I am the consoler on the far right with the red hair and white T-shirt. For many years I would come to our church camp on Cascade Lake. For 8 days I would enjoy the company of high school youth from all around our region. I would have the responsibility of a selected group of girls picked at random, And co- teach the boys with a male consoler. It was a wonderful part of my summer. I thought it would be fun to share a few stories of my camp days.To be continued……….I was in my late 30’s when I started doing camps as a consoler.
It was not my idea to be a camp consoler,our Minister said that I had a way with the youth and wanted me to think about it. I was teaching Jr. High kids at church and really enjoyed them. I had a lot of background growing up with and around my grandmother.
I was so nerves about doing the camp. Kids that I would not know and worse yet that they would not know me. The girls were easy, but the boys were not. On my third day after a few tears…feeling that I was just not the right person for the boys..I went up to the dorm and wrote each one a note.
And at the end of the note, I ask if they needed any clothes washed. The morning came and they got their mail and read my notes. As the morning was coming to a end, I see coming down the hill about 6 boys with arms filled with pants, shirts, socks. As I washed the clothes in the old wringer washer in the kitchen, the boys and I became friends, they even helped me hang their clothes. I learned in those moments that it is personal, they just needed a reason. I believe that God lead me to doing some mighty dirty clothes…No more tears:)
