Adventure Camp

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My son went to Adventure Camp last week, Sunday-Friday. It is the second year we have sent him to this camp in Georgia, three hours away from home. Cohutta Springs Youth Camp is operated by our denomination and, as such, we trust their hiring process and the staff they employ. In fact, we know from people we trust that the hiring process is highly selective.

The staff is a very energetic group of 18-22-year-old youth who choose to spend the summer making minimum wage while ministering to children ages 7-15. Sure, they have fun in the sun (and lake water) while they are at it, getting to socialize with people their age etc. But you know they are not there for the money. They want to make a difference in the lives of these kids.

Adventure Camp is for ages 7-9. They have four activities each day and each cabin rotates according to a pre-set schedule. For ages 10-13, the camp specializes in several different camps with a focus: horsemanship, photography, wakeboarding etc.

Adventure Camp

My son (second from the left) and his 11 cabin mates plus their counselor.

The cabins are nestled on a peninsula around a lake at Cohutta Springs Conference Center near Crandall, GA and the setting could not be more picturesque. Twelve kids to a cabin, plus one counselor. They have assistant directors, one for the girls, one for the boys. Then, there is a pastor who oversees the whole operation as Camp Director.

The meals are all vegetarian, with vegan options. The children are expected to clean their own cabin daily and to memorize Scripture every day. They have camp fires every night, and chapel every morning. My son loved it last year and he wanted to go back. Our daughter, who is only six this year, cannot wait for next year, when she is seven and can participate with her brother at the same time.


Thoughtful Thursday Week 26 – Summer Camp

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Our son attended Cohutta Springs Youth Camp in Crandall, GA for five days (and five nights). It was very difficult to be without him for me. I missed him a lot, especially the first day. Deciding to send him there was a God thing back in May, so now that it was all done and settled, I prayed harder for peace. Peace finally came, along with confirmations that he was having a wonderful time. One of the counselors happens to be our sitter and she texted me by the second day that he was doing well and enjoying his time there.

He really enjoyed himself there. Every day, each cabin experienced four activities from a list which included: archery, swimming, BMX, the blob (giant air-filled pillow floating on their lake), banana boat rides (two boats shaped like bananas, connected in the middle, three kids per side), creative arts (they painted ceramic turtles), canoeing, indoor sports in the gym on rainy days, and more. Each cabin had their own worship time in the morning and then, as a whole, the campers assembled for morning and evening worship.

They put pictures on their secure site for parents to look at and it was fun to look for our son’s lovely face every day. He did not appear in the slide shows every day, as they could not get all the kids in there. When we did spot him, it was such a strange feeling: our son, so far away, having fun and living life away from us for almost a week.

Children and counselor at Cohutta Springs Youth Camp

My son (Superman shirt) with friends plus their counselor

It is not exactly a good feeling, but I decided I was going to be brave and accept the cycle of life. Children grow up. Continue reading »