Okay well to start off, Camp Barnabas is a place for people with mental, physical, or medical disabilities such as cancer, disabled, autistic, blind, deaf, you name it and you'll find someone at that camp with it. Camp Barnabas was started by Paul and Cindy Teas in 1994. The Teas believe that EVERYONE, no matter what the condition, should get to go to camp. Camp Barnabas was named after Barnabas, or the Saint of Encouragement. Camp Barnabas' motto is Enlarging the Spirit, Encouraging the Heart♥. My church and many others across the country go to Camp Barnabas as volunteers. There are 3 different categories of volunteers. The first one is Barnstormers, Barnstormers are teenagers that are 14 and 15. Barnstormers are important for camp. As a Barnstormer you, take care of all the dishes: cleaning them, putting them up, putting them out for meals; you clean bathrooms:the cabin bathrooms, mess hall, EVERYWHERE; and you serve: you serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and there are many other things Barnstormers take care of. The next volunteer category is CIA. A CIA is anyone who is 16 and older. CIA's have a camper they are assigned to take care of for the week. And the last category is staff. Staff does everything else, they prepare the meals, they are cabin moms/dads, they do random things that are at camp that need to be done.
One of the many great things about Camp Barnabas is that it exists to provide life-changing opportunities to people with special needs in a Christian camp setting. Another one of the many great things about camp is, the campers, its the one week where they dont have to worry about being made fun of, worry about what people are gonna say or worry about being loved. Everyone at camp loves the campers, they are the pride and joy of camp and the reason for Barnabas. But Camp Barnabas isn't just about the campers, its about finding God and getting closer to Him. This is my favorite place in the world. At camp you work hard, and its very rewarding, no matter what you always leave changed. Its a place for serving, loving on another, and most of all its a place for God. When your at camp theres not question to wheather or not God is there, I know there are times at home when you ask yourself is God really here, but when your at camp theres never a question about where He is. Hes there. You can feel him, you feel the joy, fun, encouragement, and love that God puts in people, its all there at camp. This place is amazing and no one ever truly understands how amazing it is until they go there and experience it for themselves. Also the people there are amazing! They are super friendly and they are such Godly people! They are friends for life, if you ever needed something no matter what time of day it was you could call any of them and they would be glad to help. You might have only known them for a week but it feels like you've known them for your whole life! When your there you become so close, you become like family. Thats what the people are there, they are family. They are your family in Christ and they are also your Barnabas family. It would be pretty much impossible to go there and not come home moved, changed, or come home with a completely different outlook on life. Its the most amazing place in the world and I would NEVER miss it!
