We Came Through Mennonite Voluntary Service

When Ken and Jan Kurtz came to Camp Deerpark, camp had only been running for two summers. They came through the Mennonite Voluntary Service unit, a program that emphasized service ministry in communities and was located in New York City. “We were there from April of 1971 to April of 1973, and we had just gotten married,” Ken said. “We were actually a part of the unit in New York City, but we lived at camp.” For the two years that they were at camp, they were the only full-time staff. They were involved with maintaining buildings and the grounds.

One of the largest projects Ken was involved with was the addition of a basement in the chapel. “The chapel was only on stilts and so we raised the whole building and put a basement under it,” Ken said. “We had help from folks from Lancaster.” Ken helped with the excavating and the construction of the basement. “It was hard work,” he said, “but it was work that had to be done to make camp ready for the summer programs.”

A smaller project that Ken and Jan remembered working on was more directly involved with the summer camp. A featured story for the summer was Noah’s Ark—so they built their own ark and set it afloat in the old swimming pool. “We built a rustic structure to represent the ark and we had a cat and a dog and a sheep on it and the kids loved it!” Jan said.

Camping was a big part of their life together. Jan and Ken worked at Black Rock Retreat, and even got married there. “Camping was always part of our beginnings, and then when this opened to go to Camp Deerpark, it was almost like a natural fit for us,” Ken said. They enjoyed the time that they had alone in the winters and the time that they had with the campers in the summers. Jan remembered, “There was a lot of enthusiasm and singing and clapping and fun times. To us it was a blessing to be able to be there and to help make summer camp happen, even though we weren’t always a part of the program.”

Even though Ken and Jan weren’t working directly with the kids, they could still see how camp was affecting and changing the campers’ lives. “The campers could go out and just explore the woods and the big open spaces, with their smiles and their enjoyment of being in a totally different setting, ”Ken said. “I think that Camp Deerpark was meant to be so that the kids had a place to come that was different from where they lived.” Ken and Jan were also there to witness the staff ’s dedication and commitment to the kids and to camp. “There was a lot of love shown between the counselors and the kids that we saw,” Ken said. “It was really great interaction and there were beautiful results of that. They were dedicated; they were willing to do what was required to put on a good camp for the kids.” Ken and Jan were only at camp for two years, but they were able to learn a lot from living there. “Camp really opened doors for us to get to know people from all cultures, and that was a true blessing,” Jan said. Even though they haven’t been as involved as they used to be, they are still keeping up to date with all the new building projects happening at camp. They both want to come back at some point and see how much has changed since their time here. “We hope that Camp Deerpark will continue to grow and that more people will experience the camp and the love of the Lord out there,” Ken said.

—Written by Dillon Hershey, Goshen College intern.

Ken and Jan Kurtz, volunteers through Mennonite Voluntary Service.

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