Beloved Camp Deerpark
What can I say about my beloved Camp Deerpark? Well, how about I begin by saying that this is where my walk with Jesus began. I will never forget that one day in the wooden-floored chapel down the hill from the main house, where I first invited Jesus into my life at the tender age of 8 years old (now I did it again the next summer because I wasn’t sure that it worked the first time.) I learned more about the love of God and sang songs that are forever etched in my heart. Songs like “King Jesus is All,” “Said I Wasn’t Gonna Testify” and the fun loving “I Saw a Bear” were the “jams” at camp-fire each night. This is where my love for worship emerged.
Camp Deerpark is where I learned to swim and to roast hot dogs in a fire; and it’s even where I slept outdoors in a sleeping bag under the stars for the first time in my life. As a camper, I had FUN! There was the occasional homesickness that set in during my summer visits but that quickly passed as I forged close relationships with my peers and fun-loving adults. Ken Bontrager, John Brock and Roland Bailey were the males who showed this little fatherless brown girl from the Bronx that men do care and can be consistent and respectful. I will forever be grateful for their love.
As I grew older, my teenage years were laced with precious moments during youth retreats every winter. Boy, did we have fun sledding down that big ole hill, while still trying to be cute for the boys who were present. We looked forward to attending every year. I would even invite other friends to come along. What I loved most about those moments is that Camp Deerpark provided a safe place to be a teenager, meet other teens and have good clean fun, all undergirded by the Gospel of Christ.
Once I became an adult, Camp Deerpark continued to be a staple in my journey. I worked as a summer camp counselor and was camp pastor for several years. I even served on the board and learned lots about boilers and other technical details that impact the intricate workings of camp.
Both of my daughters were campers and my oldest daughter even worked in the kitchen for one summer. I told other families about my beloved Camp Deerpark and they sent their children too. So between my personal experiences and those cultivated through my membership with King of Glory Tabernacle, I have a deep-seated sweet spot for Camp Deerpark.
When I consider all that I am as an adult, there is no way I can ever forget the impact that Camp Deerpark had on my life and the lives of so many others connected to me. I am grateful for every counselor who spoke life into my life, all the hikes to the Back 40, every banquet; and for every camper with whom I had the honor of transferring that very vitality. Every time I have an opportunity to visit Camp Deerpark, the enthusiasm of the little sign off the main road and the long ascent up the hill brings all the joy right back to me. Camp Deerpark ushered in Christ and massaged my innocence as a little girl who grew into a confident woman of God, who knows how to love others and to pay attention to detail and worship. Thank you, Lord, for Camp Deerpark. I am forever grateful.
Dr. Tiffany Powell, a former camper and board member, attended King of Glory Tabernacle in the Bronx.