"Mom! I'm in a kayak!" echoed out from a boy in the middle of the lake. As I was lifeguarding for a recent retreat group, this one simple moment was an excellent reminder of the power of what can happen through experiences at Bear Creek Camp.
For this young person, getting into a kayak for the very first time was a big deal. He started out unsure of how to paddle, testing different grips, figuring out where in the water to position the blade, and generally going through trial and error that started with lots of circles, but eventually developed into an understanding of how to make the boat go where he wanted it to. He spent nearly two hours that afternoon experimenting and I even heard him giving some tips to other boaters.
As I helped him onto the shore, he was so proud to tell me "That was my first time on a boat and I was getting pretty good!" I gave a fist bump and told him that I was impressed with how much he had learned. And then he said, "I can't wait to do that again!"
This summer, our community will foster so many of those "I can't wait to do that again"-moments at the lake, on the high ropes course, in the arts & crafts room, while camping on an overnight, in bible study & worship, and in simply being away from home and building a new community of peers.
From summer staff to camper parents to church leaders to financial donors and of course our entire community of prayerful supporters, together we are creating opportunities for campers to try new things and to learn and experiment to grow their skills and expand their comfort zones.
We're looking forward to an incredible summer. Thanks for being part of our work together.
-Collin Grooms, Executive Director
