Without fail, every summer I hear campers say convincingly “LLYC is the one place in the world where I can be myself”.
I can think of hundreds of moments where I saw this happen. Without a doubt, every night it happened at Roundup. Many Roundups, I thought how special it would be if our parents could witness what I am privileged to see….for it is simply beyond description. I see the community gathered as one entity. There are no strangers. There are no loners. There are no divisions. It is really, truly, honestly one community.
When my son was a few years younger, he loved transformers. It amazed me how quickly he could convert a truck into a robot in a matter of minutes. The Foundations for Laity Renewal, of which LLYC is under the umbrella of its ministries, has a newly defined purpose statement. Our core purpose is to provide opportunities for people to encounter God for the transformation of daily life, work, and our world.
As I think about camp and all the kids who ventured down the steep hill into the canyon and through the river, I rejoice in the significant transformation moments that I was privileged to witness this summer. It is sacred and often rare in any ministry role to really have an inside view to see transformation. Honestly, part of the secret of seeing impact at LLYC is the extended rarity of having kids for 13 days or in the case of Jam Session, seven days. Think about it. Where else and who else has the honor of being with your kids for such an extended time? Though, it’s not just about time. The world competes so aggressively for all our time, but especially our kids’ time. I am talking about academics, sports, clubs, social media, technology, phones, family, and even church.
So what is it that leads to transformation at LLYC? I think at the core, it starts with true unconditional love and acceptance. Outside the family, where does that really happen? Kids value being loved and they are certainly wise to know if it is genuine or not. It is like comparing the taste of instant tea to sweet tea at camp. Kids know what is sweet. Beyond that, I think it is a product of relationships that are authentic when compared to what the world offers.
Thinking back on the summer, I visualize transformational moments when a camper realizes that camp is a place where they can be themselves and they actually begin to live that out! Camp becomes a safe zone where campers can explore what it means to walk in faith with Christ.
I watched campers singing and cheering as loud as they can, and dancing and praising because they could not contain their joy at the moment. I treasured watching worship where no one felt as if they were being watched or expected to follow a set of rules and behavior. I witnessed situations where laughing and craziness turned 180 degrees into a growing moment. I heard many staff testimonies that demonstrated the power of transformation only available through the changing power of God, and when a camper realized that if happened to their counselor, then it could happen to them too.
I love watching kids respond to worship and ultimately to an opportunity to be changed by God. On Cross Talk night, sometimes kids did not fully understand the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for them, but they were hungry enough to want to be near the cross with a full desire to understand. When we talked about sin, and the weight that it carries in our lives, and that Jesus has already paid the price for all of our sins, sometimes kids would just drop their heavy packs and let it go. That’s beautiful to me.
I have the unique privilege of greeting campers and families as they enter the canyon. What is so satisfying is observing their reunions on closing day, and knowing things have changed. Romans 12:2 says, do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. My prayer is that our campers are living loudly their transformational experiences from camp in a world that surely needs to see and hear their story of change.
