Camp Changed Me!

As I arrived at my first camp in 2014, I did not know what to expect. Although I thought I had some idea of what it would be like after reading the Ambassador Youth magazine, it felt different being there in person.

I timidly made it through the first day of camp.

On the second day, I decided to ask one of the experienced campers how she became so good at communicating. She said something I will never forget: “Camp changed me.”

At that moment, I realized that if I really wanted to experience all the things I had read about in the magazine—making everlasting friends, having wonderful and memorable moments, learning teamwork, and growing spiritually—I would have to come out of my comfort zone.

One of the experiences I remember most from that first year was when our Pastor General Mr. David Pack came to visit during dinner. After I finished eating, I stood up to take my tray away and fell.

There was food everywhere. My tray crashed almost right in front of Mr. Pack. I stood up feeling very embarrassed, but, to my great surprise, it was as if the campers were somehow ready for it to happen.

Immediately, some started sweeping and mopping. One of the staff hugged me and said it happens to everyone. She also told me a story about how she fell during a special formal dinner.

I had never experienced anything like that before. That kind of love was very, very surprising to see.

This year is my third and last as a camper. Knowing this made me sad at first. However, toward the end of the two weeks, I realized that graduating from camp is not bad. I can always return as a staff member and share the things I learned from my previous years in a greater way.

As an 18-year-old, I know I have to start making decisions that determine my future. I have always seen life after baptism as a time to be serious, study hard in school, and find a job.

Yet the lectures at camp helped change my thinking. Yes, I do have to take life seriously. But now I know that God’s Way is not boring. It should be fun and fulfilling!

Camp helped me learn important lessons to prepare me for adulthood, including…

Communication: At camp, there are team-building exercises through which campers are taught to always communicate with each other.

One activity that helped me do this was the 2016 canoe trip. My partner and I worked hand-in-hand by telling each other which way to go, when to turn, and when to stop. This helped us throughout the trip: we did not get stuck on anything—except for the rocky shallows in the middle of the river—which were unavoidable.

We both found success because we stayed on the same page the entire time. We had so much fun as a result!

Another way camp helped me develop communication skills was through giving speeches.

Hearing the word “speech” normally makes people feel nervous and scared. At camp, however, you feel different because everyone is there to show you love no matter what. Realizing this allowed me to be more comfortable talking to people of different ages.

When I return home, I am confident I will be able to communicate better with my parents, at school, and in all day-to-day activities.

Encouraging others: In the world, making a mistake while playing a sport leads to harsh words being thrown at you.

But since my first camp, my whole view toward sports has changed. I learned to enjoy these activities because of the love and support I received while doing them—whether I was good at them or not.

By encouraging others, we can help them to change their attitudes toward physical activities as well.

For instance, one time, a girl camper was very scared to go ziplining. When it was time to go on it, I told her to keep her eyes open so that she could land properly.

We continued to cheer her on, and she went. She was able to overcome her fear. This experience will always help me remember how important encouragement is to others.

Spiritual growth: There are a lot of fun activities at camp to keep campers busy every day. But there are also a lot of inspiring lectures given to guide us. They help us learn how to strengthen our relationships with God.

Since this is God’s camp, we are taught to honor Him by keeping the grounds clean. The lectures help us to continue to live God’s Way even after camp so we do not fall into wrong habits.

Looking out for others: During my first year, I did not really care for other campers’ property. Whenever a camper misplaced or forgot his or her item, such as a water bottle, we had to run laps.

My second year, I learned to overcome this lax attitude.

At first, my motivation was that I did not want to run. But as camp continued, I realized it was not just about avoiding running, but it was about having concern and looking out for others. From then on, when I saw someone’s belongings, such as their nametag or sweatshirt, and the camper that owned it was not there, I took responsibility for it by returning it to their owner.

As a result of this, during AYC 2015, I felt more comfortable. I knew it was the right place to be. I viewed the new campers like visitors in my home and felt responsible for making sure they were comfortable.

At God’s camp, there is brotherly love over all. Everyone looks out for their spiritual siblings!

To this effect, I made sure to meet each new camper. I worked with older campers who had been there previously to ensure new arrivals felt at ease. It made the overall camp experience that much better!

Respect for authority: At camp, all the girls are in one bunkhouse and female staff stay there as well. With all the ladies in one place, it can get very noisy. But we learn to respect the staff and appreciate them. When they ask us to be quiet, we settle down and acknowledge them because they are there to help us.

The administrators remind us that the staff sacrifice their time to make sure that campers are comfortable.

And because I have learned more respect for others at camp, I appreciate my parents more. I am grateful for what they do for me. I also better appreciate those teaching us and serving the Church in my congregation.

Learning all of these qualities has helped me develop character, manners, love, good posture, orderliness, and so much more. I will need these qualities to succeed in adulthood, which I am entering soon.

My three years at camp were all special and memorable to me. In the end, I echo the words that the older camper told me three years ago, “Camp changed me!”