It was rest period. The counselor informed the campers in her tent that the first half of the period (about 20 minutes) was a time to just lie down and be quiet. They could, however, read their Bibles during that time.

One camper objected; she was an admitted Harry Potter addict who brought her books to camp. But through the patient encouragement of her counselor, she spent her rest period, and not just the first half, reading her Bible. As the week progressed, she excitedly shared the stories she was reading with her counselor and other campers in her unit.

It is an awesome experience to observe counselors leading their campers with skill and passion in their emotional and spiritual journeys. For many camp staff, it is their first experience as mentor and guide for young children. They are the first line of support for campers when there is a skinned knee or bruised feelings. But at the end of the day, counselors have the privilege of leading worship with their unit of five to eight campers.

One night, as everyone was getting ready for bed, a camper asked her counselor to tell her what it was like when she was a teenager. The counselor shared some of the struggles she faced, and how God has been her constant Guide and Savior.

In the boys' village, counselors gather together just outside the tents after the campers are in bed and share their burdens for their campers. Then they gather in a huddle, arms around each other, praying for the young boys in their charge.

At times, teen campers want to find out where the limits are, and seek creative and obnoxious ways to discover just how far they can push their counselor. One day, a camper came to her counselor and said "I am amazed that you don’t yell at us." You wonder what it is like for her at home. Could it be that for her camp is a place where it is safe?

In the context of nature, fun, games, and activities, meaningful relationships are built. Young campers bond with staff members whose passion is to lead them to Jesus. Is it any wonder that last summer over 70 percent of the campers who came to Camp Wakonda chose to give their hearts to Christ, and 20 percent chose to study in preparation for baptism?

What’s so special about camp? Is it the newest activity that is the craze? Is it the friends who spend a week together once a year? Is it the swimming, skiing, and horseback riding? Is it the evening campfire? Yes, but it’s much more. It’s an opportunity for campers to see the love of Jesus portrayed in the lives of a dedicated staff.

For more information, check out our website: www.wakonda.org, or call (608) 241-5235 and ask for Aileen.

Mike Edge is the Wisconsin Conference youth director.

Blind Camp: July 3–10 (Ages 9–65)

Junior Camp: July 10–17 (Ages 8–10)

Tween Camp: July 17–24 (Ages 10–12)

Teen Camp: July 24–31 (Ages 13–16)

Family Camp: July 31–Aug. 7 (All ages)