Camp CUMCITO 2009 Re-Visited

I put this blog post up last year after we returned from camp. I was looking through these photos and thought I would re-post them. This is the fifth year that Janice and I have been involved with Camp CUMCITO together, and I am really missing being there. The kids will arrive tomorrow (Monday) at noon. The staff is there now doing on-site training. Please pray with me this week for the staff and all the campers. I have been told they are expecting a full camp which means 48 boys and 48 girls. There will be a total of 12 cabins with 8 kids and 2 counselors per cabin.

I will be making the trip over to camp on Thursday afternoon to spend a few hours there, but I'm already looking forward to next year when I will be able to be back there serving with Janice and all of our camp friends. As I hear news from camp this week I will try to keep everyone posted on what to pray for.

Volunteer Spotlight

Janice and I have been featured on the U.S. Cellular volunteer page on the company's intranet for our time working at Camp CUMCITO. Unfortunately you can't view this page since it's on our intranet, but here is what it looks like.

Volunteer Spotlight

Tom Seagraves, Business Account Executive in Missouri

This summer Tom volunteered more than 180 hours with Camp CUMCITO (City Union Mission's Camp In The Ozarks), an organization that provides weeklong summer vacations to hundreds of low-income children each year. Tom and his wife Janice have been volunteering at the camp for more than four years. "Tom truly embodies the spirit of volunteerism," said Nathan Waddell, Missouri Director of Sales. "Through his time and energy, he has given some very deserving young people the opportunity to take part in the fun of summer camp. More importantly, Tom has played a big role in helping these young people to create some very positive memories that will last a lifetime and will help them to believe in something better."

A Few Reasons We Love Serving at Camp CUMCITO

Meet my Friend Antuwan

This is Antuwan, a friend of mine I met at Camp CUMCITO in 2006.

When Janice and I started serving at camp back in 2006 I served as a counselor. We were working at pre-teen camp that year which is for 11 and 12 year olds, and Antuwan was one of the guys in my cabin. We had a tough week. He was the guy at camp that year that caused the most problems and he tried very hard to get under my skin.

Even though that week was tough for both of us, we have remained close. He told me last year that I have been the one of the few people in his life that hasn't given up on him. Last year I was able to stop by camp during Teen Boys week and see Antuwan for a couple of hours. Then last fall I went to Kansas City on a Saturday and took Antuwan and another guy from camp to Power Play, as well as the Camp CUMCITO fall retreat. Then again yesterday I was able to stop and see him for a couple hours at Teen Boys Camp again. This was after he called me this past Saturday night at 11pm asking me if I was going to come see him again at camp.

Antuwan is a guy with a big heart which I have seen in action several times, but he also has a hard outer shell. I have a close bond with him because of the time we have spent together, and he told me yesterday he knows I care about him. I'm going to continue to model friendship and grace to him and hopefully my friendship with him will help him as he continues his journey in life.

Camp CUMCITO Here We Come

Last Saturday a group of us met in Overland Park, KS for Camp CUMCITO (City Union Mission's Camp in the Ozarks) 2009 Supervisor Training. This is one of the steps we take in the Spring to prepare for camp every summer.

This summer I will once again serve as the Staff Director for pre-teen camp from July 12-18. The Staff Director is responsible for the counselors. I will be serving 6 counselors and 6 assistant counselors for the week. Each cabin will house up to 8 boys ages 11 and 12. It is my job to serve the counselors by keeping them motivated, informed and sane during the week as well as making sure they are getting their 2 hours off each day. We try hard to protect their time off as they are on duty 22 hours a day.

Travis Bradburn, the guy in the red shirt, is the Camp Director and he works full time for City Union Mission. He ran our Supervisor Training last Saturday.

Janice will be a counselor this year for the first time. This is the 4th year we have served together at camp and she has done a different job each year. She is nervous about going into a cabin, but I know she will do great.

If you are at all interested in serving at camp with us please let me know. The application process takes a few weeks and you would need to get started fairly soon. Be on the lookout for updates as we get closer to camp. I'm sure I will be posting several photos when we're finished with our week.

Camp CUMCITO 2009 Begins

This Saturday Janice and I will be heading to Kansas City to meet with the planning team for Pre-teen week at Camp CUMCITO 2009.  I can't believe that it's time to start planning again for another year. Camp CUMCITO (City Union Mission's Camp in the Ozarks) is operated by City Union Mission in Kansas City. This will be the 4th year Janice and I will be involved together with camp. We have served at pre-teen camp each year except for 2007 when we served at junior camp. Here is a link to a video that was made during our week at Junior camp in 2007. Pre-teen camp is for boys and girls ages 11 and 12. I will be the male staff director for the second time this year. Janice may be working in a cabin this year but she is still not sure. Last summer my niece Katlin from Tulsa came and worked with us at camp and she will be coming back this summer. She wants to work in a cabin this year.

Camp CUMCITO is an opportunity for inner-city kids to get away from the environment they're used to and put them in a place where they can see that there is something different out there. The motto of camp is, "An Opportunity For A Changed Life." Of course, the only way life can truly be changed is through a relationship with Christ. So, we try to let them see Christ for a week. Most of these kids go right back to bad situations, so we try to offer them a glimpse of something they will remember.

Camp seems to be more exciting each year especially now that we are involved in some of the planning. It helps to build some anticipation for the week we will spend there. Take a look at the video and maybe you'll want to come serve with us this year. We can always use more help.