We know that camp is a time filled with exciting activities, silly adventures, and spiritual growth, but sometimes to get a better idea of how fantastic camp is, you just need to hear it from the campers! Way back in June, we surveyed our campers to find out what Mt. Gilead meant to them.
We found out that Tucker beat out all the competition to become the favorite camp animal, that Mt. Gilead is known as a safe place where campers can be themselves, and so much more!
At Mt. Gilead, we have four different age groups of campers: Adventurers (grades 2-5), Searchers (grades 6-7), Observers (grades 8-9), and Conquerers (grades 10-12). Here are some top answers to the questions we asked them.
What is your favorite camp memory?
“Sitting in the chapel in the woods to worship Jesus” – Adventurer
“Singing at cleanup and the pond!” – Searcher
“My favorite camp memories are the ones where my cabin mates have made me laugh or when we just spent time together because it was always fun.” – Observer
“During horsemanship, Kite brought out a giant stuffed bear for an exercise with the horses. We had to ride past it and see how the horses react. Sherlock (the horse I was riding) was SO confused about what this strange thing was! He sniffed it and shoved it around, it was so funny! I even drew a picture of it and gave it to Kite, and she hung it up on the board at the barn!” – Conquerer
Would you recommend Mt. Gilead Camp to a friend? If so, why?
“I would recommend it to a friend because we do lots of very fun activities, the camp staff is very nice, you can make lots of new friends, and the food is amazing!” – Adventurer
“I would because it is a fun place where you can make friends, do activities, and learn about God and the Bible.” – Searcher
“Yes, because it is so fun, and you get to meet new people. I would also recommend camp to someone who needs a little help getting out of their comfort zone since camp allows you to try new things. I would also recommend camp to someone who needs God in their life because camp might be the event that gets them to have faith.” – Observer
“Yes!!! I would want them to experience the love and friendship I found there. Being at Mt. Gilled has brought me so much closer to God and strengthened my relationship with him, and I want them to be able to experience that and grow with him. The activities are SO much fun, and the staff is always so kind.” – Conquerer
What is something that you’ve learned at camp?
“I learned how to make bracelets in lots of cool patterns.” – Adventurer
“Don’t be afraid to try something again after you fall off” – Searcher
“I learned that sometimes letting your personality out is better. Sometimes when I’m at home and school, I don’t let people see who I really am, but at camp, I could, and I feel it just made me a better person when I was open.” – Observer
“I learned to love everyone, no matter how hard they might be to love in my flawed human eyes. This is something that I only began to learn at camp and continued to learn throughout high school, and I’m sure will continue to learn throughout the rest of my life.” – Conquerer
What Makes Mt. Gilead Special?
“It’s a really fun place you can hang out and have fun and learn more about other people “ – Adventurer
“What makes Mt. Gilead special is that for me it is a place where you can have fun and forget about everything that stresses you out or worries you back home. “ – Adventurer
“It’s in the woods and there’s no temptation to sit in front of a screen” – Searcher
“You get to do different things than normal. Like seeing the goats, or riding the horses, or canoeing and getting blobbed in the lake.” – Searcher
“The good thing about Mt. Gilead is that I have an opportunity to meet so many new people! I have made so many great friends from camp that I never would have made if I didn’t go!” – Observer
“I like that camp allows me to grow closer to God because we read the Bible and do devotions every day.” – Observer
“Nobody is judged, everybody can be their weirdest self and it’s hilarious.” – Conqueror
“I’ve always appreciated how much the counselors care about the campers, even if they’re only spending a week with us. My second year at camp, I had a counselor who gave us her email address at the end of the week. I’m not sure if anyone else stayed in touch with her, but for the next three years, I emailed back and forth with her, and then we became pen pals. It really meant a lot to me that a “cool college student” would bother to answer my questions and ask about my life.” – Conqueror
Would You Want to Work at Mt. Gilead Someday? If so, why?
“Uhh, yeah! That’s pretty obvious! My great-grandmother, grandmother, my mom, and my aunt all worked there, so it’s pretty much my destiny. Why?? Cause I would get to stay all summer!” – Adventurer
“yes, I just want to help out and see other girls have fun like I did.” – Searcher
“Yes, because I love the atmosphere and community feeling of Mount Gilead, and I want to help that feeling to live on.” – Observer
“I would absolutely LOVE to work at camp one day, because of all the great experiences I had at camp and all the amazing counselors I had while there. I would love to be able to give that experience to kids and influence them to follow God more closely.” – Conqueror
As a staff member, it was so fun to read through these camper replies. I was reminded of how special Mt. Gilead is and loved hearing all that our ministry means to the girls who have passed through our gates. Whether you’ve grown up at Mt. Gilead, only been for a summer or two, or have never attended, we hope that you join us next year to create your own memories during our best summer yet!
