We are overjoyed to report on an excellent 2022 Ortoha Youth Camp experience! We had such an incredible group of campers, and an amazing staff that went above and beyond to serve and connect with the kids.
After plenty of last-minute registrations, the final camp numbers were as follows:
Junior Week - 39 campers
Senior Week - 24 campers
Of these, the mix was about 50/50 in terms of returning campers versus newcomers. That speaks volumes of how our alumni campers and camper parents have helped spread the word about Ortoha. Hooray!
We welcomed Chad Francis into the role of Camp Director this year and he did a phenomenal job. As a alumni camper himself, he is well acquainted with Ortoha’s many long-standing traditions, and enjoyed the chance to share the fun with yet another generation.
He was joined at camp both weeks by Camp Cook Beth Hawkins, and Beth’s oldest daughter who served as her assistant. And what talent! The campers and staff ate incredibly well. Beth thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the campers during meals and KP time, and after a busy day in the kitchen, Beth said watching all the campfire fun was a perfect way to close each night.
(In case you missed in, be sure to check out our last post with more information about Chad and Beth.)
We cannot say enough good things about our speakers this year. We had a variety of both new and returning speakers join ranks to help bring the Good News to the youngsters. Each went out of his or her way to create connections even outside their allotted “Speaker” time, participating in the other planned activities and chatting up the campers throughout the day.
Here are a few examples of the themes and stories our speakers touched on this year:
Jesus knows your name, where you’re at, and what you're going through (examples: Zacchaeus, Nicodemus, and Saul’s conversion)
How do you pray? (Unpacking The Lord’s Prayer)
God delights in using those the world deems as “weak links”
Jesus washing the disciples’ feet
The paralytic being carried to Jesus
We’ve recently posted some pictures to our Facebook page that we encourage you to check out. We also welcome you to look through our Lost & Found list in case you know a camper who misplaced an item or two. Lastly, we encourage you to pray over our 2022 campers, that the seeds of faith and friendship that have been planted would be nurtured by the Spirit and grow.
It is such a blessing to have a wide group of camp followers and supporters. Thank you for checking out these updates and keeping Ortoha in your prayers throughout the year!