CAMP HOPE & CAMP HOPE PRAYER MEETING OVERVIEW
Camp Hope 2021 was a phenomenal week filled with joy, community, hard work, and definitely the presence of the Lord. The Camp Hope staff arrived on August 7th to prepare the campus for the long awaited campers who arrived on August 8th. Thus started a weeklong journey through amazing activities, shared meals, gaga, daily mass, exciting night activities, Adoration, thunderstorms, lovely conversations, lots of bugs, and loads of prayer.
One aspect of Camp that really teaches both staff and campers about Jesus Christ is Power Hour. Power Hour is a daily hour-long session of talks, witnesses, time for reflection, and prayer. This year’s theme that went throughout the week’s talks was Built by Grace. I think this year’s Power Hours were especially impactful, possibly because I am now a counselor and understand more, but also because I think this year’s talks were incredibly powerful. The first day was all about how God calls each of us individually to be His and to do our own specific calling in life. The next step in our journey with Christ is to follow Him, so the second day was about how each of us has a decision to either follow Christ or to follow the things of this world. This leads to the topic on Wednesday which was Here I am Lord. This Power Hour was all about our “yes” to the Lord and how it changes us and impacts every aspect of our lives. The talks on Thursday morning were all about the next step in the journey: how to build upon our yes and strengthen our faith. Lastly, we heard about how to live life boldly and how to share our faith in a compassionate and courageous way.
I think this year’s Power Hours were especially impactful, possibly because I am now a counselor and understand more, but also because I think this year’s talks were incredibly powerful.
One of the most anticipated things after Camp ends is the Camp Hope Prayer Meeting. I think one of the best parts of the prayer meeting is seeing how much God impacted all the people who attended Camp. There were some amazing witnesses this year, speaking about how God gave them comfort, peace, courage, and grace this Camp in several different ways. There were also incredible talks, especially how we need to know our need for God and that God has a plan unique to each one of us. Camp Hope 2021 was a wonderful experience that truly demonstrated the power and love of Jesus Christ our Lord.
- Elena, Camp Hope Counselor & Ignite Teen
CAMP HOPE CAMPER TESTIMONY
"A few years ago at one of my first years at camp, Mr. Tim Margiotta gave a talk for the boys. One of the things he said was “I know prayer time can be distracting so I close my eyes and focus on the song”. But being the kid that I was, my first thought was “but then I can’t see the lyrics”. Now, years later once the songs have become muscle memory, I’m able to close my eyes and now realize what he was talking about. So now I’ll close my eyes and forget where I am and be in the moment with Jesus."
- Trotter, 6th Grade Camper
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