Stories

For some, it might be the first time they’ve been away from home for an entire week. For others, it might be the first time they’ve jumped off the Tower of Terror, tried wakeboarding, gone ziplining, stayed up far too late with their cabin, or made a new friend who they never would have met anywhere else.

But some of the most meaningful firsts at RockRidge Canyon don’t happen on the big activities. They happen quietly, in conversations, around cabin time, on bike trails, sitting on the beach, or sometimes at 6:00 in the morning with a fishing rod in your hands.

This summer, I had one of those moments.

Earlier in the year, I learned that one of our campers’ dads had actually been a Young Life camper when he was a teenager. How cool is that? Years ago, his dad experienced many of the same adventures – different camp, but same ministry. Now, years later, his son was getting to experience Young Life for himself.

I also heard many stories about this young guy’s love for fishing. He had spent plenty of time fishing with his Grandpa and was so excited about getting an opportunity to fish at camp. So, naturally, we made fishing a pretty regular part of our mornings.

Many mornings, we’d get up around 6:00 and head down to the lake. We’d cast our lines, talk about whatever came to mind, laugh, watch the water, and enjoy the quiet (though often joined by our camp friends once they woke up). There were plenty of moments where I got to help him with his fishing line, too. Those moments might seem small, but they are some of the moments I treasure most from camp. There is something special about having nowhere else to be, nothing else demanding your attention, and simply getting to spend time with a teenager.

One morning, a fish struck my line. I quickly passed the pole over, and he proudly reeled it in. He was pretty excited, and for good reason. As we celebrated, he shared with me that it was the first fish he had caught since his Grandpa passed away.

That little fish suddenly meant a whole lot more.

We celebrated that win together, and I thought that was going to be one of my favourite fishing memories from the week.

I was wrong!

Later that week, we were back out on the lake when he hooked one himself.

He reeled it in with excitement, and as we got closer to shore, I realized this wasn’t just excitement. He was crying.

We got that fish to shore, took a fantastic picture, celebrated together, and eventually released it back into the lake. Then I asked him how it felt.

His response was simple:

“That’s the first fish I ever caught by myself!”

And there it was.

One of those firsts.

It wasn’t about how big the fish was (and it was decent too). It wasn’t about the picture. It wasn’t even really about fishing.

It was about accomplishment!

It was about having someone beside you who is willing to be patient, help when needed, and then give you the space to do something yourself!

As a dad, that moment got me thinking. How many times have I caught a fish and passed the fishing pole to one of my kids so they could reel it in? Probably more times than I can count. We want our kids to experience the excitement, so we help them get to the exciting part.

But sometimes the best gift we can give them is the opportunity to experience the whole thing themselves.

To feel the tug.

To figure it out.

To make the mistakes.

To keep trying.

To finally get the fish to shore and realize, “I did that!”

Sometimes what looks like a small win to someone else is actually a really big win to the person experiencing it.

And that’s one of the things I love about camp!

Last year, we had another one of those moments. One of our campers wanted to learn how to ride a bike, and his cabin mates rallied around him. They took the time to encourage him, help him, and celebrate those first successful rides. Before long, he wasn’t just riding a bike. He and the boys were checking bikes out from the Beach Hut every morning and heading out onto the many trails around RockRidge.

Something that started as a challenge became something he couldn’t get enough of!

Then there was another first this summer.

One of our campers had always dreamed about playing guitar. At RockRidge Canyon, we have an event called “Music on Mainstreet,” where the camp musician brings out guitars, drums, keyboards, and other instruments and spends time making music with whoever wants to join in. Some campers already know how to play, and a few of our crew even brought their own guitars this year. But for one camper, this was a chance to finally start learning something he had dreamed about doing.

The camp musician took the time to teach him. Patiently. One step at a time.

And by the end of the week, he was jamming.

He was encouraged! He was excited! And he was already making plans for when he got home and could get a guitar of his own.

Another first!

Another win!

Another teenager discovering something new about himself!

That’s what camp can do.

Camp is a week of challenging yourself. It’s a week of trying new things and stepping away from our normal reality and entering something unknown. It’s a week filled with chances, surprises, challenges, wins, failures, laughter, emotions, and discovery.

For one week, we disconnect from the world around us. No phones. No tablets. No electronics. We leave all of that behind and simply spend time together.

And as leaders, that’s an incredible gift.

These aren’t teenagers we only see for one week of the year. These are the same teenagers we spend the entire year walking alongside. We know them. We know their stories. We know their personalities, their struggles, their strengths, their fears, their dreams, and the things that make them laugh.

Then, for one week, we get to experience life alongside them in a completely different environment.

We see the excitement.

We see the nervousness.

We see the challenges.

We see the laughter.

We see the tears.

We see the wins.

And sometimes, we get to be standing right beside them when they experience a first they will remember for the rest of their lives.

A first fish.

A first ride.

A first song.

A first big step.

A first time realizing, “Maybe I can actually do this!”

Those moments matter.

And perhaps one of the greatest privileges we have as leaders is that we don’t simply get to celebrate those moments at camp. We get to come home and continue walking alongside these teenagers.

We come home knowing them a little better.

They come home knowing us a little better.

The relationships are deeper. The conversations are different. The trust is stronger.

We’re still walking together.

And that’s the part of RockRidge Canyon that can be easy to miss when you look at all the incredible activities, the lake, the mountains, the wakeboarding, the ziplines, the boats, the games, the music, and everything else camp has to offer.

The real adventure isn’t just what happens at camp.

It’s what happens in us while we’re there!

It’s the teenager who discovers a new gift!

The friend who discovers he can encourage someone else!

The camper who finds the courage to try something new!

The leader who gets to see a teenager in a completely new light!

The conversation that wouldn’t have happened anywhere else!

The memory that will be talked about years from now!

And sometimes, it’s simply a teenager sitting beside you at the lake at 6:00 in the morning, casting a line into the water, and discovering something he didn’t even know he was waiting to discover.

There are a lot of firsts at RockRidge Canyon.

And I’m incredibly thankful that we get to be there for them!