Saturday, July 5

By Campers

Beloved children of the Restoration, your continuing faith adventure with God has been divinely led, eventful, challenging, and sometimes surprising to you. By the grace of God, you are poised to fulfill God’s ultimate vision for the church.

—Doctrine and Covenants 164:9a

I loved going to camp this year. And many times I felt blessed. But the time I felt the most blessed was at campfire. All of us kids would sit together on a big blanket. We sang, prayed, and just talked. There I felt the true meaning of God—love, friendship, and the joy of being with others you care about. That experience was amazing every time. I won’t forget those nights, and I can’t wait for camp next year!

Grace Keenan,

Kansas City, Missouri, USA

One of my favorite parts of camp was before our morning worship at the tabernacle. They would play some vacation Bible school songs, and everybody stood, danced around, and had fun with the fast-beat songs. Then they would play a slower song, and we would join hands in several long rows, and we just sang to God and each other, feeling blessed to be there.

That’s when I felt most blessed to have this great experience, to make new friends, and worship together. Camp was awesome, and I can’t wait until camp next year. I am so glad our congregation has a fund for campers so everyone can come who wants to. Thank you to those who are generous to the campership fund.

—Sarah Keenan,

Kansas City, Missouri, USA

Prayer for Peace Creator God, thank you for the stars that surround our campfires. Thank you for grass and sand to sit on. Thank you for our new friends and those we meet again each summer. Thank you for the peace between us. Help us share Christ’s peace with the world.

Spiritual Practice: All That Lives Take a walk and find a tree where you can sit (or imagine walking and sitting beneath a tree). Lean against the tree and feel the texture of the bark. Listen to the wind move through the leaves. Sit quietly and sense God’s presence flowing through the tree and all creation. Offer a prayer of gratitude for your connection to all that lives. Ask for grace to identify and carry out one small act of justice or healing that creates greater wholeness for the plants, animals, trees, waters, air, and land that are part of the community of creation.

Peace Covenant Today, God, I will write a letter to an old friend from camp or a friend from another experience.