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Happy October!
At Star Rock Ministries, we are passionate about highlighting and sharing stories of kids at camp. Check out this amazing story that we could not wait to share with you.
Pilar, a shy 16 year old girl, came to Star Rock Ministries' XLR8 2 Camp this summer. Her primary language is Spanish, which required a translator with her for most of the week. Described by her leader and translator, she had been struggling with incredibly low self-esteem, wrestling with depression and self-doubt on a daily basis. Coming to camp was a scary and big leap of faith for Pilar. However, day by day, Pilar began to take small steps to trust her leader, her cabin mates and herself as she began to take positive risks. Camp was a place where she began to experience things that she had never experienced in her life before. Having grown up mainly on canned goods, the look on her face when she tried fresh peaches for the first time said it all. She even tried jumping off of a pontoon boat! Camp allowed her to be a kid, away from a home situation that often does not allow her to simply be a child. On Decision Night, her leader was dedicated to helping her understand and translate parts of the message. Pilar began to worship and gave her life to Jesus that night. Now she is back down the mountain in her local church and her leader gets to continue the growth that was accelerated at camp.
In Pilar's own words:
"The entire way up to the camp I was thinking how hard it might be since I don't really know English that well. But once we arrived and I got out of the bus, the staff made me feel so comfortable by welcoming us. It gave me confidence that I'll be okay. My self-esteem grew a little more everyday at camp and I saw my fear fading away. I'm so grateful for every person that took the time to love on me and get to know me. I felt so welcomed even if the language barrier was there. Even though my self-esteem was basically on the floor, I learned how much I mean to God."
Pilar (far left), XLR8 2 Camper
