Escaping the winter blues

6th September 2011 by MORE

Do you hate the cold? How would you like to leave winter behind next year and enjoy beautiful, summer weather instead? How would you like to throw away those winter woollies for an awesome tan?

This is exactly what Alisha Blackman has done for the past three years. She traded in her job at the Australia Eastern Territorial Headquarters in the Donor Service Department for a counsellor position (fancy term for being a leader) at a Summer Camp in the United States. Alisha says these Summer Camps have given her the best experiences of her life.

“You can’t get this kind of experience anywhere else,” exclaims Alisha. “The people you meet are all like-minded and during the three months that you are there, the staff become like family.

“It’s a lot of hard work but the results are rewarding and you have a lot of fun in the process! Also, who wouldn’t want to skip winter and work in the great outdoors for a year-round summer?”

Summer Camps in the USA are a large part of their culture – it’s something young people grow up with and will often attend every year. There are over 12,000 camps that exist around America including many Salvo and Christian camps.

Every June since 2008, Alisha has spent three months taking care of and ministering to eight new campers each week at a Salvo Camp called Camp Del Oro.

“It’s a 24/7 thing. You get them up in the morning and put them to bed at night, sit with them at breakfast, lunch and dinner, take them up to their activities and of course, take part in the campfires every night which are a lot of fun.

“Some camps run for the entire summers with the same group of kids, others are fortnightly and other camps run for one week at a time like Del Oro where there are new faces to care for each week.”

For the most part, Alisha enjoyed herself and had loads of fun! But she also faced some challenges along the way.

“At Camp Del Oro, the summer is split into two sessions. I found the first session a lot harder than the second session because you’re totally out of your comfort zone during that time.

“BUT if you can stick with it, and see the summer through, I’ve always found that the second season was a blast and when it came time to leave, there were a lot of tears.”

Furthermore, Alisha shares how her camp experience was also a growing experience – particularly with God.

“The more times you go back to summer camp, the more your life changes … You change within yourself, your relationship with God, your interpersonal skills change and your confidence levels change.

“I think I’ve learnt to put more faith in who he [God] is rather than the people around me. He’s taught me to become more patient, to be humble and to listen more.”

Alisha was also blown away by the way God used her to share about him.

“Whenever you go out of your comfort zone or rely solely on God in whatever you do, he blesses you. He gave me opportunities to share who he is with the campers and staff I came in contact with.”

How to apply

If you are over 18, have a heart for young people and the outdoors, then you should apply. If you would like further information visit http://www.ccusa.com.au/. If you would like to speak to Alisha, then please fill out your details in the comment section below and they will be passed along to Alisha who will then contact you.

Comments

Jess

September 07, 2011 at 10:09pm

Camp Gifford is also an amazing summer camp in the USA. I was camp councelor last year. Definitely rewarding and growing experience!

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