Camp Kohoe 2016
July 11, 2016
More than 60 staff and campers, ranging in age from 13-20, came to Camp Kohoe this summer, which ran from June 26 to June 30 in Benton Harbor, MI. Unificationist-born youths Kensei Maeda, Kosuke Enami, and Junka Honda organized the camp activities and also invited Gerry Servito and Benjy Uyama of the National Ministry Team to give presentations on Unification Thought and its application throughout the camp.
The first day’s intention was to engage the campers emotionally, so that they could feel the desire to improve or develop their parent-child relationships. To this end they read Hoon Dok Hwe was from Book 3 of the Cheon Seong Gyeong, “The Realms of True Love.” Gerry then started off the day with a talk on what the “realms of true love” actually means for love relationships in our own families. Benjy followed with a presentation and activities which addressed the question “Where am I right now?”–in other words, reflecting on where the campers currently are in their relationships with their parents. The guest session was “Who are Our Parents?” by Rev. and Mrs. Rendel, IWs of the Midwest Block, and Mr. and Mrs. Jesper, the hosts of Camp Kohoe. Benjy guided the evening’s action step that each student should share, in writing, to their parents what they think about their current relationship, and then ask the parent what they think about it.
The next day’s intention was to engage the campers’ intellect, so that they could understand what True Parents’ teachings are about parent-child relationships. They began the morning with a reading from Book 5 of the Cheon Seong Gyeong, “Ideal Parent-Child and Sibling Relationships,” and Gerry gave a presentation on what “attendance” really means, as well as how to cultivate the foundations of one’s faith in the modern age. Kensei then offered a staff testimony on developing his relationship with his parents, and Benjy followed with a presentation on the campers’ potential and what the Matching and Blessing could be, when supported by a healthy relationship with their parents. In the evening, Benjy encouraged the campers to reflect on the question, “What kind of relationship do I want with my parents?” and to write a letter asking their parents, “What kind of relationship do you want with me?” These were burned in the bonfire that night, and there were some honest sharings afterward.
On the third day, the campers’ activities were organized around the intention of nurturing the will, so that they would make personal determinations to act on their hopes and desires. To this end, they read from Book 11 of the Cheon Seong Gyeong in the morning on the theme of “The Etiquette of Attendance.” Gerry then offered a talk which explained the connection between attendance and love, as expressed through manners and customs, and how these relate to substantiating faith in their relationships. Benjy followed with a presentation titled “Growing to Greatness,” then guided the campers to decide “What exactly am I going to do/How will I get there?”, regarding their life’s goals and dreams.
That night, a staff testimony was given by Sholina Pearson. She moved her listeners by her story of resolute determination to break through in her relationship with her parent, even though she faces unique challenges and is still in the process of improving that relationship. The evening action step was for each camper to write a final letter to their parents, which would be mailed by the staff, explaining their heart and realizations over the course of the camp.
Gerry reflected after the camp concluded, “Benjy and I left Wednesday evening–the final full day of the camp. Kensei wrote us on Friday: “Thank you guys for everything! Reading through the survey responses, the campers loved having you guys around a lot!” Benjy and I did feel that we were educating and refreshing the staff, as well as the young ones. But I think that because of the focus of the camp, another critical outcome is what will happen between the children and their parents after the camp is over and remains to be seen, particularly when the parents receive their child’s letter in the mail, the one they wrote on the last night of camp.”
Amid the presentations and the readings, the campers also had many opportunities for recreational activities and sports, including a trip to the Lake Michigan shore, where they spent a full afternoon together with the presenters and guest speakers and got to know one another better.
During the Monday night staff meeting, too, a big “care” package of edible goodies arrived from Kaeleigh Moffit, the National Youth Ministry pastor. Everyone was touched by her sincere expression of support and appreciation for their hard work and care for their juniors.