If you haven’t sent your younger ones to a Church-sponsored preteen camp, you should consider it. Several exist throughout the United States, and I had the chance to experience one of them at Osage State Park in Oklahoma. Staff and children combined came to more then 90 people attending. Children ranged from 6 to 12 years old. On Monday, when we arrived, the temperature was between 104 and 106 degrees outside. The cabins were a bit warmer, but we soon had the air conditioners humming.

A varying schedule was planned for the campers each day and each of the six dorms were involved in the following activities: swimming, craft classes, fishing, challenge games, board and other indoor games, as well as many other activities. Happily, the temperature during the following days of camp cooled some, making it much more enjoyable for everyone.

Two Christian Living classes were conducted per age level. The first class was on words. Tom Clark, the class instructor said, “They understood lying and taking God’s name in vain are wrong, but we discussed gossip, put-downs, deceit and disrespect as well. This age group is wonderful to work with. They are filled with wonder and energy, but still have an innocent approach to life. The second class was on prayer and the kids gave examples of how prayers were answered, which shows God is interested in them and hears their prayers! In the end they saw how they can and should be praying each day.”

Carol Blackwell and Andrea West led the kitchen staff. No one left hungry. There was plenty of food to go around. On the last day we also were able to sample the fish caught by the children during the week. Favorite meals were pizza, hamburgers and, of course, the desserts.

The kitchen staff worked from soon after sun-up until about 8 to 8:30 at night. They spent an extra few hours in cleanup on Wednesday. A grease fire had started in the rear of the stove. It seems the stove had not been cleaned in a very long time. We were happy to have Mike Blackwell on hand to save the day! He came in with a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. Luckily, no food was lost that day. We had just finished the dinner meal and had taken it out of the kitchen, and into the dining hall beforehand. So it was not as bad a situation as it could have been.

After the fire, one of the kitchen staff talked with the park ranger. He commented that it was amazing how so many people could work together in such a small space. He said that if it had been him, even with a bunch of his friends, trying to do what the staff had done, they would all have ended up fighting. He thought we looked like an assembly line; and he was very impressed with how slick, fast and smoothly the cleanup went.

Campers and staff alike enjoyed the early morning and early evening hours. This was the best time to see the native wildlife. Turkeys, deer, possum, owls, scorpions, various birds and, of course, the fish the children caught were spotted.

The youngest campers who were experiencing their first time at camp arrived a bit nervous, but soon settled into the routine. The kids I spoke to said they were eager to return next year. All the children worked well together and each day a different dorm had dining hall and/or bathroom detail. They really put all of their efforts into it, and I viewed no disputes over the work.

We also had a nurse, Karen Smith, on hand to cover any medications to be dispensed, bandage scraped knees and look after anyone who was feeling out of sorts. Fortunately, we only had one child who had come to camp a bit ill and had to go home. Occasionally, even a staff member came looking for an aspirin or a bandage.

The staff at camp worked hard, and they were often worn out and looking for a break. But it was all worth it when you saw the campers’ smiling faces. When there was time, some of the staff took a swim, took a walk or run, read a book or just took a nap.

One of the best parts about camp for me was the feeling of security. One early morning I was up alone, sitting outside in the dark. I was a distance from the cabins with no one within shouting range. It was the first time in a long time that I wasn’t nervous about such a situation. At one point someone walked up out of the shadows and it didn’t bother me a bit. In any other situation I would have been very nervous, but I felt secure in the fact that I was surrounded by people who cared for one another. God was in that camp with us. I didn’t have to worry about theft or harm. I did not even realize how calm I had been until I got home. I realized it was a taste of the Kingdom to come. How wonderful that will be, when we won’t have to worry about dangers and can trust everyone around us.

Mr. Blackwell and Mr. Clark ran the awards ceremony on the last day and each child received a certificate of participation. Some of the dorm staff put on a little skit that was very amusing, and gifts were given to the Clarks and the Blackwells for all their work at camp. Then as the children waited for their parents to come for them, they had water fights, played ball, played in the sand or sat and talked with their dorm leaders and other staff. A few left behind a piece of clothing or a lost toothbrush, but no one—staff or camper—left without a feeling of loss for the new friends they had met and would not see for a while.

Think about sending your preteen to camp next year. Talk to your local pastor to see if there’s one in your area. It’s an experience that is not to be missed!