One of my favorite
places on earth is the HEB
Foundation Camp near
Leakey, Texas (population
399), in the Texas hill
country. In 1994, I was hired
as a counselor to live in a cabin
with 17 eight- and nine-year-old
boys for two weeks. Admittedly,
I had a lot of excitement and
anxiety about this. I liked being
around kids but hardly had any knowledge of how
to manage children. I experienced an enlightening
moment during preview week, when one of the
leaders’ children injured himself within a couple
yards of me. Completely perplexed about what to
do, I heard an adult staff member yell to “pick the
child up.” I yelled back, asking how I should do that.
Meanwhile, the leader came and picked the child
up, dusted the soil from his face, and effectively
comforted him. I had to learn a lot in a short
time, in part, because it was vital to helping those
entrusted to my care.
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12 Bham Family March 2020
My two sons were born 18 months apart.
There were fun, adventurous, and chaotic
moments in those early years. Back then, my wife
marveled that being a father seemed to come
naturally for someone who did not have a father
at home growing up. I don’t think it was natural.
Working at summer camp taught me patience and
how to strive to do what is best for kids.
The other thing my experience at summer
camp taught me was to love the outdoors, to
love the loud chaos of relationships, and to love
solitude. I learned skills in repelling, horseback
and many others. Along the way, I grew close to
God in profound ways. The relationships formed
at camp have been life-long—it’s even how I met
my wife. While camps and camping might not be
for everybody, I believe everybody should at least
try camping. You might be amazed by what you
learn—or even who you meet.
Ward Williams is the founder and executive director of
Vineyard Family Services. Contact him at ward@vfsdads.com.
Ward
Williams
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