A Place to Grow

Summer camp is an adventure, an experience, an opportunity and, above all, a place to grow. It plays a key role in the spiritual formation of young people and leaves an indelible mark on those who get to experience it. Whether you or your kids were a part of camp—be it Camp Kwasind, Camp Oneida, Camp Hermosa or another camp, we know it made an impact on your family.

This year is extra special for Camp Kwasind, which is celebrating its 75thbirthday. Like many of our Canadian Baptists (you know who you are), Kwasind just keeps getting better with age, building up generations of families and living out the love of Christ. One family who has been influenced—and influential—in the history of Kwasind is Wendy Saulesleja’s. Her father was a camper; her parents later helped manage the camp. Wendy herself was at Kwasind from her earliest days, going from staff baby to camper. She met her husband at camp and now…

Our daughters are now appreciating the life-changing aspects of camp. Our older two girls have participated in years of Celebration Weekend, work weekends, and camp. Both completed the Leader in Training (LIT) program. Our youngest also grew up going to Celebration Weekend and went to camp for the first time this past summer. Predictably, her first words when we came to pick her up were, “Why didn’t you sign me up for TWO weeks?!?!”

The times our family has served there as staff, at work weekends, and on the Camp Kwasind Management Team have enriched our relationships. We have torn down old buildings, replaced floors, planted trees, cleaned countless cabins, sanded, painted and carried more canoes than one can count! I have been a part of hiring summer staff and Managing Directors for over 20 years! I love seeing the campers become cabin leader assistants or lifeguards or property staff then on to other staff positions. I also love that so many of the staff I have been a part of hiring over the years have now become my camp friends! It is so sweet to be in relationship with people who have the same passion for Christian camping that we do. We serve and financially support Camp Kwasind so that future generations can come to know Jesus. We want future generations to know that you can be a Christian and have fun, showing the love of Christ in the field, in a cabin, in a canoe or a dining hall.

And Wendy isn’t alone. Many families have been connected with Camp Kwasind for generations. With registrations already pouring in (and this writer’s children already asking how much longer until camp), Kwasind’s management team has been looking at ways to expand to serve its community better. Which is why when a property opened up on the point near Kwasind, it was an unmissable opportunity.

On September 11, 2018, Camp Kwasind and CBOQ strategically acquired the corner point lot located on the northeast side of the bay, including a new ministry venue that will serve as the Kwasind Leadership Lodge.

Through truly remarkable God-led moments, the vision for owning an additional 280 feet of waterfront property in the Kwasind Bay and the development of the Kwasind Leadership Lodge has become a reality.

We are blessed to have Camp Kwasind and to partner with other excellent camps like Camp Oneida and Camp Hermosa. In the dead of winter, it is good to look forward to the warmth and joy of summer camp.

 

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