You probably don't know me, but I know your camp well. In fact, I am part of it. I have been here long before many of you - maybe even all of you. I was here when there was a Jewish camp located here providing shade for little kids having a spiritual experience in the woods. In 1949, I noticed the kids changed a little but the spirits of the campers' hearts didn't. It was still a place where kids seemed to enjoy the shade I provided - a whole lot of kids have come through the years, and I have really delighted in watching them enjoy being here and with me.
Over the years, I watched the camp grow. Way back when, I was right by a loud bell and administration building that ran the camp. I watched the kids swim in the pools nearby. The older kids had interesting conversation in these green chairs by the pool. Some of the kids played games on the porch. The camp grew a lot through the years. I used to watch all the kids go in for meals in the admin building, go across the street to make crafts at the craft cabin and sleep in their cabins just over there. They sang a lot and played a lot of games. As I got older, I came to understand that at night the middle school kids would always end their evening making a Greek symbol. I guess it was the first two letters of Jesus's name in Greek - Chi and Rho - I got to know a lot of songs they sang every night - I miss hearing Jacob's Ladder sung every summer.
I got to watch a whole lot of hoe downs on the lawn right by me. It was always fun watching the kids do-si-do, schottische, and man they liked to do the YMCA! But as time went on, I started seeing the kids a bit less. They only ate in the dining hall after awhile and the admin building was just a place kids played on the porch for a long time. Sometimes I would watch assistant directors stay there for a week or two. But I mostly enjoyed watching kids play in the pool, dive off the diving board, and hang out around green chairs. It was still enjoyable. Honestly, it was kind of neat because I kept growing and soon I could see that they did not stop making those Chi-Rhos and circles around torches - they just did it a bit further away from me.
Soon, I was getting tall enough to see they had built a little lake and a bunch of buildings on the other side of the road... who knew??? It is nice to be able to see so much of the camp from up here.
I have to admit, as time has gone on, I have missed hearing the little voices. You see, the cabins were soon torn down. Even the admin building got the boot. After awhile I wasn't able to even watch kids playing in the pool, learning to dive and swim and carry on like kids do -- the pool went bust. That was a sad summer for me.
But man how I do love the camp still. I am tall enough that I have been watching them carry on in front of the old dining hall - they started doing water games there after the pool went bust. Those kids are able to have a good time no matter where they are. Sometimes I even have a pretty good view of the serenade and other places the kids are hanging out doing all kinds of things with magnets in the lake, games at the "amphitheater" as they call it. I like it when they sing loud - I can hear them way over here! Their songs have changed some but they always make me feel good - same as before.
But something new is happening.... I can see over the craft cabin that there is yet again another building going up. I hear people walking around and talking about it. It is apparently a pool house! I guess the big hole in the ground is going to be another pool! I won't see it as well but I will keep an eye on the kids still. It looks to be another place that the kids will sing, have fun, and learn about God. Who knows - maybe they will even have baptisms there. I witnessed a few in the old pool.
I hope you are able to come and see it and see me! I love it when you come my way even though I am not near all the new buildings at camp. I still love being around campers and getting to know what God is doing in your lives. I hope you are able to enjoy the new pool and maybe even be part of the people who we can thank for making it happen!
Yours truly,
The Happiest Tree at Camp Christian
For more information about the If Not Now, When Campaign and to make a donation/pledge, go to: www.ccinoh.com/campaign.
ALSO, we hope you will join us at Camp for the “Dive Into Tomorrow” event on May 16th. For details and to RSVP for this FREE event, go to: https://ccinoh.com/regional-calendar.aspx?events=16149&action=details