Welcome to Camp Nazareth

Welcome to Camp Nazareth
Welcome to Camp Nazareth! This online journal is the official journal of Camp Nazareth Conference and Retreat Center. Over the years, many memories have been made here. Through this journal we hope to share with you the many wonderful moments from the many years at camp!

Monday, July 6, 2015

It's a Camp Thing!

For those of you who have been to Camp, you know there's something about camp that can't be put into words. Time and time again I find myself with a lack of ability to define what Camp means to me. To make things even more complicated, Camp means something different to every person who has experienced Camp.

This past week has certainly been an interesting week. The staff have had about six weeks together, and things have been going smooth. This is with thanks to God for allowing us to work hard and have fun at the same time. With so much time being spent together, the staff have gotten so close with each other. It's as though we've known each other for multiple lifetimes. Last night I was talking to one of our lifeguards who is from California. It's her first time at Camp Nazareth, so I figured I'd check in and see how camp is treating her. She expressed loving camp and that she made a good decision coming to work for the camp. I mentioned how she got absorbed right into the group and how she's now "one of us." She expressed how she feels closer to the CN Staff than some of the people she grew up with. While I understood exactly what she meant, it was unique for me to hear it said from someone new to the camp experience. So it got me thinking: How do such strong relationships form?

Obviously the biggest factor for things involving Camp is the fact that God blesses us with many things. So of course it is a blessing of God why Camp is so wonderful; and everything else is a residual effect of Gods blessings. This isn't to say things are always great at camp, because God has a way of keeping us humble when we stop giving Him the thanks and glory. As a staff we work as a unit to accomplish the incredible task of running a camp. Through the experience of camp we laugh, we cry, we are happy and we get upset, we work hard and we relax. As individuals on staff we experience an incredible amount of feelings, whether emotional, spiritual or physical. Sometimes we are tired and sometimes we are rested. Sometimes we feel close to God, other times we feel distant from Him. Either way, no matter what, we somehow manage to find ourselves at His feet asking for the "Strength to bear that fatigue of the coming day, and everything that it will bring." God must really love us, because He always pulls through for us.

So there's this incredible dynamic of Camp life that surpasses anything else. We see what's going on in the world around us and then look at what's going on at Camp. It's like opposite ends of the spectrum. On one hand, the world has so many things to offer: As much food as you want, designer clothing, money, unlimited technology, the freedom to do whatever you want, and so on. On the other hand you have Camp life, where food is dictated by kitchen, where designer clothing doesn't matter, where technology is used minimally, and where expectations on how to live a pure and honest life are set at a high standard. It's interesting how much happier we find ourselves at camp. It's always interesting to see and experience how much better life is when we live with Christ as our center.

I understand I'm rambling a little bit, so please forgive me. I just thought I'd take this opportunity to share some of the things that struck me this past week. I honestly could not be more thankful for Camp Nazareth, and for those who make it possible to keep the Camp alive and well.

God bless all of you, and please keep the CN Staff and Administration in your daily prayers.

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