Youth Ministry in the Diocese of Delaware

I got an email today that suggested this link... and well, it was worth passing on so here it is :)

Today several Staff Alumni came to camp for our first annual Alumni Cookout.  Pairs of alumni were posted at Pioneer Units and the staff rotated through to eat delicious food, meet the alumni and hear their stories.

I floated around trying to get pictures of everyone and making sure everyone had what they needed. One of our pool guards asked me who the other alumni were in the other sites around camp.  She was so excited to hear that one of her old counselors was here today.

Anne is 21 years old and has been working here for at least five summers.  When she was about 12 years old she spent her first time in Pioneer and thus had her very first Pioneer overnight.  Camp used to have these mandatory, three day/two night trips away from camp that generally involved long canoe rides and wading in marsh mud.  I have no idea what her counselor Janna said to her.  Whatever it was - it's the one thing, and Janna is the one person that Anne attributes her lengthy stay at camp to.   

We have no idea how strongly the little lines of encouragement we so easily spew (and tend to think nothing of) can impact the life of a young person.  Choose your words wisely.  You never know when they're really going to stick.