It was a god thing that I was able to be in a sibling cabin as a CIA which stands for Christians in action. For volunteers its 1:1 ratio for special needs campers & 1:2 or 3 ratio for sibling campers. I had 2 girls I was technically in charge of but it was more like we watched over & hung out with all the girls than anything. I was in a cabin with older sibling girls 2 of which were in my cabin as sib campers when I was a sib camper. It felt a little weird at first with being in charge of them & one of them keep thinking I was a camper.
It felt like I was more of their friend then CIA watching over them. I enjoyed getting to know the girls. We did have 1 girl who her grandma volunteered as a nurse & she came with her but does not have a sibling with special needs. We bonded so well together & she helped me even with certain activities that it felt like I was her camper & she was the CIA. I always feel for the kids that don’t have a sib that its hard for them to feel like they fit in or relate to the sibling discussions we have but I know they still have a great time at camp.
I had a cabin with 8 girls, 3 other CIAs beside myself, 2 staffers, & a cabin mom. Cabin moms sleep elsewhere but they hang out with a cabin & help out where needed. At first I was feeling overwhelmed as originally we would have had 10 girls. I felt God pulling at my heart about the daily struggles siblings do have to face. I was glad to be able to relate to the girls about being a sib. It breaks my heart to see other siblings have struggles just like me. God defiantly was using me this week.
Even though I was disappointed that I did not get a camper with special needs or down syndrome like I thought I would God put me in a sibling cabin for a reason to be able to use my experience not only for the girls but to show the other CIAs & staff there what I went through as a previous sib camper. He wanted me in that cabin & knew what I could handle. I felt like I was a blessing to the girls by the end of the week. I got a lot closer to the girls & formed great relationships with them as well as all the CIAs & staff. They were so kind to me throughout the week & prayed for me when I needed it.
I Learned a lot at camp spiritually & emotionally. I did have some struggles during some of the days. Due to internet issues at camp I did not get some of the emails people sent so I got feeling down & started to worry when I was not getting any emails as I wanted to hear from home mainly. I prayed about it & reread the emails I did receive. I felt like I should be focusing more on the girls & the other people around me more than getting emails. I knew people were praying for me but I guess I just wanted to know by email that they were. I had a night where I just prayed for a lot of different things. It was a very emotional night after everyone went to sleep but by morning I was all energized & ready to stay focused on the girls in my cabin as well as to try to be patient with everybody.
By the last day I was crying cause I did not want to leave all these precious friends I had made & camp itself. God touched my heart & changed me for the good through camp this year! I even wanted to stay when I learned that a church group had dropped out of term 9 & they were looking for volunteers for that week. I hope to go next year as a CIA again but this time for 2 weeks possibly terms 7 & 8. Its my mission until barnabas comes to CA that I try to go back every year. I love camp & all it stands for! If you ever get a chance to go volunteer there I encourage you to go as it will change your heart forever! I am so blessed to have such great support from my family & friends otherwise I would have not gotten to bless these 8 girls. Thanks to everyone who made it possible for me to go & thanks for all the prayers! I hope to help more campers be able to experience the same one I have gotten to enjoy the 6 years I have gone to camp. Pray I will be able to raise funds for next year!
