Hannah Weisbrod enjoys spending time with family and friends and is a great organizer. “I enjoy hiking, reading, and working out,” Hannah shares, “and I like to cook.
Hannah came to camp at Wanake because her older sister had been coming to camp. Year after year, she came - and got homesick. She didn’t really enjoy camp, and the rustic part was not her thing. Hannah started attending music camp (even though she was not musical) because music campers lived in a retreat center, not a cabin in the woods! Then, Hannah discovered two vital things in the second year of music camp. “That year, I made two great friends, and I was given the choice to follow Jesus for myself,” Hannah recalls. “That year at camp, I made a long-term decision of faith. I remember being in the retreat center meeting room, and our counselor Amanda asked us, ‘What are you selling out to that is more important than Jesus?’ I remember praying at the cross. That year transformed camp for me. My friends and I came to camp together, and camp was where I felt closest to God. I even attended two weeks one summer! Yes, me, the homesick one! And camp continues to transform my life!”
“Camp became a touch point for my spiritual life. I kept coming to camp and became aware God was calling me into ministry. Camp was an excellent way to explore ministry and live it out. As a Senior High camper, I participated in the leadership development camp, junior counselor training camp, JCTC. I was hooked! I applied for summer staff once I was old enough and enjoyed counseling. I worked with many young children in the never-ending discovery camp loop.
“I continued to work at camp each summer through college, college graduation, and seminary. Camp was the opportunity to actually do ministry—putting hands and feet to my seminary training."
“My camp experiences have prepared me for ministry in the local church as a pastor. Because of camp, I am reminded that people can meet God in many places. I know God, and I can deal with whatever comes up. And I can pitch in and do whatever needs to be done - floors, dishes, praying, listening, comforting. While I might have a great plan at the start of a project, I learned at camp thatchange is okay. I can stay grounded in my faith and serve others with the strength I learned and practiced at Wanake. If it were not for camp, I would definitely not be a pastor. My moments at camp opened me to God’s call on my life.”
“I appreciate that camp is how we show that God loves all, no matter how different or alike we are…My hope for Wanake is that it would continue to be a place for all people to know Christ and experience His love.”
Your generosity to Wanake provides a place for young people to hear God’s call and a training ground for future pastors and leaders in the church. Thank you for your generosity!
