It was a beautiful Sabbath morning at Camp Au Sable. As a counselor, I have come to realize that while I have an impact on my campers, they also have an impact on me.
Today would be no different. One of my junior campers was unusually quiet. While our cabin was working on a Sabbath poster outdoors, she went off to sit by herself. Wondering what might be wrong, I followed and sat beside her on a bench. We had a perfect view of the sun, shining on the sand and the sparkling lake. A tiny chipmunk scurried past us.
“Are you doing okay?” I asked.
She nodded.
“I was just thinking,” she said quietly.
“About what?” I gently questioned her.
“I was thinking about Heaven,” she said. “What is it like?”
I quickly sent a prayer heavenward for words to help her find the answer she was looking for. How could I ever describe Heaven?
“Do you know anything about Heaven?” I asked.
“No,” she stated.
As I thought about how to answer her, I picked up a partially dead leaf on the ground at our feet and showed it to her.
“Do you see this dead leaf?” I said, handing it to her.
She nodded.
“Well, in Heaven nothing will ever die. Heaven is a perfect place, where you won’t ever be sad or lonely. And the best part is that Jesus will be there.” Hoping I had said enough to satisfy her, I quieted.
She sat silently for a little while and then responded softly, “I don’t know what Heaven is like, but I hope it is just like Camp Au Sable.”
I didn’t know what to say. In that one sentence, she summed up my whole purpose for being at camp—to help kids develop a relationship with Jesus and to give them a little taste of Heaven on Earth. I realized for the first time that while Heaven is a tangible place, it can also be experienced here because where Jesus is, there is Heaven.
Come, explore the exciting possibilities waiting for you at Camp Au Sable—new friends, morning worship with our camp pastor, fun and interesting classes, go-carts, horses, and exciting water adventures. Not only do we have six weeks of youth camps, but we also have four family camps.
Our theme this summer is "Seek FIRST the Kingdom." Plan to come to Camp Au Sable and together we can "Seek FIRST the Kingdom." Register online at
www.campausable.org or call Lyn White at (517) 316-1570 if you have questions.
If you live in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and would like to attend Camp Sagola, please contact Pat Murphy at
pmurphy@misda.org or call him at (906) 249-3772.
Jenny Micheff, 2005 Camp Au Sable girls' director, is a senior at Andrews University, majoring in elementary education. Lyn White is the youth department secretary.
Camp Au Sable Dates
Adventurer Camp: June 12–19 (Ages 8–9)
Junior Camp: June 19–26 (Ages 1–11)
Tween Camp: June 26–July 3 (Ages 12–13)
Teen Camp: July 3–10 (Ages 14–16)
Specialty Camp: July 10–15 (Ages 10–16)
Family Camp I: July 17–24
Family Camp II: July 24–31
Family Camp III: July 31–Aug. 7
Mini Family Camp: Aug. 10–14
