This past week, I was at Camp Caroline in the lovely state of North Carolina. Even though I didn’t get to see much of the state, I couldn’t have asked to be in a better location because the camp is located on the beautiful and legendary Dawson’s Creek (Yes, the one from that angsty teenage drama show). Being right on the sound provided many new opportunities and sights for me! Jellyfish and porpoises are common visitors in the water, but unfortunately I was never in the right place at the right time to catch one! Oh well…Camp Caroline is run by some of the regions finest individuals and the staff, counselors, and directors were phenomenal. The directors, Diane and Mallory were great! They had prepared so much material for us to use in small group and with their diligence, camp went off without a hitch! The staff were so welcoming and available to help anyone with anything.
The camp manager, Casey, was a special and recent addition to camp. The camp honored him this week by ordaining him “Minister of Camp Caroline” (with a tie-dye stoll) for his dedication to the success of the camp and for his love of being with so many disciples who come to camp to be revived in their faith and beliefs. It was incredible to be a part of this very special ceremony! We also had a baptism for one of the staff members who had made the decision to affirm her faith and become a Disciple of Christ. These were once in a lifetime opportunities and I couldn’t have been more honored to share in these experiences with everyone who attended Camp Caroline.
The keynotes were about different faiths and how they relate to Christianity. Rev. Chris Furr and a guest keynoter, Rev. Randy Holste provided an inside look into religions like Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Fundamentalism and Atheism. I think it was extremely valuable to learn about all of the different traditions and beliefs of these other religions. It was surprising to discover that these religions are not all that different and that the core beliefs are all similar, even if the traditions and methods of worship are different and unique to each group.
All in all, I learned a lot and will be able to use much of the information provided in my future camps! I had a good turnout at my workshops and I’m happy to say that on one of the days, we made nearly 50 paper cranes for Disciples Women Ministries, that I will be depositing at General Assembly! These “birds of PRAY(er)” were super fun to make and I hope to have much more to bring to General Assembly!Thanks to everyone who made my week at Camp Caroline awesome and I look forward to continuing my journey in Arkansas!(Note: About the title, the camper’s closing ceremony is a giant hug circle were everyone gives and receives a hug, that’s 2 per person, and with 50 kids = 100 hugs! Warm fuzzies for everyone!)