Camp Kivu
Camp Kivu. Those two words get the hair on my arms standing up with absolute excitement. The past six summers of my life have been dedicated to serving the Lord at Camp Kivu, and because of those six summers I am the man I am today. It is almost a daunting task to attempt to put into words what that little camp hidden away in a valley in Bayfield, Co means to me. It is a place of joy, a place of laughter, a place for serious conversations, a place of peace, a place for questions to be heard, a place to be trusted, a place you wear long-sleeves to breakfast because of the beautiful crisp air, a place of beauty, a place where you can be who you are and love what you love, a place for adventure, a place for memories, a place for life long friends… I could go on and on with this list. But, the ultimate reason I have continued to be a part of Kivu is because of the way the Lord continually and consistently shows up! The staff is some of the most servant hearted God loving folks you will ever encounter, and something unique happens every year within the camp setting. It is hard to explain, so I will not even try. All I can do is tell you it will blow you away, and hope and pray that you get the opportunity to see it first hand this summer. You might be nervous, or even a little hesitant to give it a try, and that is completely understandable. Heck, I was nervous my first summer. It might be a long way from home, or a long time to be away, or whatever might be going through your head. But I can almost guarantee that you will walk away after your seven, or thirteen days in Colorado, and know that it was the best week or two that you have ever had. You will count down the days until your return. That’s how it was for me after the first summer. My best friends used to make fun of me because I would start thinking about camp around January. I would be completely checked out by late March, and already packed up by late April. I could not wait until May came around! Sadly I will not be able to come back this summer. It almost brings tears to my eyes to even type that. I am getting married in just a short five weeks, and will begin a new unbelievable journey this summer. But, my future wife… met her at camp. The four guys that I am beyond honored to have standing next to me as I give my life to that amazing woman… best friends from camp. The two guys singing and playing guitar at my wedding… yep, another two best friends from camp. The people I served with and met at camp have honesty and truly become my family. I will do anything for any one of those people, and I know without a doubt they would do the same for me. I believe in Camp Kivu more than I have ever believed in anything on earth. It will forever put an imprint on your life. Please don’t take my word for it. Go experience what a summer at Camp Kivu will mean for you. Sign up at www.campkivu.com while you can!
You can also grab a short glimpse from the youtube guys here:
