By Caleb Poling, The River Christian Community in Oakdale
This summer, I had the chance to be a counselor at Meadow Ranch with nine junior high boys—and what a week it turned out to be. My cabin was full of energy and incredibly social, which made for a lot of fun. But beyond all the excitement, God was definitely at work, both in the students and in me. One of the unexpected blessings was how the other counselors and I bonded throughout the week. I ended up forming some really meaningful friendships—not just with someone else from my church, but also with another counselor I’d never met before. Those relationships led to some important conversations and realizations in my own life.
To be honest, going into the week, I was struggling. I felt weighed down by discouragement and wasn’t sure if I could be the spiritual leader these boys needed. Monday morning chapel was a turning point for me. I showed up feeling anxious and a little frustrated with God. But as worship started, God gently reminded me of His sovereignty over everything I was worried about. That moment brought me back to a place of humility and surrender and gave me the confidence to face the rest of the week.
There were so many highlights, but one of my favorites was the blob competition. We pretty much volun-told one of my boys that he’d be the one getting blobbed. A couple of hours before, he admitted he was scared, but just minutes before it was his turn, another counselor asked him again how he felt. His response? “I was born ready for this.” And let me tell you, he absolutely crushed it. The whole cabin couldn’t stop talking about it for the rest of the week.
But even better than that was seeing how God was moving in the hearts of my students. Some of the boys came into the week with deep, thoughtful questions about faith. On Thursday night, one of them decided to give his life to Christ. We got to have a powerful conversation afterward and celebrate with him. It was an incredible moment I’ll never forget.
The theme of the week, God’s goodness and sovereignty in the midst of hardship, hit home for me, too. The story of Joseph really opened my eyes to trust God’s plan, even when I can’t see how it all fits together.
Now that we’re back home, I can see how the week at Hume has shaped both me and my guys. It brought us closer in a way that helps us challenge and encourage each other to follow Jesus. And for junior high boys, that kind of connection is something really special.
If you believe in what God does through camp like Caleb’s story, we encourage you to help make it possible for more kids to experience it. Consider giving to Camperships so that even more students can hear the Gospel, ask their questions, and have a week at Hume they’ll never forget—just like Caleb did.