Trenton and I have just wrapped up our last camp session for summer 2022, and it has been an amazing experience! As we embarked to France to begin our mission this summer, we thought we more or less knew what to expect out of our first two months. Our expectations definitely held true for the young adult and the high school age camps that we have worked many times. However, we were not expecting all of the joys, surprises, and challenges of the younger kids camp or the two family camps that followed.

the art of silence

reconnecting

I can’t go into detail about every single relationship, but there was one camper that I was so happy to reconnect with! We first really bonded last year during the high school camp. On the descent from our overnight hike last year, he opened up to me about how he was feeling lonely as a Christian in his hometown. His mother was a Christian and had brought him to Christ. However, she passed away a few years ago, leaving him with his father and grandmother, who were both willing to take him to Church, but were not necessarily believers themselves. On top of that, there were no other young people in his Church, so he was often left feeling alone in his faith. We talked a lot about the importance of community but also about how to continue in his faith within his situation. Camp des Cimes was a great place for him to learn, share, and be encouraged with people his own age.

This year when this camper came back to Camp des Cimes, we were so excited to see each other again! We got to hang out, have fun, and catch up. I was so happy to learn that his father had remarried this year and that his new step-mother is a Christian! He now has two older step-brothers who are also believers and able to connect with him. They have even been talking about trying to form a city-wide youth group in their hometown. I had been praying for him throughout the year, and was so relieved to hear that God had answered some of those prayers. We even talked about hosting the youth group for a weekend retreat if things end up coming together this year – something I really hope becomes a reality. Again, this is just one story, but it is a great example of the importance for Trenton and I to be able to return to this place year after year, and now to be able to stay year round to continue what God has started during the summer.

the day-to-day

For those of you who want a better idea of what the day-to-day activities at camp look like, please watch this video from the high school camp! We spend a lot of time talking about the Gospel and the deeper things, but we also have a lot of fun here, and would love to share some of that with you all:)

kid and family camps

After the young adult and high school camps, we had the kids camp and two family camp sessions. As I said, we were not sure what to expect from these camps as we have only worked the kids camp one time before and have never attended the summer family camps. We were surprised to be stretched and put to work in more ways than we had initially imagined. Trenton played guitar for worship during the kids camp and continued to play every day during the younger kids’ message time of family camps. It was great to see him be able to use and share his talents with others for the Lord! We were also surprised to be responsible for our own rooms of kids during the kids camp. Camp des Cimes does not have cabins like many American camps, but they have rooms with bunkbeds in bigger buildings for the campers to stay in. For us, having our own rooms, meant that we were responsible for waking up, helping to get ready, putting down for nap time, and reading stories to and putting to bed several kids everyday. This is a lot of work no matter what, but with French as our second language, it was even harder!

Although family camps are much calmer, with parents taking care of their own children, we were still pushed in ways that we had not foreseen. Trenton and I helped lead all of the 6-11 year old children’s message times everyday for these camps. That meant that Trenton continued to play the guitar, that we translated some of the messages into English for certain English-speaking campers, and that Hailey even taught a couple of lessons in French. On top of that, Trenton helped led rock climbing every other day, and Hailey led a watercolor art workshop. All of these are things, we would not have been able to do without the gift and preparation that God has given us over our past several summers at Camp des Cimes. It has been a lot of work, but it has also been amazing to see how God put us to use for His glory over the past month!

Click on the photos above to see some of our family camp duties.

lasting impacts + prayers

French Christian culture is different than American Christian culture in that there are not many big alter calls or emotional moments of conversion in France. Rather, acceptance and belief in the Gospel usually comes from years of long conversations and open discussions and a slow mulling over of what they believe. This is very different than what we sometimes experience in the States, but it typically means, that when a person here comes to Christ, it is a real, deep, and lasting commitment. For us at Camp des Cimes, we do not always see the results of our camps right away for nonbelievers, but it is in the weeks, months, and years that follow where we see the fruit of what we are doing here. We invite you to please join us in prayer as all of our campers have returned home. Pray that for those who were already believers, that they continue to feel encouraged, uplifted, and ready to stand firm in their faith throughout this upcoming school year. Pray for those who are not believers, that they continue to reflect on what they heard here this summer, and that their hearts be open to what God has in store for them.

up next

For the moment, we are taking time to rest and to settle in to our new home. Now that camps are over, we are moving into one of the camp’s on-site apartments. It will take some time, but this place that we already love so much will soon start to feel like a real home. Our first team meeting is Monday to go over job duties and projects for the upcoming year, so we will soon have a much better idea of exactly what the rest of this year will look like. Thank you all for your continued prayers as we navigate our new life in France!