Camp Stories: Encountering God at Galilee

Kay Benson

I’m in love. It’s as simple as that. I have fallen madly in love with the One who sought after and stole my heart; and it all started at Camp Galilee.

Looking back on the many summers I was blessed to spend in the cabins beneath the trees, I cannot help but smile and give thanks to the Lord. From being a camper, counselor, director, and eventually core staff member, I just can’t resist going back whenever I have the chance. I feel even closer to God and my soul finds rest away from noise as soon as I’m there.

At camp I have experienced so much love, laughter, and a few tears too. There is something different in the air at Galilee, something special, something holy. I can feel it as soon as I enter the campgrounds. It was at Galilee that I accepted who I am in Christ and learned what it means to be a true follower. He changed me after my first summer at camp and I have never felt the same since.

I will never forget when I heard God’s voice clearly speak to me for the first time on the island. In the middle of a still and quiet night under the stars, He spoke to my heart and revealed a huge part of what His plan is for me. It is because of that night that I now live and work in a foreign country, teaching English to kids from all over the world. I cannot believe where He has taken me and I am so thankful to have begun this journey inside those red gates.

I still go back to camp, if not physically then mentally, when seeking solitude with my Creator. It is safe to say that I would not be who I am today if it was not for all the things I learned at camp. Every time I think of Galilee, I am filled with such joy and excitement because Galilee is where I first met God. I had no idea back then, but signing up for camp was the greatest decision I have ever made in my whole life. I fell in love there and that love has only grown every day since.

I thank God for camp and pray that it will continue to be a blessing for many souls in the years to come.
Camp Galilee is and forever will be my favorite place in the world.

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Kay Benson currently lives and teaches in Dalian, China. She is a huge fan of the Kansas City Royals and playing worship songs by the light of the campfire. Kay serves as the director for Sr. High Leadership Camp.