, and, while, you get the point. I really liked it there. Back then, I would not have been able to explain what I loved about camp so much. I would have said something like “my great friends” or “all the sports we play,” but now I understand it means so much more than that. If I was to explain all the memories I made on that hillside throughout my seven year career as a camper, this essay would be well over 650 words, so I will refrain from doing so. Instead, I will talk about my transition from camper to counselor and how it helped me realize the importance of giving back.

There are pictures of me on Facebook at the closing worship service before going home from every year I was a camper; since 2012 my face was red and puffy from my mourning of the adjournment of a supportive and welcoming community. Gradually, as my understanding of my faith deepened, I found myself looking up to my counselors and decided I would be a counselor when I got older.

Dad came up from the airport on the second of June. He told stories about his travel down in Texas and God forging the way- and in between how he regrets staying in Indiana for so long. He told us how he found a great charismatic church with a rowdy crowd and the healing rooms. We packed into the trucks and dad lead a prayer in front of the house. We knew we had a day’s worth of journey down to Texas with only a break at a hotel paid for by spare change. This would be the makeshift vacation for the

(The last suitcase was shoved into the back of the bus, and our next stop would be Winchester, Virginia.) My youth group and I were headed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a mission trip. We would be involved with a program called P-2 mission, which partnered us with a local church, Calvary Christian. During the day we would be doing street outreach and during the night we would be hosting a Vacation Bible School. There was an urgency to have this church up and running because the community around it was crumbling. The church itself was located in a shanty town. Violence was on the rise and the community was in desperate need of a strong foundation. The corruption was spreading so rapidly that the church’s basketball court was becoming a place where sexual predators would prey on young children.

I became involved in camp counseling three years ago after joining my local 4-H and Federation clubs, both of which have presented me with exceptional opportunities to become involved in my community. I had two main motives for joining these clubs: to become a more outgoing and profound leader, and to give back to those who have helped me

When I decided to volunteer for Crossroads Corporation, I was prepared to inspire the lives of children in need. However, I was not ready for the emotional and spiritual journey that was about to transpire. Voices for Girls focused on using religion, arts and crafts, and other activities to empower students to confront daily problems. Several girls’ lives were full of obstacles, not to mention the pressure of meeting societal norms. I was surprised to learn how one young lady overcame problems with a free and religious spirit. The perception of issues was either I can overcome my problems or will I allow problems to get the best of me. As I met each student, they shared stories about all of the voids in their life, not having a father and

When I was in 7th grade, there was an unbelievable program offered at our school called C5. The five-year program was to teach young, potential but economically-unstable people how to become more independent and how to become an exceptional leader. In order to get accepted, I filled out an application, gained teacher recommendations, wrote an essay about an adversity I overcame and went to an interview. This vigorous process took over three months, and I was restless and eager for their answer. When I received my application form in the mail, I roared louder than an airplane and sprinted around the house thousands of times. Needless to say, I was ecstatic as I thought that the program would transform my life forever, academically and personally. One part of the C5 program includes a 26-day summer camp in the lush green mountains of northwestern Georgia. When the time came, I was ready to go on an adventure.