I grew up in a sports-driven household. We loved the Lord more, but we loved sports too. We watched games, went to games, scheduled events around games, and generally speaking, had an awesome time together in the arena of sports.
I was not a camp person. I went to Camp Maranatha when I was in the 4th grade and cried to come home on night one. I went to Maywood in the 5th grade and stayed all week, but declared I would never go to camp again when I got home. I went to Maywood in the 10th and 11th grades and enjoyed my experience (sort of), but it did not make a lasting impact on me.
In February of 2002, Rachael and I started dating and she informed me that one of her ‘non-negotiables’ was a trip every summer to the outskirts of the booming metropolis of Jasper, Alabama to a church camp. I informed her “I am not a camp person” to which she replied, “Well you had better learn to be”. As summer drew closer, I went back in my mind to my disastrous stints at Maranatha and, to a lesser degree, Maywood. I determined I would hate this camp like the others and simply beg to go back home.
What I did not expect is that 24 years later, I am finishing my third year as a director and would not dream of being anywhere else during this week of the summer. With the only exceptions being COVID and one year where I had to leave early due to viral meningitis, my family and I have spent this week growing and enjoying Indian Creek Youth Camp.
Why write this lengthy post? Because we have numerous families with kids from ages newborn to 19 who would greatly benefit from giving this week a try. You say you are not a camp person? I believe you! But I also know that my spiritual walk has been forever changed because of a little dot on a map in the tree-washed wilderness of Walker County and I will never apologize for wanting to see that happen in the lives of others.
Thank you to the entire congregation for your continued support of this incredible place and to our families — just give me one year and see if it does not change you for the better.
-SW