When I was 9, I started attending Camp Crossroads and met a girl named Julianne from Kitchener. I saw her every summer, since we are the same age. When I was in my 20s, I started attending a new church. The first person who talked to me and invited me out to join the choir and her small group was Julianne. She recognized me from Camp.

Now in my 40s, I am Facebook friends with Julianne and my 9 year old daughter had started going to camp. Julianne attends a different church than I do and we don’t hang out in the same social circles, but I’ve been watching her FB posts! In 2017, she volunteered at Camp for a week. Then I saw that the Bible Kids Club she volunteered with wasn’t going to run that fall. I kept thinking about her and how she gives so much time, energy and love to kids….and Jesus.

I kept thinking about her and how she gives so much time, energy and love to kids....and Jesus.
Julie Preis

In December 2017, after 3 months of praying about it, I asked Julianne if she would ever consider leading a girls’ small group for my daughter and her friends. Grade 4 seemed to be a good time to strengthen girls’ relationships with each other and also their relationship with God. Julianne said yes, and gave her Thursday nights to hang out with 8 little girls in my living room! One evening, as I quietly hung out in the hallway, I heard all of them pray the Lord’s Prayer together. My heart is so happy and thankful.

This impact started and will continue because of Jesus, but also because of Camp Crossroads. The girls convinced her to volunteer again in 2018, and it worked out that she could be their cabin leader. It was important for me to share this story because I wanted people to know how much of an impact camp can have in a person’s life, not only for one week in the summer but for many years to come!

Julie is a Volunteer Cabin Leader