Eighty campers and 44 staff enjoyed the nearly perfect sunny weather while learning to “Be Anchored to God” throughout their lives. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we had to make some modifications in order to operate the camp program this year. The restrictions included wearing masks when inside the major buildings, eating meals outside on picnic tables and dividing the campers into three “cohorts.” The cohorts remained six feet or more apart and were identified when indoors by the colors of masks provided by UYC. The masks we purchased were athletic ones that provided ease of breathing but fulfilled the requirements. 

The activities were primarily on site this year, including kayaking on Smith Lake, pickleball, archery, beach volleyball, skimboarding and boogie-board riding in the waves, speedaway on the beach, dance class (held outdoors on a patio), outdoor photography, softball and waterskiing at Lytle Lake. The daily Christian Living themes were discussed and reinforced in the activities during each day. 

Monday night campfire was held on the beach with the sun setting over a calm Pacific Ocean. Tuesday evening was the first all-camp dance, and Wednesday evening campers and staff enjoyed a beautiful ride on the Oregon Coastal Scenic Train. The train is a vintage 1925 steam engine with three vintage passenger cars. Due to the cohorts and the lower number of campers this year, teens were able to spend even more time together and develop deeper friendships.   

After Sabbath services our traditional camp banquet was a highlight, followed later that evening by the last dance of camp. Due to the restrictions we had to operate camp with thirty fewer staff than normal this year, so all of the staff had double or triple duty assignments. A special thanks to all of them! Their hard work and dedication made a great camp experience possible for the campers. 

We are thankful for God’s protection as everyone remained healthy and the camp nurse only had to deal with a few sprains and bruises. Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support of the UYC camp program! We are looking forward to Northwest Camp 2022, which will be July 24-31.