Summer Camps Shape Lives

Summer camps nationwide are sparking passionate response from participants and staff alike. Camp Lone Star and Camp Aurora have succeeded in touching the hearts of campers in Texas and New Hampshire, respectively. Read more about it below!

Camp Lone Star – Blanco, Texas

Thirty seven participants and 31 staff members gathered the week of June 12-21, 2015 at the annual campsite in Texas under the theme, “We Are Love”.

“We as core staff wanted to establish a sense of identity,” explained staff member Ji Young Golden on this year’s theme. “We wanted to make sure that the kids felt a united identity as brothers and sisters. God is love, we are God’s and True Parents’ Children, we inherit God’s and True Parents’ identity and legacy, therefore we are love.”

At base of what movement tries to achieve and express. We are a movement of expressing God’s love for all men and women. 

Camp Lone Star is a favorite among Texan Unificationists. Participants and staff alike look forward to being a part of it or help put it on. They are especially excited for challenge night, a string of activities during which the youth are received with care and love, yet pushed beyond their perceived limits. The staff members create a safe environment for the youth to be pushed and to have experience with God.

“The camp does not focus on teaching Divine Principle or God’s word. The kids experience it,” said Ji Young Golden.

A participant confirmed this outcome: “Honestly, my mom made me come. Before, I didn’t understand or believe in God and True Parents, but after coming to camp, I have come to know these things as true.”

Part of the camp’s activities includes a letter writing activity. “During the letter writing activity, one participant really felt like God was talking and writing through him,” described a staff member “I couldn’t help but feel that I was a part of that and helped that experience happen.”

Camp participants struggled with the weather and had a potential scare for flooding, but were able to plan accordingly and were spared by the storm. They invited Rev. Kevin Thompson, Pastor of the Bay Area Family Church, to come and speak at the camp. He shared personal testimonies and stories of his personal experiences with True Father. This was a real treat for the kids and participants because they have never heard such intimate stories about True Father before. 

Watch a video of Camp Lone Star 2015 here.

Camp Aurora – Moultonborough, New Hampshire

From June 28th to July 4th, 65 campers attended Camp Aurora, a fun-filled, week long summer camp for young Unificationists. Camp Aurora has proudly been running since 1999 and is a unique camp in that it runs three camps simultaneously for youth, middle, and high school campers.

Each camp runs their own content and activities during the day and comes together for evening programs such as a camp fire, buddy activities, limbo, and talent show. This year the theme was “Stand Up for Love,” which inspired the staff to create a few objectives: notably, they wanted to encourage campers to take ownership of their life and their relationships with others (themselves, their family, God etc.).

“My experience at Camp Aurora this year was one of the best so far,” said one of the high school campers. “Coming into high school camp, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t really know many people, since I’m from Rhode Island. However after the first few days that changed. The lectures this year were probably the best I’ve ever heard. The activities were spot on, and the staff were awesome. This past week is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

“I just got back yesterday from one of the best weeks of my life!” said a younger camper. “Going through each day I found answers and got a ton of great advice. We did so many activities and sports that were a lot of fun and simply spending that time with everyone there meant so much.”

Through empowering presentations, which incorporated Divine Principle content, and activities, the campers were able to develop a deeper understanding of true love and what it means to stand up for yourself and those you care for. The campers were able to develop a stronger sense of faith and identity, and were also able to create warm, love filled memories that will last a lifetime.

“The activities that were done at this particular camp were similar in idea to other camps,” remarked a camper, “but this was a core experience to shaping all of our lives, in my own perspective in the least. From day one, I remember I had felt inclined to share my troubles, to invest my state of vulnerability to the camp.”

Some activities included swimming, canoeing, song festivals, group prayer, board breaking, mini ropes course, capture the flag games, campers versus staff games, a giant water slide, and letter writing or calling to people back home. Camp Aurora also assigns high school campers with a younger middle or youth camp buddy to mentor and bond with over the course of camp. Oftentimes, these buddies stay connected throughout the school year as well. Camp Aurora is a taste of the kingdom of heaven on earth. Staff and participants are already so excited for Camp Aurora 2016!