Connecting with faith at camp

Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp was excited to celebrate 60 years of camp over the past season. It was a season of seeing new things that the Lord is doing, and reflecting on all that he has done over the past 60 years.

When I reflect back on the summer, there is an overall feeling of gratefulness. In particular, I think of staff who connected with faith for the first time, and the lasting impact that camp’s ministry has had on their lives.

J.B., a cabin leader, reflects on their time at camp: “My experience at Hidden Acres is one that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Having the opportunity to be part of this community of staff who work so hard to provide campers with an environment where they can make new friends and be their genuine self is one that I will be eternally grateful for.

“I remember the nervous feelings I had going into my first week of camp. But after getting a chance to get to know my campers, I knew that this is where I was meant to be.

“Camp has done more for my own personal growth than I can ever imagine. If someone told my highschool self that I would be performing while dressed up as a grandma, or singing worship songs, I would’ve thought they were lying. But being part of a staff team always working to uplift each other helped me come out of my own shell.

“Camp has helped me learn much more about myself and has also helped me begin reconnecting with my own faith. After spending so many years feeling disconnected from that aspect of my life, spending the summer learning about faith has left me curious about what place God has in my life, and has inspired me to seek out the answer to that question after the summer was over.

“My time at Hidden Acres is something I wouldn’t trade for anything, and the opportunity to come back for even one week of future summers is something I hope I’m blessed with again.”