Starstruck at Camp

Sometimes we think of that one person, usually a celebrity, who we want to meet. And when we think about meeting that person, we usually get into a Starstruck mode. Our eyes get big, onlookers see a twinkle in our eyes, sometimes our jaws drop and we get pumped. Sometimes we get so happy we just cry, and other times we get a little hyper and can't quite control ourselves.

This was a constant phenomenon at Camp all summer. Campers arrived from all over the country and experienced that Starstruck feeling as soon as their eyes hit the Camp Nazareth sign out by the road. It's an amazing thing, actually! As the cars and busses journey down Pew Road and enter the Camp grounds, you can feel the energy of the camp transform in an unexplainable way.

Campers greet each other, campers greet staff, staff greet campers, and so on. Countless times I'd see a camper arrive to camp and look around at if Camp was filled with celebrities. The twinkles in the eyes of campers, the smiles on their faces, and the non-verbal language of Campers screamed "I'M SO HAPPY!" Ironically, though, at the end of the week, the joy tuned into a sort of terror as campers did everything they could to prolong the process of leaving. It's quite amazing though, because I can't image someone letting go of a celebrity that easy. Saying goodbye to the same person 20 times just isn't enough. Hugging each other over and over just isn't enough. Nothing is good enough when it comes to letting go of such a treasure.

Could we call Camp the celebrity of the diocese? Of course. In fact, Camp is the gem of the diocese and the kids recognize it. They recognize Camp as a special place, just like they recognize their heroes as special people.

My inspiration to write about this comes from the constant news coverage of Pope Francis in America. The excitement I saw in the faithful catholics reminded me of the excitement of Campers every summer!

Again I say, Glory be to God for all things!

Summer Memories

I remember one night before any user groups were on campus and the staff spent an evening together outside playing "Arm Ball." This game is basically like baseball. You hit a ball and run base to base. It was a relatively cool night, the sun was setting and everyone was having fun. One of the best parts about playing arm ball was how the ground was so wet from the rain, that we were sliding all over the place. Like, some places were so slippery that I was literally standing still, and my feet slipped right out from under me. Before I knew it, I was on my dupa trying to convince my fellow CN staff members I was merely "taking a break" and that "I didn't just slip and fall." Haha! 

Anyway, shortly after the game of arm ball began, CN Staff noticed the mosquitos started playing a game of "bite the humans and make them itch." While I might have scored a few points during arm ball, I was defeated in my game of "don't get eaten by mosquitos." 

It was one of those nights I won't forget. Everyone was just having fun. The CN Staff were just having fun, playing a game with the Loposky family. It was wonderful, relaxed and helped the staff bond and get to know each other. So simple and so effective. While some of the staff were more competitive than others, the game was full of laughter and jokes. We picked on ourselves and each other. Threatening to take each other out for the silliest of reasons; threatening to congratulate each other if a good play is made. "Don't make me give you a high five for scoring another point!" 

Sometimes it's the little things that stand out the most. Just a group of staff members being silly and having fun. No big plans or fancy events. Just playing outside in the wet grass, hitting a ball and running around some bases (that consisted of peoples shoes). 

I'm thankful for the privilege to work at Camp this past summer. Easily one of the best experiences of my life. And for that, I thank God!

If love never fails, then love thy neighbor!

One of my favorite things our Lord says in the scriptures is, “A new Commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you. By this all will know you are my disciples, if you have love for each other.” It’s so simple and yet so powerful. There are no stipulations or regulations on who to love and how to love them. Christ instructs us to love, unconditionally, every person we know and do not know. This is in huge contrast to the way our world and society view things. In our world there are always exceptions, there are always stipulations and there are always regulations. It almost doesn’t seem fair. There’s this attitude in our world of entitlement, materialism, and only showing respect to get respect. In our world, respect isn’t something to be earned, it’s something to be demanded. Does this reflect the love of Jesus Christ?

Reflecting on what it means to “love one another,” I considered the world we live in. We live in a world separated by skin color, by gender, by religion, by politics, and so on. I thought to myself, “Wow. Humans hate humans for being different. So much so, that they will go to war.” It’s a harsh reality, far from the “Love one another” message of Christ.

I then considered the world of Camp Nazareth. I considered how diverse the camp is in regard to campers. Everyone comes from a different place, a different situation, and has a different story. While everyone is an Orthodox Christian, being Orthodox doesn’t magically make everyone friends. But somehow, in a beautiful way, the message of “Love one another” shines through at Camp. It’s quite remarkable. The kids come to camp and love each other, friends and strangers alike. The kids come and get their spiritual and emotional batteries charged, in order to go back into the world and function as servants of God. They leave Camp with a radiance of peace and love, the kind of peace and love the world needs.

We’re at a point in time where we must nurture the natural desire to love each other without exception. Love includes the support of our fellow man, the encouragement, the willingness to help a stranger, the ability to prevent something that is harmful to someone, the openness to sit and listen to someone who needs to talk. The love that smiles at a stranger on the street, and gives the beggar something to eat; we must foster the love that forgives those who have hurt us, and ask forgiveness to those we have hurt. While The Beatles were no theologians, I think they got it right when they would sing “All you need is love,” because the scripture reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13:8, “Love never fails.”

Thoughts... while walking through Gods majestic creation

It's always a treat to visit camp and walk around to reflect on the past, meditate on the present and pray for the future. Recently, I took a trip to camp to do a little work. But in the midst of the work, I took some time here and there to stop and look around. 

What did I see? 

I saw a completely empty camp and heard the sounds of emptiness. Honestly, I got a little emotional because I really missed my co-workers and campers who filled the grounds just a few months ago. Standing on the porch of the lodge, I looked down at the sidewalk and thought back to all the times I'd see the campers walking in to the church for service. I looked at the pool and reflected on the fun the kids had going down the water slide. I looked at the baseball field and reminisced on Bishop Gregory playing Dizzy Bats with the campers. I smiled when I thought about His Grace not being phased by campers dumping a giant garbage can full of water on him. 

Walking from the lodge to the ropes course, I passed the St Nektarios and Cross shrines. I stopped and took a moment to remember all the campers and staff standing around the shrines singing hymns. The wind blew, and it was as if I could hear the continual echoes of the kids singing. As I continued making my way to the ropes course, I walked the trail dedicated to Father Michael Rosco. Although I had only met him once, I remembered the joy he seemed to radiate. Upon arrival at the ropes course, I looked around and thought about all the people who are responsible for the Camp in its entirety. Everyone from the donor of the camp property, to the newborn baby who just had his or her first time at camp, along with everyone in between. 

See, Camp is a special place because it both gives and takes from every single person who encounters the Camp. There's something majestic about camp. Obviously there's something holy about Camp. The trees and the fields of camp feel the breeze in a different way than the trees and fields outside of Camp. Why? My opinion: The breezes we feel at Camp Nazareth is the breath of God breathing His love and grace into everyone and everything.

After taking some photos of the high ropes elements, I walked back to the lodge to debrief with Father Stephen. While he and I were out earlier, Father pointed out an epic spider web. I'm going to be honest, I'm deathly afraid of spiders. But for some reason I had no fear of spiders because Father Stephen and I got close to the web and observed all its beauty. I didn't have my camera on me, so when I left the camp, I made sure to stop and photograph the web. You'll see a picture of the web posted below. 

It's an amazing thing, camp is! How many places on earth can you go where their air feels significantly different? How many places can you go where the sky seems more clear and the grass seems more green? How many places can you go where you feel embraced in love? This is why I love Camp Nazareth. Generations of love, prayer and sacrifice is the foundation of Camp. We experience it and we feel it, year after year. What a joy! What a beauty! Experiencing Gods creation, within His creation! 

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Cabin Remodeling at Camp

After the summer 2015 camping season ended, the Loposky family went on a family vacation and it was quite lovely. While they were gone, Father William and Pani Ileana Bennett stayed at the camp to make sure everything at the camp was ok. Of course, everything was fine and the Loposky family returned to camp safe and sound. 

Obviously the Loposky family knew they'd come back to the camp feeling a sense of refreshment from a family vacation. But what they did not realize is that they had an incredible surprise waiting for them at home. 

For those of you who don't know, the camp is undergoing a huge cabin renovation/expansion project. And over the course of past months, debates and conversations over the design of the cabins have taken place. Everything from size, to shape, to color, and so on. Some people agree on certain things, and some people disagree on certain things. The bottom line is that the camp is diligently working toward something that the majority of people will be in favor of. 

So, back to Father and Pani Bennett. While the Loposky family were gone on vacation, Father and Pani Bennett took the liberty of constructing a model of what they think the new cabins should look like. To say the least, it's quite impressive what they came up with. Everything from colors used, to layout, to functionality and safety was taken into consideration. 

Using only thousands of lego pieces, Fr and Pani Bennett did what no camp sitters have ever done before: They thought outside the box to come up with an innovative and revolutionary cabin system that no camp has ever seen before. 

Take note of the moat around the cabin, featuring a beautiful yellow-brick gateway. Observe the satellite dish in the upper right hand corner of the cabin, which will allow for effortless streaming of church music and other Orthodox things. Observe the multiple outdoor staircases to ensure safety in the event of needing to quickly evacuate the cabin. 

This is the front section of the cabin where cabin talks take place.

This is the inner courtyard of the cabin. This is to ensure privacy, safety and the ability to stargaze without leaving the cabin. Take note of the balcony and decor of the entire environment.

So this is it. What do you think?!

And we're building, building, building...

For those of you who have spent time at Camp, you know there's always something going on. Well let me tell you: There's something going on! As you've probably seen through our numerous social media sites, the Camp has been blessed with a low and high ropes course, which is designed to build trust and team building as cabins and as a camp. 

Over the summer, the low ropes course was completely finished and our kids had the opportunity to use the elements. What we didn't have this year was the high ropes course. The past few weeks have been completely filled with work being done to install these new items. We'll keep this post short and let the pictures speak for themselves. 

But just to explain what's going on, the high ropes element is all connected with each other. It's one large element with multiple challenges. Connected to the element is also a zip line. Once this phase is finished, a series of tree houses will be built for cabin activities and other cool things! So stay tuned, because much more is on the way! 

In the end, all we can say is: Glory be to God, and thanks be to Him for His Goodness!

Being the Best at What's Important

We live in a world where everybody wants to be the best at something. Motivational speakers encourage the young and old to, "Be the best!"

"Be the best you can be."
"Be the best in the room."
"Be the best in the building."

Our youth are constantly being encouraged to be the best; to be the best student, to be the best athlete, to be the best dancer, to be the best actor, to be the best speller, to be the best skateboarder...etc etc. It even goes farther with being encouraged to have the best sense of humor, to have the best musical talent, to have the best style, to have the best phone, and to have the best personality. I'm not disagreeing with wanting to be the best or have the best. I just want to add to the list; I want to add something I don't really hear people saying. Because by adding this one thing, it changes everything else.

If you think back to the time when you were young, I'm sure you'd remember you had that one person who you looked up to. Whether a parent, grandparent, sibling, super hero, celebrity or athlete, we all had that role model who made an enormous impact on our life, someone who we considered to be the best. As we grew, we recognized our desire to be that specific person. For those of us who looked up to athletes, we had the desire to be an amazing athlete. For those of us who looked up to singers or dancers, we would go around the house singing and dancing, wanting so bad to be an amazing singer or dancer. As time went on, we would come to the realization that some of our goals are possible, and that if we worked hard enough we could achieve our dreams of success.

In our journey to reach the top of the athletic/business/artistic ladder, we would fall and get back up. We would stay up late learning about how to be better. We would practice and work hard to get better and better, every single day. Countless hours spent frustrated because we weren't seeing progress. But somehow, someway, we reach our goals in one way or another. And along the way we are surrounded by incredible people who encourage and support us to make progress in our journey.

But I have to ask: How often are we fighting to be the best Christian(s)? How often do we crave the gentleness of Christ? How often do we beg for discernment? How often do we take the time to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and visit the sick? Let me be clear, this is not about being the best Christian so we can toot our own horns, but quite the opposite. This is about being the best Christian so we can focus on Christ, and direct the gaze of others toward Him. But lets be honest, being the "best Christian" is not an easy task, then again, neither is becoming a professional athlete or actor. So what's the difference in how we approach our faith and how we approach secular success? What is it about soccer practice that makes attendance there more important than attendance at Church sunday morning? What is it about Prom that allows students to miss Holy Friday or Holy Saturday services? What is it about going to play laser tag that outweighs going to visit the sick or feed the hungry. We already know the answers. Soccer is fun, hanging out with friends is fun, prom is fun... while Church is... well, not always fun.

Where am I going with this?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, every summer the camp houses kids from all over the country. The kids come to Camp and Christ energizes them through using the CN staff, with direction of His Grace Bishop Gregory and Father Stephen, to teach them how to live as a Christian. As loving parents, grandparents and friends, we must encourage our youth to be the best Christian, keeping in mind it isn't for self-glory, but rather for Gods glory. We must encourage the youth to attend more services and to be involved. We should encourage our youth to pray at school before they eat. We must encourage our youth to be thankful to God for all things, both the good and the bad. But not only should we encourage our youth, we should teach our youth.

We teach our youth about math and science; we teach our youth about sports and technology, we teach our youth about music and art; but how often do we teach our youth about Christ and His Church?

One of our goals as Orthodox Christians, especially for those of you connected to Camp Nazareth, is to continue in the mission of Camp throughout the year. One of our goals is to continue with morning prayers, evening prayers, praying before meals and learning about the saints. One of our goals is to have those difficult discussions about the faith and to ask questions about things we don't know or understand. This is how we grow in the faith.

So keep being the best student, keep being the best professional, keep being the best artist and the best chemist. Keep being the best teacher and keep being the best musician; but most importantly, be the best Christian; not just by your words, but show it by your actions.

#Live_CN15