Trusting God at Camp

by Ben Hershey

Last summer the Conference-Related Ministry Bethany Birches Camp (Plymouth, VT) saw the construction and first use of the indoor climbing wall, a long-awaited component of the pavilion that arrived exactly a decade after construction began in 2014.  

I was asked if I would step into the role of managing the new wall during weeks of summer camp: teaching campers about the wall and climbing equipment, keeping children and staff safe, and helping campers to improve their skills. At first, these duties were daunting. It felt like I was always forgetting to do or say something, even if I was following the right steps.  

As I became more experienced, though, managing the rock wall became one of my favorite responsibilities. It was not just mastery of a new activity that made the rock wall a highlight, but also witnessing the campers’ enjoyment of it.  

Climbing the indoor wall fosters Bethany Birches Camp (BBC)’s core values. It requires boldness, which is also exhibited in the challenge of living outdoors in nature at camp. Living outdoors can be wonderful, but it requires campers and staff to go beyond the comfortable and familiar.  

Climbing involves faith. Campers must trust that the equipment, ropes, and belay will keep them safe and catch them if they fall. This exercise is analogous to trusting in God’s promise to carry us through the storms of life.  

The wall also fosters community. Climbers work with their belayer on the ground and accept the help of staff to ensure their safety. Campers frequently gave advice to their peers who had yet to reach the top.  

And the rock wall is fun! There is nothing like hearing encouragement from an audience of campers below, or the sense of accomplishment upon reaching the final hold. 

The climbing wall adds to the wonderful BBC experience I have had as a counselor for three summers and that campers come back year after year to enjoy. The personal and spiritual growth that I have experienced at BBC is a testament to the power of God to transform heart, self, and mind.  

Through going beyond my comfort zone each week, in leading activities or connecting with campers, I learned how life-changing it can be to live dependent on God, allowing God to take what I could not handle on my own.  

As I returned each summer, I could see how God has worked through me. It was evident in the joy of returning campers, an improved ability to earn the trust of new campers, and the progression of my counseling abilities such that I became a mentor for other staff.   

Serving has a BBC counselor has allowed God to foster within me a capacity to mentor, teach, and reflect God’s love towards others – gifts that will remain with me even beyond Bethany Birches. This growth has only been possible through a complete trust in God’s call for me, which has filled me with unexpected joy.