I REMEMBER watching my sister pack for camp: bathing suit, sleeping bag and flashlight all disappearing inside her suitcase. I was too shy to attend camp and was not fond of the dark or anything creepy crawly, but I always regretted not going. So imagine my surprise when at 25 I found myself packing my own suitcase for camp! While my artistic abilities are limited to googly eyes and glitter and my nature abilities include a keen knack for getting lost, the new Missions Animator position at Camp Geddie was an exciting prospect because a Youth in Mission trip to Nicaragua in 1999 had begun a lifelong passion for travel and volunteering.
The vision for having missions as a regular program was made possible by the generosity and persistence of many people. The mission study was based on the Atlantic Mission Society's Enough Water for All project and the country Guyana. Our first task was to define what mission meant. The children eagerly volunteered several thoughts; the most popular being a) super-spy missions b) helping people in other countries. It was decided that mission for the summer was, "when someone sends you to do something and you do it." Mission work can often appear as something foreign or far away, something we may be able to support but not do ourselves – in reality mission work is something each of us can do in our everyday lives. Therefore, our summer focus for mission encompassed several different aspects.
In Enough Water for All we explored the importance of clean water, accessibility to it and important water facts. We learned that we can help people without water; and, the loose change children took to camp raised $900. We also learned about water conservation here in North America and ways that we can save it in our daily lives, i.e., catching rainwater and using it to water our gardens. We also looked at local missions, such as donating food to the food bank, or helping out our neighbor. Most importantly however, mission also meant looking inward, for each child that came to camp that summer had gifts and talents. Often we look at ourselves and think we do not have much to offer, but that is not true. Mission work can be as simple as reaching out to those around us, lending a hand, or holding a door: God is in all these moments.
With our hearts focused on Him we have many things to offer indeed. For me personally, looking at the chaos and uncertainty that surrounds us daily in the world can be disheartening, but the children showed me time and again how God works in the world through the hearts and lives of those around us. We also had a guest stay with us from Guyana. Dylan taught us about his country, his culture and a very important sport, cricket! He encouraged and supported us all. While camp had a sharp learning curve (the most important being that any water themed game is more fun when it is dumped on your head!), the enthusiasm and insight shown through the children has forever left a mark on my own heart and are constant reminders that we all have special gifts and talents we can offer in service to God and others!
