For The Gal Going to Camp This Summer
Truly truly there are probably very few things in this world that I love more than a camp girl moment. I grew up going camping with my family all over Michigan and the Midwest. I went to summer camp in middle school and I would say that is truly where I made my faith my own. I was a camp counselor for almost three whole summers and have camp stories coming out of my ears! I really felt like the goofiest, most alive Sare came out at camp and I hope that if you are off to summer camp soon that you feel the freedom to be fully you there too!
I took a second to compile my best big sister camp advice and wanted to make sure that you had some tools pre and post camp if you needed them. Also if you make it to the end of this post there’s some fun exclusive content of camp counselor Sarah 😇
BEFORE CAMP
Think about these four prep areas- PACK, SHOES, PAPER, HEART (is this my new made up version of rock, paper scissors, shoot?)
Think packing - What would make camp immediately more fun? Probably bubbles, hair wraps, temporary tattoos and bug spray all need to make the list. Also like it’s not gonna be a fun time to wheel a suitcase through wood chips so depending on your style of camp maybe opt for a duffle?
Think footwear - Lots of situations at camp call for necessary footwear. Are you needing shower shoes? The answer to this question is always YES. Is the lake at camp super mucky and seaweed infested? Grab a water shoe. Are you gonna be hiking? Do you need a cowgirl boot for the trail rides? Are you going to be playing endless hours of Capture the Flag or soccer? Do you need a dressier shoe for chapel? You get the picture—footwear matters. SOOOO many gals forget appropriate shoes and I just really need you to know that this is what you should build the rest of your packing list around…ok? OK!
Think paper - Hear me out this one is more important than you think. You will probably have moments where you want to remember a moment forever. A journal for chapel notes and memories is going to be a win. A journal is a great place to have friends sign the back cover of, or put your new trendy camp stickers. Maybe you aren’t a huge journaler - here is a tip for keeping memories if you aren’t a big writer: Get a disposable film camera and take pictures of moments you want to remember and at the end of the summer get them developed and put them in a small book and caption them like an IG photo dump. There was a girl I met at camp who hated journaling but she liked lists and she kept a journal list of “sweet mems” with the dates next to them. For example, there was a really fun meeting we had in the rain, and a HUGE rainbow came out and then we all had to sprint through the rain because were all late to lunch and we showed up to the mess hall absolutely drenched and it was something small but she wanted to remember it so it made the list.
You also might want to bring stickers, note cards, fun pens or highlighters, a book to read on off time, or envelopes/stamps to send a message home.
Think heart prep - Gals go to camp all the time and each one has a different story and experience with it. I think if I could give some big sister advice it would be to get your hopes up for what God could do in your heart. If you go into camp believing He is going to move in your life, believing that He has you there for a reason, wanting to hear Him speak, and expecting that He has something unique for you there…you are going to be so much more aware of His presence. The Bible says, “seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). Ask Jesus before you even get to camp to move in your heart in ways that can only be traced back to it being Him. I really believe that this opens us up to receive from Holy Spirit that much more.
POST CAMP
You might have some fun stories, some phone numbers of girls you want to stay in touch with, maybe the cute camp crush followed you back on social media, or maybe you have camp songs stuck in your head.
Maybe you are heading back into difficult situations that you really need the Lord to do a mighty work in.
Maybe you are nervous that life will just go back to normal after you leave.
Maybe you haven’t even given how you will feel after camp any thought at all yet.
Regardless of where you find yourself after a week or a month or three months at camp, it might be worth some time to reflect on what on earth just happened.
This is the part of this post that I want to draw you in close for just a second. You might hear people talk about or casually mention the “Camp High.” You might even hear this talked about as a negative thing. It is important to put everything in perspective and also hold everything up to Scripture. It might be a negative thing for you to be solely relying on experiences like camp, or a youth conference to sustain your relationship with Christ. I also know that mountain-top experiences mark us in ways that we will remember forever. It is OK if moments at camp are mountain-top experiences for you! In my mind, there is nothing wrong with the fresh revelation and the purity of heart that comes with seeking the presence of God. It is ok to feel the camp high and also to put some strategy in place for how you are going to connect with the Lord outside a curated environment. Jesus says that He is a Well that never runs dry. We know that the power of the Holy Spirit is like a spring bubbling up to overflowing (John 4:14 and Romans 15:13 Amplified Version). This means there is no lack of inspiration, intimacy, and connection with the Lord in the Kingdom of Heaven. That means when you get home from camp, you have an opportunity to take the fresh revelation that you received and let it be a fire igniting more time seeking the abundance of the Kingdom that is promised (John 10:10).
I love camp. I love that it is a place to get away from the normalcy of life to spend intentional time connecting with others and with Jesus. I love that camp creates opportunities to push you out of your comfort zone and into trying new things. I love that camp builds leaders and confidence and inspires us to ask big questions about our purpose in life. I pray that if you are off to camp… or even if you just got home that you would really sit with the Father about what you learned and what is next.
The Lord is so mighty in you! Also if something hilarious happens at camp this summer I need to know about it. Please DM me over on Instagram I would love to hear your funny camp stories.
