Heart For Missions Story - Jessica
Heart For Missions Story - Jessica
Hello Camp of The Woods friends! My name is Jessica. I first heard about COTW through my relatives. My aunt and uncle, Joe and Kally Remiger, had been there several summers with their kids, Payton, Sarena, and Thayne. They always shared about how much fun they had and how beautiful it was up there. My cousin Payton was also on summer staff one year and loved it. Later on I also found out that one of my distant relatives, Loraine Gonnerman actually lived at COTW a long time ago too, so I definitely have some family history there.
I first came to COTW in August of 2017 for the Heart for Missions week with my youth group from Grace Church in Mason City, IA. This was the week after the camp had their last campers for the summer. We spent the week helping the camp clean up and get ready for winter by taking down decorations, cutting and stacking firewood, organizing storage sheds, picking blueberries, taking apart the dock and bringing it and the water trampoline onto shore, deep cleaning the lodge kitchen, cleaning cabins, and whatever else they needed help with. It was nice to be able to serve the camp by helping out with these various tasks, but it was also a good week to be able to relax and have fun as well. The camp really was great about encouraging and serving us too. They challenged us through chapels after breakfast and dinner, going into quiet time following morning chapel, and just through working together in the mornings and afternoons as well. I appreciated having free time in the midafternoon and evening to get out on the lake, go hiking, play games in the lodge, etc. One thing that makes this camp unique are the families that live there. Besides being very kind, authentic, and genuine people that love God, they also work hard every year to create a place for kids to come to learn about Him and make fun lasting memories.
My favorite thing about COTW is just the atmosphere and location. It just helps me to see God’s beauty in nature–all of the trees, the lake and its incredible clearness and cleanliness, and the sounds of the birds and insects. My favorite time at camp was quiet time because I felt like I could really connect with God then. I loved to go down to the two benches beside the lake behind the lodge to read my Bible, meditate on the chapel teachings, and to pray there while listening to the waves of the lake, the wind in the trees, and the sounds of nature. I just found this so peaceful and relaxing, like there were no troubles in my world at this time to worry about. My favorite activity to do during my free time was being on the lake including swimming, tubing, paddle boarding, or canoeing. My next favorite thing to do was canoeing across the lake and hiking Bear Track Trail, especially in the evening because once you got to the top of the trail you could encounter a pretty brilliant sunset.
I loved and missed COTW so much that I came back for the Missions Week in August the next 2 years. I came with my aunt and uncle, John and Sarah Remiger, their baby Paisley, and Jon and Sara Dubon in 2018. This week was different from my last experience in that I got to meet and hang out with their summer staff more which was a blast. In August of 2019, I came with a hodgepodge of family, including my grandma and grandpa, Mike and Kathy Remiger, my brothers Grant and Joel, again John, Sarah, and Paisley, Jon and Sara, Dawn Brock, and cousins Sarena, Thayne, and Nolan. This year was probably my favorite just because so many of my relatives were able to come. There’s nothing better than being able to serve, grow, and have fun with your family at the same time! It was also a pleasure that week to reconnect with everyone and meet new people there as well through working and doing activities together.
I’ve had some really grand times at COTW and have made some priceless memories there, which is why it will always be my happy place. I highly encourage anyone that’s interested to sign up and participate in a Heart for Missions Camp. It’s a spectacular experience that you don’t get just anywhere. It’s a good opportunity to serve others and grow in your own faith. It may even change your perspective on missions and how God wants to use you in His mission field.
