Author: Kim Kent

I am so very thankful for the Helper’s of People week that I was able to take.  I went back to camp this year as a counselor but not as a kids counselor-I went as a middle school counselor.  I must admit I was just a tad bit nervous to be an 8th grade girls counselor.  Originally I had not planned on going to camp this year.  I told myself that I would only go IF they needed counselors and guess what they still needed counselors at the parent meeting in early May.  So that was my sign to say, Okay I am going to camp.  Thankfully, the other counselor, Cara, that was with me just happen to be a friend of mine as well as a junior high teacher.

Once at camp we met our girls in our cabin and the hustle and bustle of camp began.  I enjoy camp because it is a time to witness the younger generation worship and let down their guards they are all slowly and quietly building up throughout the year.  Camp is also a time for me to slow down and not worry about the everyday, but to refocus and have more conversations than normal with God.

From the moment I walked out of the cabin each morning my glasses fogged up-gotta love the humidity.  Days were fill with games, free time, worship, family group Bible study, evening service, and finally coming back to the cabin with 15 teenage girls.  There was a lot of eye-rolling and huffing, but I would not trade it for anything because the message each day was powerful and to see the message through their eyes was very worth a sweat filled week.

Of course I did get to see my own child at camp as well.  He would find me after each meal and ask for money for candy and ice cream at the store-yep that is definitely why enjoys having me go to camp.  My trade-off is seeing him worship with his friends and not caring who is watching.

One of the best lines I picked up from camp was: “The Bible and God’s word is like deodorant.  It does not work unless you do”……yes this is odd but I do have a middle-school aged boy who let’s just admit does not smell the best a lot of times.  This was a great description and really caught their attention.

The week flew by.  I do enjoy camp greatly, but I so enjoy coming home to my own bed!

First, I wanted to say thank you to Kris and the Board of Directors for allowing me to take this past week and serve with kid’s camp, Camp Bonita, through Beltway Park Church.

I must say this past week was amazing. I have enjoyed going to camp in the past but I think this time was the best, not only for the kids but for me as well. It was a time to refocus my attention on God and not all the crazy of everyday life. I was able to walk side by side with numerous counselors while leading a group high spirited 5th grade girls. I started off Monday morning getting myself and my son, who is also a 5th grader, to the church for counselor check-in at 6:30. Once all kids were checked in and accounted for we were off to Bonita Park Camp in NM on seven charter buses.

Once there we could get settled into our rooms before activities began. The 5th grade girls cabin is a little over a quarter of a mile up a mountain….my legs and lungs screamed at me a lot this week!
The theme for camp was God is for me. The theme seemed very fitting because a lot of times it is hard to believe that God is for you all the time. Going through daily lessons with our group of girls opened my eyes to the struggles that so many kids are going through. Being able to pray over these children and show them they are truly loved is the absolute best feeling. I enjoyed watching the campers worship the Lord the way we all should all of the time no matter who is watching or our situation.
Daily activities included color war, paintball, zipline, leap of faith, crafts, and much more. We had great food with little down time, which was great with me, a lot of walking and little to no connection to the outside world, which was also great with me.  By the time Friday morning came everyone was tired and ready to get back home.  I was a little sad to leave the mountain views, but I was ready to get back to my own bed.

Being at camp with these kids had made miss teaching on Sunday mornings. Eventually, my schedule will allow the teaching time again and I look forward to that.
This I know, that God is for me….
Psalm 56:9

Last week I attended Camp Bonita kids camp with my church Beltway Park for the first time.  I have been involved with children’s ministry for four years and each year I have thought about attending but never pursued it much further then just thinking about it.  I am so glad I finally decided to go.  The week was amazing!

Monday morning started out early since counselors needed to be at the church at 6:30 a.m. for a wonderful bus ride.  Once we arrived at camp in New Mexico things moved rather fast.  I, along with two other women and two junior counselors, were counselors for a group of 3rd grade girls.  Altogether between the five of us we had 13 girls to look after for the week.  I must say we had a group of great dance party loving prankster little girls.  This trip was special for me because my son was attending Camp Bonita for the first time as well.  I was able to see him throughout the trip.

The week was planned with scheduled activities to keep the kids busy but the best part, besides worship time, was the small group devotionals and down time.  This is the time where the girls were able to bond and share their stories about God and life with each other.  It is so much fun to view life through a child’s eyes and to watch them worship the Lord like no one is watching.  All-in-all camp was amazing, fast but long at the same time, and a growing experience for me.  I went in feeling way out of my comfort zone.  By mid week I had prayed over a few little girls and all my worries had been taken away I knew I was where I was suppose to be.  By the last night I was ready for my own bed, but I wanted to stay longer as well.

I am grateful for the experience and will definitely be going back to camp in future years!