Simply put, Camp Sumatanga is one of the most special places in the world to me. As I look back at my 30 years of life, I can see how God has used Camp over and over again to reveal to me His great love and draw me closer into relationship with Him.
I went to Camp Sumatanga for the first time in 2003 as an elementary camper. During my three years of Elementary Camp, I made memories that will last me a lifetime as I stepped outside of my comfort zone, sang the silliest songs, played hard, learned Camp traditions, made “warm fuzzies”, hiked to the top of Chandler Mountain, breathed in fresh air, made new friends, and strengthened my bond with old friends.
The summer of 2006, I attended Mid-High Camp at Pool Camp, and it was during an evening program one night when we all shared together in Holy Communion that I first felt the Holy Spirit clearly moving in my heart. As John Wesley would put it, my heart was strangely warmed. While I’d grown up in church my whole life and knew and loved all the Bible stories, it was at Camp when all that head knowledge found its way to my heart. I knew with confidence in that moment that God is very real, He is with me, and He loves me.
Throughout middle school, high school, and college, I continued to find my way back to Camp Sumatanga every Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend for Behold Youth Retreat. I attended for six years as a student, and then served as a S.W.A.T. (Students with a Testimony) Team leader for three years in college. Each time I attended Behold, God showed me more and more of His heart. I always went home feeling refreshed and renewed by God’s love, and eager to know God more intimately. It was at Behold that I began feeling a call into ministry, though I wasn’t sure what that meant or what it would look like at the time.
After college, I took a little break from Camp Sumatanga as I entered into the workforce. In March 2019, I found myself home at Camp Sumatanga again, this time for an Emmaus Walk. Again, God met me right where I was, this time using the Holy Spirit to reveal to me some fine tuning God was working on in my heart.
In September 2021, I finally said yes to the calling God had placed on my heart at Camp Sumatanga years ago, and I entered into full-time ministry as the Director of Children’s Ministry at Athens First Methodist Church. Through my role, I’ve been blessed to return to Elementary Camp now twice as Camp Minister. This full circle experience has touched my heart more than I can put into words! Now, I get to experience camp all over again through the lens of the precious children God blesses me to serve. I still find a way to get to Camp Sumatanga as often as I can by taking kids to summer camp, on confirmation retreats, and hanging out with adults while serving on Emmaus Walks. God is so good!
To me, Camp Sumatanga is Holy Ground. It is a place that is so prayed over, and because of that its soil is rich and the harvest is plentiful! God dwells there, and when people of all ages arrive at Camp with open hearts, God is waiting and ready to get to work, jumping into their hearts and making them His dwelling places, too. I have seen it time and time again: At Camp Sumatanga, God’s children can feel how seen, known and loved they are by their Creator. I believe we all walk away from camp loving God more, and loving each other better, too.
Please join me in giving back to Camp Sumatanga! God has used this special place to foster encounters with Jesus Christ in the lives of thousands of people over the last 75+ years. Your donations will only help to magnify God’s goodness for generations to come.