Nate’s journey to Camp Asbury didn’t begin with a childhood of summer nights by the fire or cabins filled with laughter. It started in 2014, nudged along by his older brother, who urged him to apply to be a counselor. Skeptical at first, Nate found his footing, and his heart, at camp.
“My first year, I wasn’t sure. But once I got to know the other counselors, something clicked. The staff that year… we were close. They were the kind of people who helped you fall in love with a place,” Nate shared. After a brief detour the following year for an internship, he made the choice to return to camp, feeling the need in his heart. What kept pulling him back? “It’s the nature, the faith, and the people,” he said. Those three elements wove themselves into the very fabric of Nate’s story.
Nate has always loved the outdoors. Raised going to the Metroparks, he found peace among the trees, but it was Camp Asbury that deepened that relationship into something sacred. “Camp is like being dropped into this giant nature preserve that becomes your home for six or seven weeks. You plan everything away from the buildings. It’s daunting at first, but then you’re just having fun the whole time. You play, reflect; all surrounded by creation. It’s beautiful,” he explained. One of his favorite practices during hikes with campers was simply stopping. “You wait. Let the forest settle around you. The birds return; the squirrels reappear. You become part of it. It’s like the woods close in and welcome you.” In a world that’s always rushing, camp teaches presence. “You’re not scrolling or distracted. You’re just living, how life was meant to be lived.”
For Nate, camp was also the beginning of a deep spiritual journey. That first summer shaped more than just his experience, it shaped his faith. “Before Asbury, I never experienced communion as something so communal. It felt more ceremonial and more removed. During staff training, we passed bread to each other, offered it with our own hands. That felt so real, so holy.” He recalls being told by a fellow counselor you perceive nature as how you perceive God. And that has made a lasting impact on him. It wasn’t just the practices; it was the people. A fellow counselor encouraged him to read the Bible and ask deeper questions. That summer, his friend was baptized in the lake, a moment that profoundly impacted Nate. “It was like the stories we read coming to life. It made everything more tangible, more meaningful.”
The community at Camp Asbury is unlike any other Nate’s known. “You feel like co-parents to the kids. You’re in it together, building this sacred experience. And that bond you build with your co-counselors, it’s real. The kids can feel it when you’re close, when you’re synced up. It makes them feel safe.”
Over time, Nate returned to volunteer, to show up at alumni events, to stay connected. “I want to help camp improve, so more kids can experience this place. I might be too old to be a counselor now, but I can still make a difference.” For Nate, camp isn’t just a fond memory. It’s an anchor. A reminder of who he is and what matters most. “It’s a little slice of heaven,” he said. “You don’t get experiences like this anywhere else. Especially not today.” His advice to others? “Try it. Just try it once. It’s unlike anything else. Camp gives you space to disconnect from the noise, to connect with nature, with others, and with God. And that connection, that peace, it stays with you.”