Christian Youth Camp

We got back from Canada on Sunday. i washed clothes, repacked and left for Camp Ch-Yo-Ca on Monday. This pattern of coming and going never seems to end.

      Camp Ch-Yo-Ca was started in 1967 by my great grandfather on my mom’s side, Alton Howard. He bought 100 acres in Calhoun, Louisiana and dedicated it for the purpose of providing a place for the Young and Beardless (like me) to grow closer to each other and to the Almighty God. A purpose to which it has fulfilled for thousands. My grandma on my mom’s side (we call 2-Mama, or Chrys Howard) met Alton’s son, John Howard (we call 2-Papa) at camp and they got married in 1971. They committed to being a part of Camp every year after that. As a result, my mom met my dad there when she went in 3rd grade and he asked her on the “moonlight hike”. The “moonlight hike is kind of a big deal although despite what the name might suggest it takes place in the daytime, well early evening, it's not exactly dark. 
     When my parents came back from collage they lived on the grounds while dad kept the camp running and worked as a director in the summer, and mom as the art teacher.  i was born at that time and was raised at that camp. Camp Ch-Yo-Ca is one of the places that shaped me to who i am today. Dad (who was not bearded then) taught me to work with my hands, to build things, fix things, break things, clean things, shoot things, kill snakes, take care of pets, and fish for fish.

     We moved 10 minutes away when I was eleven, but it was the farthest 10 minutes ever. Camp closed down the following 3 years because it ran out of money. It was a hard time for the whole family. Camp then changed hands until it finally (I think because of God) made its way back to us. That was the summer between my 8^th grade and Freshman year.

     Camp needed help and i wanted to work so bad. i found out they needed lifeguards so to guarantee my spot working at camp i became one. i prayed every night that no one would drown. Thankfully no one did. i got a little action though one time when a kid who could not swim slipped off the side into the deep end. I like to think of myself as a hero for saving him, but he was wearing floaties so all i was give him a little shove to the ladder. So basically yes, i'm a life-saver.

     Anyways, i heard someone say that year that if you want to be blessed then to put yourself in an opportunity to be blessed. i later found out that saying came from a man named Marvin Steffins who deserves a whole book or two written about him (and a movie). Put myself in an opportunity to be blessed is exactly what i did that summer and the following four summers after. It was four weeks of clean fun, late night talks, making up songs, ghost stories, and counseling little kids on life. HA like i know anything. The kids don’t know that though.

      i can talk about each summer in other posts. For right now i am still trying to get you caught up on present day.

The important things about the Bearded Robertsons to be learned from this are:

1.    The Bearded Robertsons were not always bearded. My parents had me when they were fairly young. i feel like i have, in a way, grown up with my dad. i watched him from being clean shaven to bearded, from Jess to Willie, from maintenance man to business man. i watched him with my own eyes work for all that he has now. That inspires me. Dreams don’t just happen. They have to be worked for with your own hands and only if you give them to God then He will take them farther then your hands ever would.

2.    Put yourself in a position for something good to happen and something good will probably happen. If you don’t believe me then try it.

If you would like to know more or sign up for the next summer at camp then go to http://www.campchyoca.com