The Weekend of Giving: July 22nd – 24th
The Weekend of Giving: July 22nd – 24th
by Molly Murray, Deer Run Counselor & Camp Alumna
Finding the right words to describe what Camp means to me feels almost impossible. To some extent, I think this shows that many of the greatest joys in life cannot be sufficiently described. Rather, they must be experienced in order to understand the depth of which they touch the heart, mind, and soul. But, despite the difficulty and perhaps inadequacy, I will do my very best to share one of my greatest joys with you.
I came to Camp for the first time when I was 10 years old (big shoutout to my gal Melissa Yonan!) and was welcomed into the Whitetail Cabin with open arms. I fell in love with every aspect of Camp: the sunsets on the lake, lazy day blobs, calling up counselors in the dining hall for “Sing Us A Song,” winning inspection (my parents will tell you I was not a clean child but they never saw me during White Glove), and the banquet, just to name a few. Not only did I fall in love with Camp, but I fell in love with Jesus. My eyes were opened to the undeniable presence of God and I longed to grow in my relationship with Christ. After two weeks of radiant love and transformation, I came home with a mind filled with silly Camp songs and the dream of returning to Camp every summer for the rest of my life.
Thanks to the goodness of God, help from Camp’s Scholarship Fund, and the sacrifices of my parents, I was able to spend the next five summers at Camp. Growing up with three sisters who also dreamt of being at Deer Run and a dad in the Marine Corps meant Camp was never guaranteed. Each summer was a gift made possible by the overwhelming love and dedication of those who chose to give to Camp. I’m unable to describe how thankful I am for the financial assistance I received that allowed me to experience Camp. This place taught me so much about who God is, who I am, and what it means to strive each day to grow and persist in my faith despite the challenges of this world.
Returning to Camp to serve on staff has been even more fun than being a camper (shameless plug to work here!) and has grown my faith immeasurably. Being a counselor has given me a deeper understanding of the amount of sacrificial love required to make Camp possible. This perspective, along with my own experiences at Camp, has inspired me to give to the Scholarship Fund.
While I might not be able to make a large donation at this point in my life (I’ll be starting my first teaching job this fall – WOO!), I know firsthand that any donation given out of love and generosity makes an impact on those 10-year-old Whitetails who are beginning to fall in love with Jesus. Every gift truly makes a difference. I boldly invite you to take part in the changing of children’s lives by giving them the chance to come to Camp. Your donation during the Weekend of Giving (July 22nd – 24th) will continue to allow kids like me to be filled with the joyous experiences that Camp has to offer, and for that I cannot thank you enough.
Molly just completed her Master’s Degree at James Madison University and is planning to move to Italy to teach English in the coming year. She is serving at Camp Deer Run this year as an LDP 1 Counselor. Her favorite Camp hike is The Bonds in the White Mountains and she can’t wait to paddle the Allagash (for the first time) with her campers!