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Campers learn to let their light shine

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
(Email Katie)

First session camper, Emily Jungers, said she learned about prayer and the differences between wants and needs at Camp CAYOCA this year.

The fifth grader from St. Andrews in Sibley attended camp last year and had so much fun she decided to come back. This year she enjoyed learning fun songs with actions.

“I liked going in my small group and cabin time. I met a lot of friends,” said Jungers. On the day her small group helped with Mass preparation, she was the reader who welcomed the campers to Mass.

About 340 campers attended Camp CAYOCA during three sessions this summer at Twin Lakes Christian Center near Manson. The first session, June 12-15, and third session, July 6-9, were held for third through fifth graders. The second session was held June 16-19 for sixth through eighth graders.

“Camp presents an opportunity for kids of younger ages to go out and meet other kids in the diocese,” said Andrea Jenson, assistant director of youth and young adult ministry in the Diocese of Sioux City. “They come together not just as a parish or school but as a whole diocese and interact with one another.”

Let your light shine
The theme of CAYOCA 2010 was Shine, which was based on the Scripture verse Matthew 5:16, “Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly father.”

“The theme focuses on letting our light shine so that others can see it,” said Jenson.

The theme was reinforced each day by the teachers, through various workshops and in the theme song. The three workshops at camp were Let Your Light Shine, For all That They may see the Good You Do and Give Praise to Your Father in Heaven.

Randy Andrews, a camper from Holy Trinity Parish-Christ the King worship site in Dayton, said his mom had volunteered at camp and encouraged him to attend.

In a workshop with Father Pelzel, Andrews traced his hand and learned ways that he could help people.

“I think I am making new friends,” said Andrews about meeting other children from around the diocese.
Besides the workshops, there were also three prayer activities: Reconciliation, Prayer Experience and Mass Prep. In Reconciliation, not only did campers learn more about the sacrament, but had the opportunity to go to confession. In Mass Prep they learned more about the Mass and helped plan that day’s liturgy.

“The first part of reconciliation is knowing that what we did was wrong and we are sorry we did it,” said Father Brad Pelzel, who was spiritual director at the third session of camp. “The second part is that we have a firm purpose of amendment. This means that we really don’t want to do it again.”

The workshops and prayer activities provided many different learning opportunities for the campers.

“I hope the kids experience prayer and experience their personal relationship with Christ in a different way at camp,” said Jenson. “That they can see a more fun side of prayer and have that to rejuvenate their prayer life throughout the year.”

With activities such as fishing, swimming, a rock climbing wall, crafts, mini-golf and more, the campers enjoyed their free time. They had a few hours for recreation each afternoon before attending daily Mass.
Scottie Plendl, a seventh grader from St. Michael’s in Kingsley, said his favorite activity was going to the waterfront during free time.

He learned about camp from friends who said it was a lot of fun. He attended last year and came back again during session two this year.

“You learn about God and it is really cool,” he said. “They teach you a lot of life lessons. They teach you to always have God in your life and you will always get through.”

The campers participated in different activities each evening including adoration, a craft activity, a vocations workshop, capture the flag and a praise and worship concert with the Twin Lakes staff.

At each session, a priest is on hand to help with workshops, hear confessions and celebrate daily Mass. The priests at camp this year were: session 1 – Father Terry Roder, session 2 – Father Matt Hewitt and session 3 – Father Pelzel.

“This year, I was really impressed with the kids (middle school age), their behavior, energy, creativity. They participated and had a positive attitude,” said Father Hewitt.

He said that with the addition of adoration this year, he noted that the reverence and prayerfulness of the campers was really neat.

“It gets more and more enjoyable,” said Father Hewitt, who has helped at camp six or seven times. “It is a great opportunity for the youth to come together, interact in a structured way and enjoy the summer. It is a great way to share their faith and become connected with God and their peers.”

Volunteers
Not only do the priests volunteer their time, but many adults and high school-age students volunteer at each session as coordinators, program leaders, program assistants, small group leaders and medics. This year there were 19 high school, 18 college and 58 adult and parent volunteers.

Jordie Willison, a parishioner at St. Joseph Parish in Milford, said she originally decided to volunteer at Camp CAYOCA because when she was a camper she looked up to the program assistants because they were closer to her age.

“I fell in love with camp and wanted to come back as often as I could,” said the small group leader at the third session. “I like being a younger role model so they can see someone who is closer to their age, who is living a Christian life. In today’s world it is hard to find young role models who are Christian.”

Willison is in her third year volunteering at camp. She was a small group leader last year and a program assistant before that.

“This location, the space and sense of community at CAYOCA is so beneficial to the Catholic Church,” she said. “It rejuvenates everyone who comes here. It is a great place to connect with God.”

Brady Haye, a junior in high school from St. Joseph Parish in Wall Lake was a program assistant for the first session. He helped get activities ready for the campers and enjoyed seeing the smiles on their faces.

“I enjoy making their experience fun,” he said. “It is a great opportunity. When I was a camper, I received a good influence and it made me want to help at the camp later and brought me closer to God.”

Haye added that the campers learn why they need to be closer to God and how they can get closer to God.
Jenson thanked all the volunteers who stepped forward to help with Camp CAYOCA this summer. She said the volunteers came together “quickly as a community to form a team.” They set an example of good relationships and friendships for the campers to model as they met other campers.