My Capernaum Camp Experience

Photo: four newly made life-long friends at North Bay Capernaum camp



by Anonymous


Although at times I was greatly exasperated by my buddy, I still count it as a blessing that I went on this trip. It was unlike anything that I’ve ever done before and an experience I hope to have again in the future. Among other things, this week has showed me wonderful examples of patience, love, joy, and self-satisfaction to a degree that few people can challenge. Although these people are clearly deficient on the outside, it certainly seems that they are better on the inside than most of us.

While I’m tempted greatly to wish that I had been assigned to another buddy, I think that perhaps I had just as much or more to learn from someone like Mike* than I could have ascertained from anyone else. Obsessed with something that I hold in extremely low regard, Mike is nothing like me and our desires clashed quite often. He loved to flirt with girls; I don’t ever flirt with girls or even desire to flirt with girls. He loved to just sit around and talk; I don’t enjoy just sitting around and talking at all. I would have liked to explore the various activities the camp had to offer, but he wanted to spend most of his time at the pool, a place I would very rarely visit if left to myself. So, the main point is, I spent most of the week doing things I really didn’t savor. I know what this was supposed to teach me: to forget my own desires and learn to genuinely love and serve someone who is nothing like me. I have to admit, that unfortunately the amount of bitterness and frustration I felt and still feel can only mean one thing. If I am really being honest with myself, what I really need to do is hang out with Mike and people like him again and again until my annoyance and bitterness is replaced with love, compassion, and tolerance. Only then will I be ready to move on.

Another thing that struck me about my companions with special needs was the happiness and contentment they possess. They love to dance and sing, and they are so carefree and positive. When we did Capernaum Idol some of them had the worst voices I’d ever heard but everyone still cheered and they went away happy. They just wanted to enjoy life and valued that far more than their achievements. I don’t know how they got to that point, and I don’t even think I would want to get there, but if somehow I did, I think I would be a lot happier as a result. Immersed in a culture which is so driven by performance, it was remarkable to see how content they were given their circumstances. In fact, though they have far more problems than I, their self-image is probably better than mine in spite of their inhibitions and physical disabilities. They simply don’t focus on the negative aspects of their existence; they don’t seem to care what they see when they look in the mirror. It’s the heart that counts w/ them and their heart is as big as anyone’s I’ve ever met. If one were to see how Christ sees a person, hanging out with them could certainly give as good a perspective as you can ever hope to find.

On another note, the other buddies were really great people as well. Their joyful servitude was phenomenal and far surpassed mine, not necessarily what they were doing, but how they were doing it. Some of them were very strong Christians and had insight which I really found beneficial. That combined with how fun they were to be around, made our night time outings enjoyable all around. The two biggest things I noticed by spending time with them was what strong Christians act like, and that I’m not a very “fun” person. I don’t know how some people find so much joy in jumping around, dancing and acting silly, but most of them did and I know that is not for me. I admire many of them quite a bit but I would not want emulate how they act. All in all, however, I think this camp was a great experience for me and one that I should definitely look to have again, because as I said previously, I have not even begun to learn all the lessons that that this amazing environment has to offer. And hopefully I will be a different person one day as a result of my time there.

* name changed