Tag Archives: YPTT

Youth Peace Travel Team

Putting the “why” in family

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A family can be defined as the body of people that first allow one to experience God’s love. It is comprised of people of different ages and gifts, and nurtures all of its members through their physical and spiritual growth. Often a family has its own quirks that make being in its company comfortingly unique. While Camp Stover was often described as an “intergenerational camp,” we prefer to describe it by a more accurate title: family camp.

Singing around the campfire at Camp Stover

Singing around the campfire at Camp Stover

This week gave us the rare opportunity to minister to and learn from campers of all ages, from baby to elder and everyone in between. Our wiser friends taught us what it looks like to worship wholeheartedly and be leaders of their own families and the family of God. We helped them to see the hope in the younger generations of campers. Our in-between friends showed us what thought-provoking preaching feels like (thanks Uncle Josh!), what active listening sounds like, and what meaningful mentorship looks like. In turn, they allowed us to practice these skills for ourselves. Our youthful friends taught us what it looks like to work hard and play hard, as they ungrudgingly completed service projects and kitchen patrol by day (singing along the way, I might add) and dominated ping pong tournaments by night. In return, we shared with them lessons and testimonies of peace. And our youngest friends taught us the innocence of childhood and encouraged us to indulge in it as we joined them on the playground and enthusiastically listened to their unending stories. With diversity of age comes diversity of learning, from which we enjoyed greatly.

As for our specific participation with the Camp Stover family, our tasks ranged widely. We led morning watch every day for a small but lively crowd. We shared each evening at large group campfire, although we preferred to step back and let the varied gifts of the community shine. We taught a few of our sessions to junior, junior high, and youth campers, which tested our adaptability as a group. We were blessed to join the youth on a hike through mountains and granite ridges, led by “Mountain Man Dan” and putting the personalized walking sticks he crafted for us to great use.  We even sang lullabies one night, where we simultaneously calmed down the rowdiest of junior boys and rejoiced in our growing musical abilities. Each task was an opportunity for us to make connections, create content, and soak up the many facets of beauty that make up this Idaho camp.

We are thankful for yet another week of being welcomed into a family, but especially the unique family of Camp Stover. We leave with knowledge of many new songs, relationships with friends of all ages, and grateful hearts for the encouraging adventure that was family camp at Camp Stover.

-Shelley

Art project at Camp Stover

Art project at Camp Stover

At Camp Stover, we truly experienced a new dimension of the term “family camp.” Not only were families present, but we were also treated like part of the family there. We were cared for in many ways including one leader, Tanya, asking us our favorite snacks and then buying them at the store for us! Being on the road (or in the air) for weeks helps you appreciate the little expressions of hospitality that people show you. Along those lines, a virus was making its way throughout the camp and happened to infiltrate my system as well. I got extremely sick with a stomach bug and was quarantined all day with small children who also had the sickness (caution tape was even put around our cabin). What I didn’t expect was to have at least four women act as mothers, bringing me blankets, drinks, and setting up movies for me and the kids to watch while we were in bed. I felt so cared for and loved! Plus, watching Despicable Me & Grease twice with some campers in a cabin all day really creates some interesting memories. Once I was better, I can’t count how many people approached me saying they missed me in our sessions and at morning watch! It feels great to know I matter and help make a difference.

-Christy

Hikers at Camp Wilbur Stover

Hiking at Camp Wilbur Stover (Idaho)

Camp Stover is a beautiful example of God’s love in so many ways. From the family atmosphere to the nature all around, it is clear that this place exemplifies beauty. But one of the places I felt closest to God during our stay occurred off site. On Wednesday when we went hiking with the youth I experienced hiking in a brand new way. In the past whenever I had hiked I stayed confined to the trail laid before me, never really exploring the nature just yards away from me. This hike was done “Mountain Man Dan” style which pretty much consists of, “You see that ridge? Yeah get over there however you want.” Amazing! It was so cool to see all the various ways people crossed the granite mountainside while all ending up at the same place. It was the trip down that really got to me though. There were fallen trees all over the place as aftermath of a fire that had happened in the past. As a result the marsh-like area atop the mountain was easiest crossed via playing the game “The Ground is Lava.”

While making our way down the mountain I thought I was leading a group of about 8 across the trees. It wasn’t until about 5-10 minutes without looking back that I realized that all of the group except one camper had chosen to stop playing this game. That one camper, Carrie, and I made a pact that we were going to travel down the entire rest of the mountain using only trees and rocks. It wasn’t quick, it wasn’t easy, and yes it may have been really stupid considering a storm looked like it was about to roll in. But, it’s a hike that for me will stand out against all other hikes I’ve been on. Carrie and I had the opportunity to experience the freedom of hiking with no path with the feeling of creating our own unique path. I can truly say that the closest I felt to God all week was while traversing that mountain – experiencing God’s beauty in a unique and memorable way.

-Jake

Family to me was expressed on the last campfire on Friday evening. Jake came up with a great idea to do a “You know you are at Camp Stover when…” skit in which we would state happenings that are inseparable from Camp Stover. As we all compiled a list of the elements that make Camp Stover, I was really appreciative of Camp Stover and all that we had come to experience (and yes my collaborative family as well, the YPTT). Jokes were tossed around from the way Keith prays to Mountain Man Dan being the MAN, from golf carts to tournaments and much more. We performed the skit all together and the crowd roared with laughter. Each member of that camp knew each other; although we did not share every experience the personalities were unique enough that all could buy into the humor. It was at this moment that I truly experienced the family of Camp Stover. They had a tight knit structure and every camper had in some way, shape or form had experienced the gifts of others. I was touched by Josh Brockway’s sermons, struck by the care of the camp as Goose Creek Murmurs were shared by Keith, and burst with excitement at learning how to play horseshoes from Scott, Anna, and Gary. And we as the Youth Peace Travel Team had somehow tapped into all that positivity and made a hilarious skit of it all. It was well received by the whole camp and we thoroughly enjoyed our time at Camp Stover. I know we will always be welcome at Camp Wilbur Stover because hospitality and a spirit of warming welcome make home there.

-Chris

 

Youth Peace Travel Team

Youth Peace Travel Team 2014 – Camp Mount Hermon Moments

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Senior High Camp at Mt. Hermon, Western Plains Districtbell

Greetings, wonderful supporters of the Youth Peace Travel Team! This is Shelley speaking, and I’d like to take a moment to orient you in how we plan to blog our adventures throughout the summer. Each week, one team member will write an overarching summary of our time and leadership at each camp or conference, followed by more personal reflections from the remaining three members. This week, I have the honor of documenting a summary of our time at our first camp of the summer, Camp Mt. Hermon!

Moments – goofy moments spent interacting with senior high campers and fellow Camp Mt. Hermon staff, heartbreaking moments spent witnessing the struggles facing our youth and listening to their burdens, victorious moments in Ultimate Frisbee and Capture the Flag games. The 2014 Youth Peace Travel Team’s time at our first camp of the summer can be summed up by the joy and sorrow found in these precious moments.

We were first greeted by thousands of sandy-colored butterflies as we rolled down the rocky drive on Sunday afternoon, and next greeted by enthusiastic parents, campers, and staff at YPTT’s own Jake Frye’s home camp. It wasn’t long before the inevitable and all-uniting Frisbee discs were brought out to help us learn names and personalities, and not much longer until the bell, the central time-keeping device of camp, was rung. Throughout the week, it was the rustic metal bell that alerted us when it was time to come together to sing praises, break bread, swim ecstatically (cough cough Chris), gather around the campfire, and when to whisper our last prayers and fall asleep at the end of each life-giving day.

Jen Jensen, our director for the week, said it best when she proclaimed that at Camp Mt. Hermon, “we work hard, we play hard, and we worship hard”. We worked purposefully during daily chores, service projects at camp and church, and while serving lunch at a soup kitchen in Kansas City (a special Camp Mt. Hermon tradition). We played cooperatively during Camp Mt. Hermon Olympics, late-night glow-in-the-dark Ultimate Frisbee, and old-school tetherball before mealtimes. We worshipped wholeheartedly each night around the campfire, where campers had opportunities to illustrate both the burdens of daily life at home and the hope brought by camp and the power of God. The pinnacle of our worship occurred on Friday night when the feet of campers, counselors, friends, enemies, brothers and sisters, and once-strangers were washed all the same (for 2.5 emotional hours!). It was the bell that kept us in a daily rhythm, but the real human moments in between that make camp life and our work so special.

The leadership of YP-double-T at Camp Mt. Hermon was used primarily to lead campers in “hot topics” discussions, where we facilitated open and candid discussions about anything from war to drugs and alcohol. We experienced moments of honesty from campers who felt safe in sharing their opinions, moments of unity as youth discovered that they could respect the differing views of their peers, and moments of silence as we were called to deeply reflect upon current events through a Christ-centered lens. We also asked campers to help us in starting a big summer project – a traveling mural focused around their visions for peace. They blew us out of the water with their creativity and diligent work in illustrating Camp Mt. Hermon’s visions.

As we leave Camp Mt. Hermon with full hearts, we feel honored to have been welcomed into such an uplifting community and participated in its traditions and pastimes. We are thankful for the moments we shared connecting with campers, laughing with staff, continually getting to know each other, and serving our Lord. While the old reliable camp bell was anything but quiet, we are at peace with the Spirit-filled moments that we were blessed with each day at Camp Mt. Hermon.

-Shelley

small group

Shelley summed up daily, wonderful life at Camp Mt. Hermon, but no blog could contain all of the meaningful memories made this past week. One of the most significant ones for me came in the form of the homeless men and women that we met in the soup kitchen whom we served on Thursday afternoon. We sat and spoke with them while we all ate and discussed life. A man I conversed with over lunch was really open with me about his struggles with alcoholism and we were able to have an honest conversation that impacted us both. In the end, he left saying, “I hope all of your dreams come true, Christy” and I told him I would keep him and his family in my prayers. Moments like that are unforgettable. Another significant time for me was the concert played by my brother Jacob Crouse and friend Mat Thorton! From covers of “Let It Go” from Frozen, “Happy” by Pharell, and “One Day” by Matisyahu to their originally written and composed worship music, the concert got our hands a’clappin’ and our feet a’tappin’. I even got to sing on a couple songs with them, which felt amazing. Nothing can beat worshipping the Lord alongside both camp family and family family :). The music engaged us all and it meant a ton to every one of us for them to share their time and talent with the Camp Mt. Hermon community!

-Christy

Art at mt hermon

Washing dishes

I attended Camp Mt. Hermon every summer from 2003-2012, including two years of counseling junior high youth in 2011 and 2012. During those two years of counseling that I met a great group of kids that I had the joy of returning to this summer. When I left that group in 2012, I viewed them as kids. Upon my return this summer I was greeted not by the kids I had left, but by young men and women with love and compassion for this community that lifts my soul. This love was most exemplified in our Friday night foot washing service. As a young Brethren man I have been a part of numerous foot washing services. But, none of them compare to the beauty of this service. For two and a half hours I watched young men and women wash each others’ feet. As tradition, four counselors volunteered to wash the feet of the campers, one of those privileged being me this year. It was incredibly humbling for me to be a servant for this amazing group of young people. The foot washing didn’t end with us counselors washing the feet of our campers, the campers then proceeded to wash the feet of their peers. Brothers and sisters, both in faith and in blood, serving each other in breathtaking acts of love. The community at Camp Mt. Hermon has always been its strongest attribute. This attribute is so much more beautiful and meaningful when you’re working behind the scenes though. The spiritual and emotional growth I’ve witnessed in these campers restores my faith the future of the church. Remembering their inability to sit still for a short camp fire just three years ago and surpassing it with this wonderful new memory of humility, love, and service. As I become part of the community which helps build Camp Mt. Hermon, I look at these young people and am assured that this community is one molded by God and bound together in a love that must be experienced in order to understand.

-Jake

Chris thumbs up
At Camp Mt. Hermon we were called upon to lead a campfire on Wednesday night. The theme for that night was “Jesus as Teacher.” As we walked around the campfire leading songs, old and new, I was struck with awe at our energy. We were alive, we were singing the songs as loud as possible and the campers responded with their own vivacious cheer. We were together. The moment felt as if we had arrived, the beginning of a coming into being of what it really meant to be a member of the YPTT. I was impressed with our ability to draw in the campers and allow the energy to move through all of them.

As the campfire continued, Christy shared scripture and spoke more on how balancing one’s faith takes effort when we have the distractions of daily life set before us. Then I told a story about an incident with my brother that showed me what true grace was, and how Jesus had taught me through that moment. Jake described his life journey and how he struggled with his own foundation in life. He emphasized that Jesus teaches the importance of a strong foundation and challenged each camper to find their own stable base to rely on in times of uncertainty. Shelley ended the campfire with Peace Pilgrim’s Prayer.

It was a beautiful service and we really connected with the people of Camp Mt. Hermon. I felt caressed by the warmth and welcoming of Camp Mount Hermon, and the refreshing joy of starting such an exciting journey with three amazing people. I feel blessed.

-Chris

 

Youth Peace Travel Team

Orientation 2013

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Heather Gentry, Jacob Crouse, Amanda McLearn-Montz. Photo by Marie Benner-Rhoades.

Heather Gentry, Jacob Crouse, Amanda McLearn-Montz. Photo by Marie Benner-Rhoades.

All was quite tranquil at the Brethren offices in Elgin
until early that first of June
when arrived a white van filled with Mss’ers from afar
who’d come to town the previous afternoon.

Lectio Divina – a divine reading –
not the fictional incantation you might think
prepared our minds and hearts each day
for thought, reflection, and key theological links.

Then, around a big table we would attend
sessions packed to the gills
with hermeneutical triangles, 16 pf’s,
Brethren living peacefully, together, without frills,
ethics, logistics, tradition, vocation,
liturgy, worship, and praise,
teaching, leading, and jamming to some scripture
preparing us to go on our ways.

After long days, the food would taste great
at the homes of our gracious hosts.
We’d fellowship cheerily before our daily examen
to discover where God has touched us the most.

From swimming in the hotel pool and playing contact
to singing about rain on a TARDIS,
of all the things we did in just a few days,
saying ‘good-bye’ was the hardest.

This thought inspires hope as we spread across the country
to do the Lord’s will as we may
because it shows the great love in our hearts
that we will share with all we meet
through peace, joy, and grace.

Youth Peace Travel Team

Camp Blue Diamond through the eyes of the Youth Peace Travel Team

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Camp Blue Diamond: Home of giant swings, wooly-mammoth-snail trail fossils, 24/7 Gaga Ball, and the most awesome 3rd through 5th graders ever! Our week at Blue Diamond could have easily been a real struggle; we had never worked with a group this age, and we weren’t sure how we were going to alter our sessions to be meaningful for a group that was so young.

Even with these concerns, I think that Peace Team achieved having a great week. We talked with each family group about small things that they can do in their own lives to make a big, positive impact on other people and even the world. It was so awesome to see these kids coming up with such great examples of selfless acts that they can do, like donating their time and money to a wide range of causes. It was certainly inspiring and incredible to get to spend so much time with this group of kids and to be able to introduce peace to them at such a young age!

Peace, Katie

Youth Peace Travel Team

YPTT at Camp Pine Lake

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Many of the discussions at Camp Pine Lake focused on how we can use love as a tool for peacemaking. A popular phrase at camp is “breathe in love, breathe out peace.” We repeated this often during times of mediation and allowed it to inspire our actions throughout each activity.

It even permeated the discussion we had about the film, Gracecard, which we watched as a large group. In the move one of the characters tells another that “Jesus works on the streets.” It became apparent that if we breathe in love and breathe out peace, we too may be opening ourselves to see God’s workings everywhere around us, just as Sam did in the movie.

Any week that inspires both love and peace is a good week in my book. Thanks Pine Lake for such an awesome week!

–Molly

Youth Peace Travel Team

The Youth Peace Travel Team at Camp Inspiration Hills

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Greetings from Ohio! This week, Peace Team was able to spend time with the Senior High Worship Arts camp at Inspiration Hills. Since we had to lead two Bible Studies each day, we had to think pretty fast on our feet and come up with some new ideas about what we could do.

One way we did this was by creating a whole new session, specific to their camp: Peacebuilding Through the Arts. We talked with the group about how performance can be used to transform conflicts and violence, and we practiced it by creating situations of conflict that the group got to act our and resolve by using “tools” of peacemaking, like understanding, listening, and love.

The session went super well, but the best part didn’t come until the next night at the all-camp campfire session that we led on bullying. Each family group was instructed to intervene in and try to end a scene of bullying that Peace Team acted out. Most groups tried separating Hunter and Molly or having them talk out the conflict. We had predetermined which groups were doomed to fail and which were going to succeed. The Worship Arts kids were supposed to fail, but none of us were prepared for what they were going to do. When they got up, their group had one member act as a German foreign exchange student who felt like getting ice cream would solve the problem. The hilarity of it took all of us aback, and the conflict that had been occurring completely diffused! It was so awesome to see the Worship Arts kids use some of the tools that we had talked about before, and to know that our last minute session truly made an impact!

Peace–Katie

Youth Peace Travel Team

The Youth Peace Travel Team visits Kansas

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What a week it was at Camp Mount Hermon. There are so many things to let ya’ll know about this amazing camp from the fantastic campfires to the wonderful games, and not to mention the awesome teens and counselors. God sure has made His presence known throughout that camp!

Although I want to tell you all the stories from this week of camp, one of my favorites is about pool time. Every day, we drove to the public pool in Tonganoxie, where it was packed. We made a big circle where we talked and hung out, and we came up with a sort of cheer. We would be really loud and yell “WE’RE IN A POOL IN KANSAS!” while we were shaking our arms rapidly in the air! If you haven’t tried this, you should; it’s very freeing!

Camp Mount Hermon was a wonderful start to what I feel is going to be a God-filled and fun-filled summer! Blessings till next time!

–Hunter

Youth Peace Travel Team

Youth Peace Travel Team goes to National Young Adult Conference 2012!

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Molly’s reflections: The past week has been filled with the excitement of meeting new friends and reconnecting with old ones at National Young Adult Conference in Knoxville, Tennessee. I knew even before arriving that I would attend worship sessions, workshops, and small group meetings. What I hadn’t expected was being so inspired by other young adults getting involved and making a difference within the denomination. From BVS to Open Table Cooperative and being delegates at Annual Conference, young adults are moving mountains. As we leave conference I am given a new hope for the future of the denomination and how I might be part of it.

Katie’s reflections: Even though we’ve only been to one camp so far, this week was an interesting and enjoyable change of pace as we traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee to be participants at National Young Adult Conference. The daily Bible studies and evening worships were all great, but one worship that has been in my mind since it happened involved feetwashing.

We were told the logistics of the service—you could come up to have your feet washed as you felt comfortable and would the stay at the station to wash the next person’s feet. The group was then left in a moment of silence and contemplation… and I panicked… just a little. The act of footwashing isn’t unfamiliar to me, but I’ve always done it in communities that I was comfortable with, like my church or school, but this was different. I was going to be having my feet washed by a someone I most likely didn’t know, and then I was going to have to wash the feet of still another stranger; that’s a TOTALLY different level of humility, and it made me uncomfortable.

Then, I realized, as I was having my feet washed by my new friend Dylan, that that’s the thing with feetwashing: it should never be “comfortable.” It should be a unique experience each and every time, and we should always strive to take something new from it.

Hunter’s reflections: On the orange and white campus of the University of Tennessee, young adults flocked for a week of rest and fun! I was able to meet so many people and gain so many new friends. I learned so many different things from different worship styles to cool organizations.

NYAC was a great week, but it wouldn’t have if we didn’t have Carol Fike doing all the stuff she did! So a HUGE thanks goes out to her!

Youth Peace Travel Team

Youth Peace Travel Team 2012 orientation

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2012 YPTT

2012 Youth Peace Travel Team

Explorer
Fun
Enthusiastic
Happy

Upon our arrival to Camp Mack for Youth Peace Travel Team orientation, we each chose one of these words as a short self-descriptor and as a way to get to know one another. These words became formative in helping us to better know ourselves, what concepts of peace we stand for, and how we can combine them into how we act and carry out our lives.

As we spent our time in close community over the three days, we have truly become a team who is able to support one another in our growth in these aspects, and we are truly excited to spread peace as our summer journey begins! Peace!

Youth Peace Travel Team

Reflections on Camp LaVerne

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Eight weeks ago at Ministry Summer Service orientation Mary Jo Flory-Stuery reminded us that no matter where we go this summer, a ministry is already present and working there. There are many ministries at Camp La Verne, but I believe one of the most important is Capture the Flag. Despite the competitiveness, Capture the Flag was a blessing to me and the entire camp. As I was jokingly trying to intimidate the other team or encouraging my own team, I grew closer to campers, more so that I did even at meal times or campfires. Whether someone was watching the game, guarding the jail, or making a mad dash for the flag, relationships were built and made stronger. The game brought me closer to nature (I have the scratches to prove it), closer to the campers, and closer to God. Capture the Flag as a ministry at Camp La Verne bring everyone laughter, joy, excitement, and friendship.
-Hannah

Camp La Verne! Returning to a home camp after a long hiatus is like watching your favorite television show after it has been off the air for years. The memories start flooding in and you cannot help that little smile that slowly starts spreading across your face. The sights are familiar, the smells are familiar, and the people are wonderfully familiar. It is camp! It is home! Returning to Camp La Verne was an amazing treat for me. I remembered the wonderful summer weeks that I spent there. The little hike up and down that steep hill to the kitchen three times a day, going back to the basics and trekking up the mountain to sleep under the stars, and the great campfire talent/skit show where we can go on and on for hours! I loved being able to experience this wonderful week with the Junior and Senior High youth. The directors always have such an awesome time planned and I loved being able to relive those moments with new people and fresh faces to Camp La Verne. I loved showing my team my home camp and taking part in camp history in a whole new way – as a teacher of Peace. It was an incredible week and I am so glad we were able to be there. Thank you to campers, counselors, and directors alike for opening your arms and hearts and letting us in and welcoming us home! Kiyikiyikus, nobody like us! We are the kids from Camp La Verne!
-Cambria

If you desire more toned and defined muscles, visit Camp La Verne. We did some heavy leg-work this week through hiking and extreme games of capture the flag. These activities, for me, were great opportunities to bond with the campers. Getting to know them, laughing together, sweating together, walking together, singing together, etc., all helped make that connection I needed to be called their friend. On day one we took a hike to watch a beautiful sunset. It was gorgeous. As time passed us by, the rays of the sun slowly began hiding off behind the mountains, and the moon arose as we hiked back to camp. One of many memorable moments this week was when we led our peace workshops with the Senior High campers. They engaged and responded with what was on their hearts, answering: who they think are marginalized (left out, forgotten about) in their communities and daily lives, why they thought peace is important, and why loving our neighbors is a form of peacemaking. In our last workshop with this group we even received questions that went way beyond what we were expecting, like, “How can some Christians read the Bible but come out with an interpretation in support of war?” The campers were thinking – thinking big. Overall, I enjoyed myself this week!
-Marcus

One of the highlights of the week for me was the opportunity to go on an overnight hike. This was something I had never experienced before, so I approached it with a bit of apprehension, but it turned out to be a wonderful time. It was definitely the part of the week where we bonded most with the campers. We hiked about 2 miles out into the forest and set up camp in a large clearing. We cooked dinner, played a few games of capture the flag, then slept out under the stars (which were incredible!). The next morning we woke up, cooked breakfast, played a few more games of capture the flag, then hiked back to camp. It was a great experience that allowed us to experience God in a new way and get to know each other a little better.
-Tim