We Loved it Since Day One

Ray and Annie sit at picnic tables beside the main house. It is an overcast day. As we talk, passersby casually interrupt to greet them. They are all members of the Torres family, who host yearly family reunions at Camp Deerpark. Ray and Annie live in Puerto Rico now, but in the late ’60s, as newlyweds, they were completely immersed in New York City life.

“We were members of Primera Iglesia Menonita (First Mennonite Church) in Brooklyn,” Ray remembers. “Our Pastor, Guillermo Torres, saw that I was young and full of energy; and, most importantly, bilingual. So first, he had me sit in on New York City Mennonite pastors’ meetings to translate, and eventually I sat in for him as a representative of the Hispanic Mennonite Churches. It was a learning curve for me.”

“In one of our many meetings with other New York City Mennonite pastors, this idea of finding a campsite in New York that would serve our churches came up. We thought it would serve our church well, especially our children, since the current options for time outside of the city were very far. ‘Wow, this is great!’ I thought.”

“But we had no money,” Annie chimes in. “We had been fundraising heavily to buy our own church building and, now, to ask for more money on top of that seemed like a lot. Our church members were not the type of people that were generating a lot of money at the time, so it was hard . . .”

“But it was a team effort,” Ray adds. “We felt Camp Deer park was God’s gift to the city, and we were all for it. I remember a substantial donation given by an older lady. She clearly could have, and should have used the money for herself, but she gave it all to the camp. God really came through for us.”

“After it was purchased, our focus was our first church retreat. We brought up about 100 people. Pastor Glenn Zeager was concerned and told me, ‘I don’t think we can handle a group this size’ and so, of course, we brought up even more people the following year.”

Annie laughs, “People were so motivated and excited; they didn’t even mind sleeping outside!”

“I remember my first impression of Camp Deerpark was that it reminded me so much of Puerto Rico: all the green open space. We loved it since day one.” Members of First Mennonite Church were predominantly Puerto Rican, and so many felt the same way.

But the food was a different story: “Culturally, we are not traditional Mennonites.” She glances over at her husband. “I didn’t mind the food, but the majority of our church members preferred rice and beans with fried chicken over meatloaf and mashed potatoes.”

“So, First Mennonite, we were known to be the church that brought our own programming, along with our own menu, our traditional foods, our kitchen volunteers and all. The year-round staff loved it even more when we would leave leftovers, because . . . well, who doesn’t love Spanish food?”

Ray and Annie think back on all of the years spent at Camp Deerpark. “I love to get up early and talk to God. I thank Him because he has guided us this whole way. We get to see the fruits,” she reflects. “We get to see our family enjoy this place. So many of them have been impacted by God here. I am really touched.” Ray also recalls, “Even the non-Mennonite kids that we would bring up from the neighborhood fell in love with this place. Some of the professionals and adults that you see here today were just kids we brought up back then. I think back on all the campfires. They were always so powerful. When I look back, I feel blessed to have been a part of the transformation.”

—Written by Celmali Jaime Okonji, program director in 2006-7,attended Evangelical Garifuna Church and King of Glory Tabernacle, both in the Bronx.

Ray and Annie live in Puerto Rico, but still visit Camp Deerpark for family and church retreats. The Puerto Rican dishes that they share with Camp Deerpark staff continue to be an all-time favorite.

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