When Becca first heard about Camp Asbury, it was through a family friend named Jaime who couldn’t stop talking about it. Becca listened to Jaime’s stories and found herself saying, “I want to do that.” When Jaime invited her to join for a week of camp, Becca didn’t hesitate. “I was happy that I got to spend a week at camp because Jaime always talked about it,” she said.
That first summer was filled with fun, new friendships, and unforgettable moments, but it was also marked by homesickness. Becca remembers loving camp yet struggling with being away from home. The following summer, she chose not to return. She can’t quite remember all the reasons why, but she knows homesickness played a part.
By 2019, something led her back. Maybe it was the friendships that were made, maybe it was the joy she remembered, and maybe it was the feeling that camp wasn’t finished with her yet. When she returned, everything changed. “I regretted not going in 2018,” she shared. “And when I did go back, I didn’t feel homesick anymore because I knew the place well and knew I would have fun.” From that summer on, Becca decided she didn’t want to miss another year.
Each week at Camp Asbury brought new people into her life. Even when she arrived with friends, she loved watching her small group transform. “You come on Sunday and most kids are just getting to know each other,” she said. “By Friday, it feels like they’ve known each other their whole lives.” To Becca, that transformation captures what camp is all about. “That’s what camp is all about, kids getting to know each other and learning to live together.”
She’s noticed that sometimes the hardest weeks turn out to be the most meaningful. “Sometimes the weeks of camp that start out the toughest are the weeks that my groups grow closest together,” she explained. “We figure it out and we become good friends by the end of the week.” In those moments, Becca has experienced what true community looks like “support, patience, laughter, and growth.”
Camp Asbury has also shaped her faith in profound ways. “Camp has changed my life because I get to go back every summer. It’s a really good place for me to learn about our faith.” Through Bible studies, worship, and especially communion, Becca feels herself growing spiritually. “I always enjoy the Bible studies and learning more about God. They always make me feel loved by God,” she said. “I like learning about God, singing about God, and hearing the messages people bring to camp.”
More than anything, camp has shown Becca what it feels like to be surrounded by people who genuinely care. “I feel like there is a community at camp that is ready to support me,” she said. “The people at camp I am surrounded with are impactful, they’re good influences that I’m learning from. Knowing that they love me impacts me the most.”
Some of her favorite memories come from the high ropes course, where she challenges herself to climb higher and trust more deeply, both in herself and in the encouragement of her peers. She also treasures the simple moments around a campfire, especially when her small group cooks together over the flames. Those evenings, filled with laughter and conversation under the open sky, often become the moments when friendships grow strongest.
In the near future, Becca plans to be a CIT, but wants to wait until the last possible year so she can experience being a camper for as long as possible. “I want to be a CIT, but Jaime helped me figure out when I should do it so I can join staff that next summer. I want to be a camper for as long as I can, but then I want to give back to the next generation of campers.”
For Becca, Camp Asbury is more than a week away each summer. It is a place where homesickness turns into belonging, where strangers become lifelong friends, and where faith feels personal and alive. It’s a place she returns to year after year, not just because she loves it, but because it continues to shape who she is becoming.