This year's summer camp (2019) was held in a special atmosphere due to the fact that on the property where the camp has been held in recent years, in Allegan, MI, monastic life began in January: a women’s monastery under the Protection of the Mother of God and Saint John Jacob, the orphaned Romanian child who became a saint in the twentieth century. The atmosphere of prayer, tranquility and peace was felt throughout the camp, the children enjoying the presence of the monastic community in their midst.

At the boys’ and girls’ camps, more than 55 children were present from the Midwest, the Eastern and Western coasts of the United States, as well as from Canada. The curriculum of this camp has been designed so that it is accessible to all, taking into account the characteristics of the age of each child. The theological topics chosen for the discussions were combined with practical activities and outdoor games.

Among the activities that took place we would like to mention the outdoor games that emphasized learning about God in specific life circumstances, manual work activities highlighting the spiritual teachings related to the theme of each day, the preparation of a gift for parents, an outdoor reading club, discussions with the spiritual father of the monastery, church services, gardening, nature hikes, a cherry-picking and animal farm field trip, and learning good manners. During this camp, practical activities were combined with spiritual ones. Throughout the week, all the children confessed and were able to receive Holy Communion in the Liturgies.

The atmosphere of an authentic and beautiful childhood was also felt by the lack of electronics (to which the children are unfortunately too attached), instead emphasizing reading, as the monastic community maintains a large and varied library for both children and adults alike. During this camp, the children were encouraged to read at least one book that they would later present to the whole group.

We humbly praise our All-Good God - the Most Holy Trinity, the Most Holy Theotokos and our Saint John Jacob for their permanent protection that was felt during the camp, and we express our gratitude to His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae for the care and attention towards the children of our Metropolia, to the monastic community, to Hieromonk Atanasie and to all the volunteers and stewards who sacrificed their time to support this camp for the spiritual growth and salvation of our children.

Sanda Cărbune
Andrei Mărginean