“It’s really exciting to see the impact one week of camp has had on the rest of the year.”

Each summer for three years, I’ve made awesome connections with Turtle Mountain Bible Camp campers. However, it wasn’t until this past summer I realized the importance of maintaining these relationships throughout the year.

During my first year of cabin leading, I really connected with a girl and each summer was able to build on that relationship. But this year I challenged myself to develop that bond during the other 51 weeks of the year. I’m a youth leader at her church and we go for coffee, movies, and shopping. She often asks me to pray for her and things in her life. This has been a season of growth for both of us, a season that started at camp.

I stayed in touch with campers by being a volunteer youth leader for two churches. Through this, I’ve made strong links with camp and non-camp kids. A few months ago, some young people asked if I would lead their Bible study, so now I meet every Sunday with grade eleven and twelve students to study God’s Word.

It amazes me, week by week, to see that each young person wants to be there to learn more about God. It’s really exciting and rewarding to see the impact one week of camp has had on the rest of the year, to see these young people actively desiring a closer relationship with God. Camp is an amazing place for campers to meet God, a place where He works through people to influence campers for life, not just for a summer.

Bethany Jones Summer Program Director

Turtle Mountain Bible Camp is on Partridge Lake, in the southwest corner of Manitoba.