Camp Shamineau

There is this great place up in Motley, MN.  Camp Shamineau.  Granted, I may be biased since I have worked there for a few years now.. but I’m telling you, this place changes lives.  Not only have I experienced personal growth like I have never seen, but camp has given me the opportunity to touch the lives of others.

This is not me saying, you should head there right now (although you may want to..), but rather I just want to share a few moments that have forever changed my perspective that may begin to challenge yours.  As background, Camp Shamineau is a christian camp where campers K-8th grade come each summer for a week to have fun and experience God.  At said camp, I am referring to times when I was basically one of two counselors for a cabin of about 8 girls.

One of the most powerful moments at camp for me was when I was talking one-on-one with one of my campers.  At one point, I asked if she had any questions.  After a silence, she timidly asks me a question (of which I won’t share) and of course I answer it.  But then she very sincerely thanks me because as she then shared, she had been wanting to ask that question for many years, but was too afraid to ask anyone until then.  

Another camper, a different age, a different year, but still very sincere, thanked me at the end of the week for giving her the best week “ever”.  She shared that she had never before been able to gather the courage to go anywhere especially a camp, without any friends, for a week.  In fact she shared that she even had trouble leaving her house and was terrified to go to camp.  So she thanked me, for giving her one of the best weeks of her life.

And last, but definitely not least, I was able to help two campers accept Christ into their lives for the first time.  Through all of these things, I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to touch these children’s lives because ultimately, it is Christ who is touching their lives, and I just get the amazing chance to be used by Him.  

And yes, camp can be extremely tiring and difficult at times, but God is really working there.  And through these experiences, He has been working in my life too.  I hope and pray that I can just submit to His will for my life and let Him take control, because through Christ, anything is possible and He does amazing things if we relinquish the illusion of control and self, and just let Him work.

Until next time.

Laura

*You can check out Camp Shamineau @ http://shamineau.org/CampShamineau/Main.html