Tales from Camp Greenwood June 2018
Hello Friends and Family of Camp Greenwood,
As I sit here and ponder about all the exciting things that have happened over these first two weeks of camp I cannot help but think about the giant web that has been created over the years. If you know me you might think it is strange that I want to talk about a giant web as you would know that I have a huge irrational fear of spiders, but if you can imagine with me for a moment you will understand. Think of Camp Greenwood as a huge web of interconnected people. Each point in the web is a person and their connection to each other are the strands. Over the many years of Camp Greenwood’s existence this web has grown to a unimaginable size. Sadly, over the years this web also has taken a few hits and a few of those connections have been destroyed, which leaves some of us disconnected from the rest of the web and their trust with it.
Starting the year out I was ready to hit the ground running. I was bound and determined to make this camp the place that I know it can be: A place that shares God’s love with everyone who enters the threshold of Camp Greenwood’s land, which shares the amazing beauty of the nature that is all encompassing here, no matter which direction you look, and to show each and every person that they are fearfully and wonderfully made and that they make a difference. 
Quickly, I learned that it is going to take some time. I had an unrealistic version of reality; that we would be able to fix all those connections and rebuild the trust that has been lost immediately. There has been a cyclical journey at Camp Greenwood, where everything will be going fine for awhile, then an issue appears and droves of alumni and supporters come out to the rescue. Then they just kinda disappear as quickly as they arrived. It is time we change this cycle. It is time to let our Greenwood Spirit show consistently.
Rebuilding this amazing web of connection cannot be done by one person, it is going to be an army of alumni and supporters. It is going to take a family connected together by the love of God to mend these broken connections and rebuild this web.
Is it a huge feat that we have to take on ahead of? Yes. Is it an insurmountable feat? No. We have a God, who is bigger than any issue that will rise up against us. We have a God who is caring and loving. And above all we have a God who wants nothing but one thing: to build a web connected with you.
Thank you so much for your continued support of our mission to spread the love of God. Your support has been an amazing blessing to each and every person who has traversed through Camp Greenwood.
Let’s reconnect those strands that have been broken and make all our connections stronger so that no matter what issue arises our web stands strong. Reach out to those connections you made here and let that Greenwood Spirit show!
As Always, Camp Greenwood Forever!
Jake Dayringer
Camp Greenwood Director
616.754.7258
P.S. We still have some room for more strands to be created. If you know of a camper looking for a place to go please send them our way. Let’s make new connection and make our web even bigger.
* First picture is from 2013 Teen Serve Week ** Second Picture is from Music in the Woods/Radical Leadership 2018
