Camp Essay

Camp Essay
November 2009
Abigail Metzger

I hardly anticipated that a week at Pioneer Bible Camp would be so enjoyable! From the moment my brother and I arrived, I felt certain the seven days would go by in a rush. Although I didn't make friends instantly as some others did, once I did become acquainted with the girls in my cabin, I felt secure and comfortable. They were funny, welcoming, and interested in me. By the middle of the week two of the girls in my cabin, Hannah and Liz, had developed into my "bosom" buddies. I also enjoyed the company of the four other girls bunking with me, but our relationship hadn't become as familiar as the one with Hannah and Liz. Our counselor, Cinnamon, easily won my repect. She taught well on subjects of importance such as dating, God, teenage life, and more,and she was pleasant to talk to and ask questions. Since this camp included kids in grades 7-9, being in ninth grade gave me feelings of maturity, acceptance, and importance. Security also came from having my younger brother, Micah, and an old friend, Jessica Loomis, at the camp. I never was alone, which happened to be one of my fears. On the contrary, deciding who to hang out with, the girls from my cabin, Micah, or Jessica and her friend Tessa, was a struggle. I actually felt popular! The chapel speaker happened to be the father of my counselor. His words were simply amazing. Through God, he presented the ways I was not following God, and also taught me how to change my ways. Every day all the campers participated in a number of awesome activities and games. As a result of new friends, impressive teaching, exciting games, my week at PBC was truly enjoyable. I couldn't wait to come back next season.
For a whole year I eagerly awaited the arrival of camp. This time, instead of being one of the oldest in camp, it would be the opposite. The camp consisted of 10th through 12th graders, me being in 10th. Not only were the feelings of maturity and importance gone, but my brother and all the friends I had made the last year wouldn't be joining me to give me security and comfort. Despite all this, I felt God urging me to go in order to make new friends and deepen my relationship with Him, along with the fun of playing enjoyable games and watching interesting skits. Finally, the day of camp arrived! Although excitement filled my mind, nervousness dwelled within me as well.
Now before I continue, you must know some things about me. Shyness is a major part of my personality. The ability to make friends does not come easily and I dislike introducing myself to new people. Away from the security of my home and family, especially my mom, I feel lost. Being in the midst of so many teenagers who seem to have great self esteem and no fear of people simply terrifies me. This occurs mostly because my self esteem is quite low and also since I have a great lack of self worth. With all these odds against me, surely you must understand why I was frightened. Without God urging me to attend the camp, I'm sure I wouldn't have gone. Therefore, since He called me to go, I obeyed.
As soon as my mom left me in my cabin that June morning, I longed to cry. For the first time in my teenage life, lonlineness attacked me. The temptation to follow her out the door filled my mind. I fought the temptation and succeeded. The day advanced with opening speeches and rules, games, chapel services, meals, activities, and more. Attempting to exert myself and make friends came as a challenge. Lying in my bunk that night, all I could think was, "Only four more days. I only have to go through this agony for four more days. Then I can go home." Those thoughts occupied my mind quite often, especially when I felt out of place or lonely. Although most of my time at camp was distressing, a few positive things happened. The teaching was fairly interesting; I did abtain a few things that I applied to my walk with Christ. The games were fun, skits hilarious, and food very yummy. The negative aspects still outweighed the positive aspects. I was with people from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to bed, even when I was asleep! Usually, since I'm homeschooled, I'm only with my family. Because of that, and since I'm not sociable, that was just incredibly difficult for me. In addition to all that I have mentioned, most of the girls in my cabin were older than I and extroverted, so they easily made all sorts of friends. This made me feel inferior, unwanted, and lonely. Most teens there knew at least one person from their churchs, schools, or past years at camp. It seemed like I happened to be the only one who didn't know a soul. Sure, I had seen some of them at camp the year before, but they weren't my friends. Finally the camp ended and I was able to go back home. Never have I felt more relieved.
When I consider journeying back to camp, very few reasons urge me to go. Comfort is one major reason. God's word tells me to deny myself and take up my cross daily. I am convinced that my life is too comfortable; PBC is a good way to be uncomfortable. But that's it. I only felt pain when I stayed there. I didn't grow in any way from that awkward experience. Another important reason would be to learn more about Christ. How am I to know if the chapel speakers or counselors will help me in any way? Besides, there are many other places where I could learn about Christ: church, youth group, other camps, or from mentors. I believe if the camp was structered better, allowed the kids to have more free time to either be alone or just talk to eachother about Jesus, I may have enjoyed it better. Many of the kids who attended either did so just for fun and didn't give any thought to the Jesus part , or they were forced to go by their parents. If the camp was soley based on pursuing a more in depth relationship with Christ and being trained on how to improve the sharing your faith, only teens who were serious about God would attend. That's precisely the type of camp I needed. A place where teenagers were able to sit down and talk about what was happening in their life and encourage others about their struggles. I think, and hope, that teenagers who really love God aren't going to ignore you or let you be shy and lonely. They'll prod you to talk to them and ask questions about your life. Pioneer Bible Camp was basically just about having fun, with God served as a side dish.
All in all, my camp experience wasn't completely worthless. It helped me examine myself and determine that my personality happens to be reserved and modest. The realization that living the Christian life comes more easily to me than to most teens became evident in my life. Although frustrating and not extremely successful, I did improve my friendship making skills and I grasped the feeling of being out of my bubble of comfort. But I won't go back. In my mind, there's no point. I can improve all those qualities in a more enjoyable atmosphere. The friendships I made there aren't on going, the teachings didn't usually apply to my life or linger in my mind for an extensive period of time, and the verses I studied disappear by the next day. Therefore, I encourage those who want to take part in numerous games, survey hilarious skits, enjoy eating great food, sing songs, and learn a small amount about Christ, go to Pioneer Bible Camp. However, for those who desire to expand their knowledge about Christ and mature in their lationship with their Savior, choose to attend a more equipped camp or seminar that offers these values. Or perhaps, stay home and advance on your own or with the help of family and friends. That's what I did and continue to do!