Kerry Richardson Henry

I only spent one summer in the Canyon, the summer of 1991.  I worked at Singing Hills as the water front director and a counselor.  I learned about LLYC from Frog Sullivan who had come to our Young Life Summer College the previous year.  I applied and y’all accepted this girl from Pennsylvania.  It was quite the adventure.

Kerry Yankee & Scott Tex

Kerry Yankee & Scott Tex

I now work for the US Army as a civilian program management engineer.  I have been here for the past 18 years.  I am once again living in PA after some time in both TN and NJ.  I am very active in my church, Calvary Bible, where I sing in choir, co-lead the DivorceCare ministry, and volunteer with the middlers (3rd & 4th grade) at Vacation Bible School (VBS).  I still enjoy sports such as softball and volleyball but due to multiple injuries over the year I am limited in what I can do in both of those.  The orthopedic suggested taking up golf which I have and I love it!

Favorite camp memories:

  • One I do share often that highlights how foreign Texas seemed to me in the beginning was the first morning. I was bunked down in a cabin in Echo Valley with some other staff who had arrived.  I awoke to the sounds of a tinny country guitar and Hank Williams Jr singing “Family Tradition.”  “Where am I? What did I get myself into?”  To this day Hank brings back that memory.
  • As the waterfront director, I started each session by giving all the kids a swimming test. They would come down by cabin and I would call 4-5 of them up to the bank of the river.  The Cabin 5 counselors named their cabin “Delta Lodge” and gave all the kids nicknames.  As I would call out the Cabin 5 boys, each would step up and state their Delta Lodge name followed by “ma’am.”  To this day, I remember Gator, Hawk, Knight, Ozzy… but unfortunately, their real names have been lost to me.  But they were my Delta Lodge boys.
  • Being thrown in the river for my birthday. Dave Rogers’ birthday was about two weeks before mine and I saw that he was caught and thrown in the river.  I tried very hard to avoid that fate and managed to go until that evening when we were having a dance for the kids.  As I came onto the back porch, four of the guy counselors grabbed me and carried me down to the river.  I tried to get away but failed and into the river I went.  As I was walking back up, one of them announced over the loudspeaker “Happy Birthday!  This one is for you” and they proceeded to play “Pretty Woman.”
Kerry & Camper

Kerry & Bill Cody’s Granddaughter, Sarah

What do you miss most about your summers at camp?

Being able to not only teach the children about Jesus and our salvation, but to live that out for them.

How does LLYC still impact your life today?

When I first arrived at LLYC, I was homesick.  It seemed like everyone else had some connection with LLYC and here I was, the outsider and a Yankee to boot.  But God used that to help me connect with some of the campers who were also homesick.  Eventually, some of the other counselors began to open up to me and I’m very thankful to Amy, Paul, Kris, Elizabeth, Shirla, Ginger, and Scott for really making me a part of the LLYC family.  That experience has helped me reach out to others who may be feeling left out whether that be at church, the office, or just in the neighborhood.

Me, Gator & Hawk

Kerry, Gator & Hawk

The skills I learned about being a counselor has helped me at VBS and with missions.  In 2012, I was part of a group that supported our missionary in Brazil.  For one week, I was able to be a camp counselor again for English camp.  My campers may no longer be children, but young adults but the time at LLYC helped me make the connections with those young folks and encourage them in their faith.