Oct 1, 2020
By Holly Probasco
Young Adult page
This summer I participated in my first year in SCSC—my project was at my home church in Shiloh, NJ. Obviously this year turned out differently than everyone expected, but training and project still were both great experiences. I am thankful that I was able to be part of “Team Change.”
During the first week of my project, I took time to plan for Intermediate/Junior Camp. I was in charge of a two-and-a-half-hour slot in the middle of each day, as well as bring the lesson on Wednesday. This first week taught me how to plan for a week’s worth of activities. I couldn’t do it all in one day, and I asked many people for help and ideas. I’d like to thank Kristin Camenga and Helen Goodrich for helping me think of games—because I needed a lot.
The second week consisted of taking the youth Sabbath school class and helping a local church with their clothing/food drive, a road cleanup, and helping a member of the church clean up her yard after a storm passed through. Though it was hot outside and the bugs were attacking me, God helped me focus on the fact that we were lifting this workload off of someone else’s shoulders.
Week three was Primary Camp for kids in grades K-3. That week I was in charge of check- in and music. I also led a group of three kids. There was definitely a learning curve this week, as a socially distanced camp is not the norm for anyone. However, I think the kids had fun, and I hope to see them again next year.
The week after was intermediate camp for grades 4-7. During this week I was in charge of check-in, music, and team building. I taught a lesson one day, and led a group of four kids. I was also finally able to see how my planning, weeks before, came into play. Can I just say, two and a half hours a day is a lot of time to play games with middle schoolers? I’m glad I took the time to plan, because overall everything went very well and the kids seemed to enjoy the games I had planned. I’d also like to give a shoutout to Isaac Floyd for playing rec games with the kids whenever I had time left over. At this moment in time, I really feel as though God is calling me to build relationships and minister to this age group. So I am hoping that I can take these experiences, learn from them, and use them in the future.
Week five was Senior Camp, where I was once again in charge of check-in. I think it’s safe to say I’ve gotten pretty good at taking people’s temperatures. In addition to check-in, I had an hour of time each day when I would lead an activity. These campers were all close to my age, so it was nice to really be able to build relationships with them. I had some campers ask me advice on how to go about picking a college, and what to do when the options seem overwhelming. I was able to take what I had learned from my experience and hopefully guide them in their own.
The final week of my project I helped out at Marlboro SDB’s VBS where I floated around and did little tasks wherever I was needed. My favorite part of this week was standing in the back during opening and closing time, and dancing to all the songs, which will definitely be stuck in my head for a very long time.
Reflecting on how God worked through me this camp season, I think His purpose for me was to build on relationships I had already begun. Since camps were smaller this year, many of the kids that were there I had known from before, or because I see them at church. After seeing them at camp, I could feel God telling me not to let those relationships fizzle out over the course of the year. I am so thankful that through this crazy summer, we were able to see God show up so many times in so many ways—and I know that He has a purpose for it all. As time goes on, I know that what I learned this summer will come into play again. I can’t wait to see where God takes me next.
