SEP Washington

SEP Washington:
a relationship
with Jesus Christ

By Dee Bulante

Baptism of Brittany Haines at Cascade Waterfall.

ORCAS ISLAND, Washington—One hundred two campers from Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Texas converged on Orcas Island for a one-week camp adventure, Aug. 8 to 15.

Amy Johnson, camp director, reported: “SEP Washington’s mission to make disciples who make disciples and our goal this year to teach campers what real life is all about—a relationship with Jesus Christ—was accomplished. Many thanks to all our staff. What a tremendous impact they have made in the lives of our youths by surrendering their lives to God for one week this summer at camp.”

Dorm G-3 teens.

Campers were joined by 58 dedicated and youth-friendly staff who demonstrated the love of Jesus in action and shared the wisdom of Jesus in words. Their spirit of single-mindedness in purpose, cooperation and service was evident from start to finish.

The staff started camp with a mountaintop experience. They drove to the summit of Mount Constitution, which has a panoramic view of Puget Sound, the Canadian coastline and Vancouver Island. The staff felt the presence of God when they shared communion, prayed and worshiped the Lord while taking in the beauty of his creation.

Dorm B-2 pre-teens.

Even before camp started, two of our younger staff members gave their lives to the Lord and were baptized at the lake.

Campers enjoyed wind-gliding, canoeing, hiking, yachting, water polo, fishing, arts and crafts, swimming, archery, basketball and volleyball. They attended seminars on knowing the basics of Christianity, sharing the Christian faith, handling personal finances and becoming a better public speaker. They learned the fundamentals of ballroom dancing, which gave them much-needed confidence for their two dances.

Chapel service.

Most campers helped out in campus improvement, where they assisted in cleaning the camp facilities. They participated in a Spiritual Journey, where they visited 12 stations representing chronological events from the life of Jesus, culminating in his resurrection. It was a time for personal reflection and deep meditation on Jesus, a time to get real with Jesus.

Many of the youths did get real with Jesus, and responded positively to his message of grace and forgiveness. At the end of our last chapel service, campers walked to the lake where they witnessed 17 of their own baptized and making a public confession of their faith in Jesus Christ.

Hiking to the top of Mount Constitution.

An additional 12 campers were counseled for baptism, and have made a commitment to follow up with their pastor. They were blessed as well during that ceremony.

It was powerful to see the Word of God causing spiritual transformation in the lives of these young people. Seeing the fruits of repentance, in turn, makes a profound impact on the volunteer staff. It was an answer to our prayers during the mountaintop experience.

Camper John Sherrod commented: “The message at camp this year was to ‘Get Real With Jesus.’ The whole week I was searching my heart, the Bible and the words others spoke to me to find out what ‘getting real with Jesus’ actually meant.

Dorm B-1 preteens.

“By the end of camp, I found that in order to form a bond with Jesus, like any other relationship, we need to be completely honest with God. We need to know that though we try to hide ourselves from God, he will always be there, right next to you, waiting. Waiting for you to talk with him, to confess your sins, to share your thoughts and feelings, and most importantly, improving the eternal bond between ourselves and God. Knowing that I will always have a friend in Jesus makes living life easier.”

Camper Shannon Strong added: “I learned that being like Jesus is fun, and I learned that I can help bring people to Christ by praying to God and asking him to give me the right words to say to people. I made a commitment to read my Bible more often and spread the Word more.”

Teens at Camo Night.

Canoeing at Lake Cascade.

Photos by Aaron Burnsides, Bill and Joy Funsten and Amy Johnson.

Hit Counter