Volunteer Story--Leah

Each year, hundreds of volunteers come to Camp of the Woods from all over North America. They fill roles as cabin leaders, team captains, kitchen staff, activity leaders, and on the cleaning and maintenance crew.

Leah Hollins, sandwiched between her sisters in the photo, is from North Carolina and has grown up coming to COTW to volunteer with her family. Here is her story!

Camp of the Woods has always held a special place in my heart. I’ve known about the camp for as long as I can remember. My parents have been serving at the camp since 1996, and I have been coming to camp since 2008. Every summer since 2009, except for 2017, I’ve spent at least one week at camp with my family. I can recount countless stories from different points of view. I remember when the A-frames were re-roofed Missions 3 of 2010. I remember getting the worst sunburn the Sunday before Junior 2 in 2011. I remember Kayleigh Bates breaking the verse record and the Herons cabin winning in 2012. I remember doing kids club for the first time in 2013. I remember getting eaten alive by the bugs in 2014. I remember being a team captain for the first time in 2015 and my co-captain counting me as one of the campers. I remember staying in the Jaeb (the girl’s staff cabin) for the first time in 2016. Of all the years I’ve been coming to camp, 2018 was one of my favorites. It was the first time since 2010 that we were there during a Missions week. My mamma, little sister, and I flew up Thursday of Junior 3 and flew home Thursday of Missions 3. I think it was the shortest amount of time that I’ve spent at camp, but it was one of my favorite trips by far.

This year I had the opportunity to take a step back and enjoy the beauty of the camp. During camper weeks, everyone is always so busy that sometimes you forget to take a moment to step back and take it all in. All the trees, all the stars, the sunsets, the flowers, the lake, the storms rolling in from the lake, the calm before and after the storm, the animals and bugs, and the kids, just pause for a second to take a mental picture of that moment because nothing will ever be exactly the same as that moment. That is why 2018 was so special for me. I arrived at camp during swim time on Thursday. Everyone was going a hundred miles an hour. The lifeguards and the campers were at the lake, the rest of the summer staff were rehearsing their lip-sync to perform during snack that night, and even the kitchen staff was starting to prepare supper for later on that evening. I didn’t have any assigned responsibilities yet, so it was refreshing for the next 24-hours to view camp from the outside. I got to see all the different areas of camp working together so that the daily activities stayed on track. I also was able to purposefully spend time alone with God in His creation, and that helped prepare me for the following week and even the following year. I will always cherish the time that I have spent at camp. From hiking to canoeing to tubing to lip-syncing to star-tipping, I’ve made countless memories and friends at and through camp, none of whom I will ever forget. I am very thankful for the time that God has allowed me to spend at camp, and I look forward to the many more memories and friends that I will make at COTW!

Interested in becoming a volunteer at Camp of the Woods? Contact us at office@cotwcanada.com to find out more information.