Camper Testimony: Brian “JR”
JR wanted to go to a camp but didn’t know of a good one, so he asked his pastor. His pastor could not think of one that came to mind, but “he knew one guy he could ask.” Wink. Wink. He prayed and asked God to lead him to a good camp for JR, and God led him to KAA.
His pastor told him to look it up online and see what he thought. It was a no brainer—the activities looked amazing—plus JR knew camp was the place to get back to God, shed old bad habits and create new life-giving ones.
Before he left for camp, he told his church family that he was going to come back as somebody they had never met before and that it was going to be a good thing. His pastor replied, “I’m ready for you to come back as somebody else I’ve never met before.”
While JR was ecstatic to come, he was also nervous. He had never been to any camp before. Soon after arriving his worries melted away. God had picked the perfect camp for him! He got to try several new things for the first time—tubing, jumping on the blob, swinging off the trapeze at the pool, conquering the challenge course—plus some his favorite classics, like playing baseball and basketball.
All the activities were awesome, but it was the interactions he had with his counselors and fellow campers ministered to his heart. The one-on-one conversations about real life struggles softened his heart.
Back home, JR, like many young people are living between two households—dealing with two sets of parents. He hated it, and his relationship with his dad and step-dad were equally lacking.
But he says, “God put the pieces back together at camp.”
His counselors spent extra time advising him, pouring scripture into him, praying with him, and encouraging him. Then, at Cross Talk, the last piece was put in place when JR rededicated his life to Jesus!
He couldn’t wait to go back and give his testimony to his church family. It is something to shout about. “No one knows the future,” JR shares, “but I can tell you right now, it is not going to be like my past. KAA is a place where you take a week out of your life and just give everything to God. Just one week can change you for a whole lifetime.”
