My name is Jackson Wynne, and this summer I spent a portion of my summer out at Camp Nutimik Baptist Camp where I took on the role as a Cabin Leader for Classic Camps, and One week of Tent Adventures. Over the course of the four weeks I was out there, I was given the opportunity to start stepping up into a leadership role in working with children of different ages starting from 9-15. During the camp day we were given three spiritual emphasis times that we would spend diving into Gods word, hearing and teaching bible stories that would then lead to conversations with the campers on how the story and the lessons may apply in their lives as they go about their normal lives at home. Within these times it is not something I am the most familiar with teaching, it is quite new to me, and I feel as though this is something God has been leading me towards as I start to go further in life and begin to enter the world as an adult. God was showing me the heart of these kids that I was leading, and the heart God has given them to seek him, I was surprised most weeks by the growing amount of questions these discussions would lead to, usually there would be hour long conversations past lights out about how God works in the world which is not something I would have expected when the week started. It was incredible how God was able to speak through me to these kids and the impact it eventually had in them, and I know that God had planted many seeds throughout the course of this summer, and I saw that in some incredible features of the growing interest these kids had in who God is. Every day there would be more and more questions and more wonder, it was something that was enlightening to see for me, as some weeks were very hard staying with these kids 23 hours of the day, even with my hour and a half break every day. I came to see that it was more than just worth it, I grew relationships with these kids that were God honoring and that made seeds planted as the kids went back home to grow more in their faith and to make it personal to them so that they may know God’s grace and love. I knew God brought them to camp for a reason, and I know he put me there to see this, to see that I can be someone who is working with God to share his love and his kingdom with not just the kids, but also my friends who worked with me as well and the other staff and speakers I got to meet along the way who are helping me to know God and his kingdom.

++

My name is Toby Cooper, and this summer I had the privilege of working out at Camp Nutimik this summer. I worked out there for three weeks, as a part of the kitchen staff, and later on the maintenance team for a couple of days because some of the staff got sick, so some positions had to be shuffled around.

In the time that I was there, God was primarily working on patience and letting go of anger in my life, and He continued working on them while I was part of the missions team that went to Mexico in August. God was working on these things primarily, because in the past I have struggled with these things, and they have been a stumbling block in my life that has often stopped me from getting closer to God, or from healing wounds with other people in my life.

God was working on these things during my time at camp that would actively test my patience, so that I would need to rely on the Lord to get through. He was also seeking to draw me closer to Him on a daily basis through our quiet times, and the sessions of the camp I was able to sit in on. He was encouraging me to rely on Him and trust Him more, instead of just letting the things that were coming against me daily, and the unpleasant encounters with people, got me frustrated, so that my eyes would slip from being focused on the Lord.

++

This summer I went to Camp Nutimik, a summer camp that teaches kids about Jesus. This summer I took part in a program called Step Out. This was a three week program that taught us how to be leaders. During those three weeks we took time to grow our relationships with God and each other, this was very important because we needed to learn how we can lean on others and on God for help and direction. The last week we were in the program we were able to shadow a cabin, we got to eat meals with them, go to chapel and chapel debrief, do morning and evening devos together, and also do fun activities with that cabin. Shadowing a cabin showed us how to cabin lead and what a week would kind of look like. Once I finished the three week program I got to volunteer at camp for four weeks. My first time cabin leading I got to experience it with an amazing group of girls that were always so optimistic in any situation, especially one of my girls who had to be taken to the Walk in Clinic. The second week I got to cabin lead a great bunch of girls that got along very well, sometimes a little too well. This is when I saw God work in me and give me the fruit of the spirit. The other two weeks I was volunteering at camp, I was on campus care duty. While doing campus care I was able to grow great relationships with the other staff members on campus care duty with me. All four volunteer weeks were tiring but very rewarding, especially seeing the smiles on the kids faces. I got to learn more about God, and I got to see him working in others around me. My favorite part about being at camp is the people, they are all very supportive and friendly, overall it’s just an amazing community to be around. – Kiahna Oeste

++

Hello! This marks the end of another summer as a cabin leader at Gem Lake Wilderness Camp. I had an amazing two months full of fun times, new experiences, strong connections with campers and staff, all while being right in the middle of God’s good creation. Each year God seems to teach me something new up and camp, or at least remind me of something that I’d forgotten or pushed to the side. This year, I would say that I felt the push to get my priorities back in line. Back in the city I knew that I was starting to push God farther back in my life, but being up here and having many of the common distractions stripped away really convicted me about just how many things I had placed ahead of God in my list of priorities. I know this will be a struggle as long as we are on earth, but I hope this transition out of the camp season will be a turning point for me. Of course, God worked in the lives of the campers too, which is especially evident during our one-on-one times, which were definitely a highlight for me each week. These are times where, each day, we get to spend time with one of the campers who is up that week; just me and them. They let us get to know the camper better and build more trust than we can with our entire cabin group, and they often lead to some pretty special conversations and relationships. One of my one-on-ones in particular really stands out to me. In one of our earlier weeks, I was paired with a kid who was especially challenging. They were clearly trying to see how far they could go before I would snap and get angry. With a good helping of supernatural patience, I stayed patient and steady when I spent time with this camper, and I did my best to reflect the fact that no matter how much we may mess up or rebel against God, He will always love us and welcome us back with open arms. I saw the fruits of my labor at the party on the last day of camp when this camper, who I thought I wasn’t reaching, breaks down and admits what a great week they’ve had and how much they’ll miss me and the camp. It was a powerful reminder that what myself and the staff team are doing is truly having a positive impact on the youth that come up. – Ethan Hildebrand

++

Camp has always had a special place in my heart. It is where I grew to know Christ more in my faith walk, and it is where I built a community that I now call family. This has now been my fifth summer working at Camp Nutimik, and it has been an honour to serve in the way that I have this summer.

I was able to work on some administrative duties in the spring, which meant a lot of time in the office! But through that I was able to help prepare certain things in place so that the kids would have a smooth time once they arrived at camp. I am very grateful to have helped in this way!

I also had the opportunity to be a leader for the Steps programs at camp, which are our leadership programs. This is where I was able to walk alongside some of the future leaders of camp, and it was so clear to see how God worked in the lives of those kids specifically in order to bring them to where they are today. It was amazing to see how joyful the campers were, no matter how tough the experience might be; like accidentally tipping a canoe during the canoe trip or staying in a tent with one too many spiders! Overall, being a part of these leadership programs was a huge blessing. It felt like a full circle moment!

I was also able to cabin lead during our classic camp this summer. I especially loved getting to dive into Psalm 139 during high school week. Both my co cabin leader and I wanted to drive home the fact that Jesus knows THEM and loves them despite it all. Little by little, our girls warmed up both to us and the rest of the cabin. With the way that the week went on, it was very clear to see how God specifically put this cabin together. I am still in awe whenever I think about it.

It was an amazing summer. I want to thank Whyte Ridge for supporting me this summer, and for helping me and many others be a part of being able to share God’s love with those around us at camp! – Paola Gonzalez

++

My name is Emma Wynne, this year at camp I got to serve in the roles of Girls Unit Leader and Waterfront Lead. In these roles I got to walk beside and help mentor our summer staff as they grow in their roles as leaders in the cabins and mentor the lifeguards/ waterfront staff. God put together our team in such phenomenal ways such as filling important gaps such as camp cooks, speakers, and health officers. Each week presented new campers, new challenges, and new opportunities to show Gods love to kids. From my point of view, I got to watch cabin leaders form connections with each camper so carefully and so intentionally share Gods word and love with them. The staff take interest in what each child’s hobbies, interests, worries, and joys are. Each day is an opportunity to pray over, invest in, and have fun with these kids. the days are spent doing skills such as canoeing and archery, playing wide games with such a fun intensity, and praising God for it all in chapels and firesides. To sit back and watch kids discover who God is and have a spark started in their hearts is one of the most incredible things you can witness. The hardest part of the week is saying goodbye to these kids at the end. As they go home, we as staff pray over campers knowing that they are being sent out into a broken world. Camp is for planting seeds; our prayer is that those seeds get watered once they go back into the world.

In my other role at camp, I got to see Gods provision, grace, and protection over our waterfront. Our waterfront team was filled with wonderful lifeguards who mentored each other and were constantly looking to interact and create the best experience for the kids. God’s hand of protection was over our waterfront protecting us from weather and helping us prevent potential accidents and injuries. God was always reminding us that He was holding us in His hands. The right people were always in the right place, at the right time. Serving at the waterfront or in other words God’s lakeside temple, opened the door to sitting in total awe and coming to a place of surrender in His great power, grace, and incredible love.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this ministry and those serving through prayer, financial support, and encouragement.

++

Hi church, my name is Rachel Laldin and I worked at Lake Nutimik Baptist Camp for four weeks this past summer. This was the second summer I’ve worked there, and I love it because because of the community within the staff. The interactions I get with campers, though few, are very important and special to me. For example, I got to connect with this one middle years camper through a wide game. This wide game was led by support staff while cabin leaders did paperwork. I enjoyed forming a relationship with this camper through little conversations and celebrating our wins! This was extra special to me because this camper is from WRBC.

I worked as a support staff on the campus care team doing housekeeping and dishes. Some housekeeping responsibilities included making sure the camp is clean and tidy, cleaning washrooms and setting up for chapels. I also served on the worship team in chapels by playing bass guitar, two worship nights for the intermediate and high school weeks and I even got to be on the drama team for a couple of weeks – that stretched me because I’ve never been too open to the idea of acting :). This turned out to be a huge blessing during the weeks because it was a way for the campers to get to know me.

Over the summer I have experienced God’s work in myself and our staff team. He provided the energy, strength, words and stamina to go through every week with new campers. If there’s one thing that this summer taught me it’s Matthew 11:28-30 which says: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Thank you church for supporting me this summer. I recognize and appreciate your investment in my growth!