“When my pastor told me there was a camp in North Carolina in the middle of the woods I said, ‘Whoa, that sounds amazing! I love the woods!’” That’s how Hazelle, a high school camper from Tampa, Florida, first learned about Lutherock and why she was so eager to go and see what it was all about.
While she was eager, going to Lutherock for the first time was a big deal for Hazelle. “It was my first time away from my mom for a week and going outside the state made it even more huge,” Hazelle says. “Being at Lutherock was very different and a little shocking. In the city you don’t experience so much nature. It was amazing to be able to see and smell the trees when you wake up.”
Being in the woods for the week gave Hazelle lots of time to see and appreciate new things. “It was so environmentally different and so peaceful,” Hazelle says. “It blew me away how peaceful things can be. We got to see so many animals like deer and salamanders. It’s so magical that God creates all that.”
Hazelle says her camp counselors have been really important to her experience at Lutherock. “I felt like I was really cared for by my counselors,” she says. “You can tell that we matter to them and that they enjoy everything that they’re doing and having fun with us.” This summer, the devotional times led by Hazelle’s counselor Riley were especially meaningful to Hazelle. “One of the nights we went out and sat under the pavilion while it was raining,” Hazelle remembers. “We were there just relaxing and thinking and praying. We talked about how God created all things good, including us. I felt like I was soaking up so much of nature and God’s love.”
Hazelle’s mom Kimberly remembers what Hazelle said when she got back from Lutherock. “She told me when she came home that she felt so much closer to God than she ever had been,” Kimberly says. “Hazelle is very much an evangelist, and I knew she was going to use her camp experience to keep on spreading good news to others.”
Since going to camp, Hazelle says she talks a lot about how good God’s creation is. “That’s one of the things I like to talk about with people,” Hazelle says. “I brought back stories and games and songs from camp that I get to share with my church and my friends. But I especially brought back my excitement for appreciating God’s creation.”
The love Hazelle felt at Lutherock continues to shape her life. “I got to hear about how much God loves me and it’s just astounding,” Hazelle shares. “I hope that in a few years I can be a Lutherock counselor. Camp has made me feel so loved. I want everyone to be able to feel that love from God so they can love others and God’s creation too.”
Your gifts to NovusWay give campers like Hazelle experiences in God’s creation that deepen faith and empower joyful witness. We are grateful you are a part of this ministry where lives are transformed for love and service.
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