Splish-Splash, Summer Camp Blessings!
New Song’s Summer Adventure Camps are small, but they are mightily important to the kids who attend! You can see all the fun the boys and girls had through our Adventure Camp Slideshow at the bottom of this page!
“I REALLY like the camps,” said 9 year-old Jaylen. “Especially swimming in the pond!”
We were so thankful to have IUPUI student Sonya Mettura as our enthusiastic Camp Director this summer, and Michaela Schundelmier, who interned for us from Taylor University, as our able bodied Assistant Camp Director.
“My experience as Camp Director this summer was, in short, incredible,” shared Sonya. “I know that each child heard they were loved, cherished, and important not only to us, but to God.”
"Working with the kids brought me closer to God and has given me a new perspective on how He loves us,” Michaela said. “I thought coming in that I would be the one to support and love the kids. Even though I was there for them in those ways, they also did the same for me. It doesn’t matter what age or what you have gone through, you can make a difference in someone’s life, and they made a difference in mine!”
Activities at this year’s camps included:
- Making colorful, tie-dye T-shirts
- Team building activities on our Challenge Course
- Swimming and kayaking in the New Song pond
- Slipping and sliding down a hill on a wet, soapy tarp slide
- Tug-of-war
- Scavenger hunts
- Daily devotions
- “Messy paint” competitions
- Field trips to state parks
- And of course, campfires and smores!
In all, 35 kids participated in our three, exciting, week-long camps. These K-8 graders were all from disadvantaged backgrounds, and all of them had the potential of becoming full-time New Song students. About 15 of the 35 campers asked their moms if they could come to live at New Song and attend school here on campus, and the parents of nine of these children said “Yes!”
We are still praying that the Lord will provide two houseparent couples to care for kids this fall and serve on campus. Our goal is to enroll students at the beginning of the second nine weeks of school, with a hopeful start date being October 17th. As of now, the moms of the nine children are still committed to enrolling their kids for the second nine weeks of school.
These are children who truly need all of the care and support we provide, as well as the personalized education we offer in our classroom. So please pray for houseparents!
“It’s truly amazing how the Lord prompted New Song to establish the summer camping program three years ago just as the pandemic was in full force,” said Bob Schloss, New Song’s Executive Director. “Much good fruit has come through the camps, both for the campers themselves, and also for our ministry—nearly 90% of our full-time boys and girls at New Song come through our summer camping program!”
As the kids splished and splashed on water slides and in the cool New Song pond, our staff team was so blessed and encouraged to see the kids having so much fun on campus! And we trust that the Lord worked in their hearts, leading them to water for their souls, as well.
Check out this slideshow to see the summer camp activities!