Why I Volunteer at Summer Camp
Written by Cassie Shunk: Co-dean of Astronomy, Rocketry, and Computers (ARC) Camp
How about I share a poem of Wesley Woods and what it means to me and why I volunteer…. Just kidding! I’m not that person. I am the person who will tell you how I got to Wesley Woods, why it’s important to me, and why I keep coming back.
Some 20 years ago I had a friend ask me to go to camp with her and I laughed at her. I was like-- why would I pay to go camping? I could go anytime; my family even had a family cabin. But she and many others from my church were persistent in trying to get me to go to camp. I always just said “I’m good, but glad you enjoy it.”. Finally, one day I had a mentor in my life tell me that I didn’t get a choice-- that I was going to camp and that it was already paid for and taken care of. Little did I know: that push and love and care were the things that would change me and my life.
I went to A.R.C. Camp at Wesley Woods reluctantly. I was not willing or wanting to do any of the activities because I thought they were silly and had no interest in them. I also was a little anti-social. However, that night we had our first worship around the fire. I’ll tell you it’s not like being at a church for worship, it’s something far more. To be able to worship God while also in His creation is amazing. Singing praises to the Creator while seeing a million stars above you. (It is still one of my favorite parts of camp to this day.) In that moment I fell in love with camp, Wesley Woods, and the Lord. That one small moment in time at a place I didn’t want to be at, changed it all for me. I knew I wanted to learn more about God, His Word and I wanted to seek Him.
Needless to say, by the end of the week I loved Camp. I came back the next year and, went through the C.I.T. training. Shortly after that I joined Summer Staff for a few years. I returned as a volunteer counselor and also,- helped with functions in the off season. And now today I dean A.R.C camp with my husband whom I also met at camp. I have made and maintained many friendships from Wesley Woods.
Why do I continue to show up and serve at Wesley Woods? Well, that’s easy for me to answer! It’s because that’s where I first came to truly see God. To see who He was and what He could do with one moment in my life. The Lord gave me a verse all those 20 some years ago: Matthew 17:20. It says, “He said to them ‘Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” A mustard seed is tiny, but it is also a very powerful plant, it will take over the area and soil of where it grows and become massive. Meaning our faith can become so massive that it can move mountains. I’ve seen it firsthand in my life and others. But “camp”, Wesley Woods, is one of those places the mustard seed has “grown”. It is a place the Lord is using to bring others to know Him.
I love getting to be a part of that. To be able to serve the Lord with, through, and at Wesley Woods. To be able to share God with others and watch as their lives change for the better all because they came to Wesley Woods. So why am I still here volunteering? It’s because the Lord has allowed me to love a place He has used in my life, and the lives of many others, to be closer to Him. I want to be able to give others the chance to have the opportunities that I and countless others have had at Wesley Woods.
You can learn more about volunteering at Wesley Woods Christian Camp HERE
You can receive more info about Astronomy, Rocketry, and Computers Camp HERE