His Thousand Hills Ministries, Christian Camp and Renewal Center, camper testimonials

Testimonials

At His Thousand Hills lives are being changed...

To attempt to write into words the impact that His Thousand Hills camp had on my life is virtually impossible; for written words cannot express fully matters of the heart. His Thousand Hills aided in the formation of my spiritual foundation through adolescence and now it helped form a part of the cornerstone of faith that I rely upon each and every day of my life.

Throughout college as well as now in the life of corporate America; there are numerous occasions in which I find myself seeking refuge in the memories of quiet mornings on the deck of the dining hall. The sanctuary offered at His Thousand Hills has often flooded back into my mind as the hectic pace of life seems to rush by. His Thousand Hills offered a safe place for me to wrestle with the questions of faith and God's will in my life and living.

Camp brought fun and excitement coupled with faith and devotion. Without my experiences of those short few weeks throughout the summers of my adolescence I am not sure where I would be today. I am eternally grateful for His Thousand Hills and only wish that youth for years to come can experience that spiritual connection.

HTH is a very special place-and in chaotic moments of life I close my eyes and remember the stars above as the campfire crackles and all voices sing the praises of God. It has to be one of the greatest gifts that we are blessed with as in HTH God has offered us a small glimpse of what eternity shall be.

Amber Age 23

Camp has been the best thing in my life for quite some time. I have been there for the last 4 years and may I say it has influenced me tremendously. I have been to other camps and they were all good but this, this camp is amazing. I have never in the 8 times (6 in the last 2 years) I have gone to camp heard one person ever say they didn't want to come back. The things this camp does for and more importantly to people is amazing. I have gone from being a young little camper, to an L.I.T. and hopefully when I'm old enough a counselor. That's why I write this, there is a potential that camp won’t be around when I'm old enough to be a counselor, and I can't stand the thought of that. Camp teaches life. It's that simple. So many games involve teamwork, and communication. -Which as time progresses people are becoming worse at. Camp helps you become independent, being away from mom for the first time is a big step for most junior campers. It also shows you that most undeniably, God is real.

Like any Christian I waver very much in my faith. I go through times where for days at a time I wonder is there really a God? I think and ponder and I still come up empty. then I talk to friends from camp. you wanna meet an amazing group of people? try this group. They are always there to help no matter what. and I’m not talking about just decisions concerning faith, as a 16 year old guy I have a plethora of decisions to make that could change my life, and they always seem to help me with them. I think the greatest feeling in the world is being loved, for who you are. No charades, no masks, no make-up. For the longest time I was afraid to do that, and it showed, I was mean, I would do anything or say anything as long as it helped me fit in. I hated every minute of it. I went to camp after my 7th grade year. I said ok it's time to be different, I'm going to be myself. these people don't know my reputation, they know nothing about me, except of course my best friend who had brought me and he knew everything. So being the shy person I am (not really) I just kinda went up to some people and started to talk with them and what not, as myself. HEY they're still here, maybe this could work. I could go on forever on how camp has changed my life, all the great times I have had, and all the amazing things I have seen. There's nothing quite like watching kids you have spent the last week with go up to the fire and accept Christ for the first time. It's such a strong experience that would be a travesty to not continue it.

This place means the world to me.

Matt – age 16

What His Thousand Hills camp means to me…. well, a lot. A whole lot! I don’t where to begin or how to effectively communicate how much I love going to camp at His Thousand Hills. It is one of those mysterious things that is just so wonderful you cannot describe it in words, but I will try my best, so here it goes.

I have been going to camp at HTH for 6 years now. I have been a junior camper, a teen camper, and an LIT (Leader in Training) at junior camp. Every time camp ends, I don’t want to leave. It is just such a great experience spending time with all of your friends, praising God, growing closer to Him. I have made so any great friends through camp that share my values and encourage me in my faith. Camp has helped me grow as a person and has allowed me to be myself and discover who I really am because I don’t feel that I will be judged by others like I do at school. Camp has also given me the opportunity to experience things that I would otherwise not do, like rock climbing or celebrating 3 holidays in one week. This camp is important because it helps a lot of people grow in their faith or even introduces them to God for the first time. I know a few people who accepted God for the first time at camp.

His Thousand Hills holds a special place in my heart that will never be filled with anything else. It is one of those magical places that you never want to leave, and camp is one of those things you never want to end. The beauty of the valley at HTH just makes me appreciate God’s creation more and more. I will go back year after year for as long as I can because I love summer camp at HTH!!

- Jenna – age 15

Camp - i loved it and im glad i went it was my first year and it was awesome. it made me think wow look at all of the people that are really cool and are christians. camp meant alot to me and made me really happy. I LOVE CAMP.

:-D:-D:-D from timmerie

what camp means to me.. camp has done alot for me. it has helped me increase my faith - just being in the surrounding area of camp - and also the people. the people are what make the camp so awesome and a lot of fun. there have been many people from camp who have inspired me to keep up in my faith and feel comfortable just talking about it. before camp i would always be kind of shy about saying anything about it to people and wouldn’t take it seriously. then i met a few friends and became very close to them and realized how easy and how much fun a relationship with Christ can be. thats when i decided to take my faith seriously and feel very comfortable talking about it.

i have found so many close friends through camp that will be here for me my whole life. you really can't shut down this camp. i with many others will be very devastated and heart broken to see this camp close. i have so many memories of all the years i have gone to camp. i really don't think i can say i had a good summer without camp. camp is for kids and helping them come to know God.. i think we need to remember that. God is in control. please pray about everything and just trust God that he will do what would be for the best. i will be praying for the whole situation as well.. but just please keep in mind all the devastated children and teens we will have with the news of no more camp. i am sorry this is happening but God will provide. i know he will. he has been there for me and hasn't turned away yet.. and this will not be any different. thank you for taking the time to read this. God bless and i hope all goes well!

Christopher Hamilton 16

Trying to sort out all of the things that His Thousand Hills has meant to me turned out to be harder than I thought it would be. There are just so many great memories and friends that i have created in those little A-frame cabins, where u live with 7 other people for an entire week. There are also the great fields for playing capture the flag and starwars, and the upper room where "everyone must take off their shoes," is the perfect spot to wind down and focus on what God has been doing in each of our lives. There is just no other place where i can look out my window each morning and see that white cross down at the pond catching the sunlight and promising another beautiful camp day full of smiling faces, great camp food and most of all, God's love.

Elise – 16

His Thousand Hills is the world to me. I look forward for camp all year long. Then the week finally comes and it’s not nearly as long as I would like it to be. It has changed my life in so many ways, that I can’t find the words. Even if I could find the words, there wouldn’t be enough space to put them all. I wouldn’t be the person that I am today without His Thousand Hills. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if it closed down.

Cindy – age 17

Thought i'd write to ya because camp has meant ALOT to me....I asked Jesus into my heart at camp...and it's jus a place for me to hang out with people that have the same beliefs as me and aren't afraid to show it....i can be myself at camp! Camp is just awesome that if i have any problems or questions any counsler or LIT will be willing to help me out! I dunno what I would do if anything were to happen to His Thousand Hills!! I'll do anything to keep it open!!!!

Megan - 14

My thoughts of camp, Camp is one of the only things that I look forward to all year (its worse then waiting for christmas). It is always the best week of summer. To me camp means lots of fun with close friends, times of fellowship and learning, getting to meet new people, and memories that will last a lifetime.

Josh - 16

Camp means a lot to me, without any doubt. I plan on going until I can't go anymore and hopefully being a junior counselor and maybe even moving up to a counselor someday. I've gone for 7 years and it has been one of the best experiences of my life. I've met tons and tons of friends there and I still keep in touch with most of them, which is also a great thing. I've always been a very shy individual, but when I'm at camp I can be myself and not have to worry about what other people think because I know my fellow campers aren't there to judge me. Last year was probably one of my best years of camp because for the first time, I spoke about my life to the whole camp. That's another great thing about camp because I don't think I would have the courage to do that elsewhere and everybody gives me courage to do that there. It's nice to be at a place where there are other people that share the same belief as me and most of the people are Christians. That's why I chose this camp, and not a different one, because it's a Christian camp and I think it's the best camp in the world! I could go on and on, but that's basically how great I think HTH camp is.

Christine - 17

What Camp Has Meant To Me I only went to camp one year...this year. However, simply going once has changed my life. It has given me a whole new outlook on Christian friendships and relationships. When I was packing to go to camp, I thought "ok, just another camp, no big deal..." Boy was I wrong! Teen and Junior Camp at His Thousand Hills are unlike any other camp. Everyone interacts with everyone else. There are no cliches to be found. Kids make lifelong friends, and learn lots of new things about themselves in the process. I truly regret never going to camp as a camper. For years I heard about the great times at camp, but didn't really pay attention. I'm so thankful that I was able to go this year as a counselor. My experiences and friendships from camp will be with me forever. All of the friendships made at camp are made because we all have one thing in common; we love the Lord. That's the most important thing to have in common!! Camp is such a great time to fellowship with other Christians. It' s a time to open yourself up and make yourself vulnerable to others so that you can grow in your faith. Camp is a place where, for a brief week, the only thing that matters is praising God and doing so with others who believe the same as you. Camp is really undescribable...My only wish is that everyone could experience it. The experience itself is unlike any other I've ever had. I will truly cherish every memory and friendship made.

Jenny –19

Camp is a place where I always feel welcome. It is a place full of many memories with other Christian friends. It is always filled with joy; people playing games, singing songs, dancing and having a great time. The campfires by the pond and up on the point were some of the most awesome memories of all. Camp has always been a place where I didn't feel judged and I could spend some great times with awesome Christian friends. My life just wouldn't be the same without this camp.

Derek - 17

I am a sophomore in college and I can still remember the first time I went to camp at His Thousand Hills like it was yesterday. It was the most life changing experience I have ever had. I was in third grade and it was the first time I had been away from home so I was a little nervous and a little leary of what was going to happen this week at camp.

I ended up having a GREAT time. What I remember the most though was the last campfire of the week. Gary Zuber gave a talk about committing your life to Christ and that you could tell Christ anything that was bothering you and he would help you. After the campfire I went and talked with Gary for a very long time. I was having a rough life at home that I didn't know how to handle. I really didn't go into much detail because I was too scared. But just talking to Gary was so life altering that at that time I decided to commit my life to Christ at the age of nine and within a few months was baptized.

My life at home only got worse but at first I was ok with it, I knew I had God. But then my life got even worse, I was being sexually abused by my dad, which threw me on the wrong path of drinking, doing drugs and trying to commit suicide. It as a few years till I really asked people for help. But no matter what, every time I went back to camp in the summer it was like I had my old life back and it was the best experience anyone could ever have. No matter what - I always knew I could come back to camp and have a good time.

Camp has made me who I am today. And also a lot of people from the camp and church have helped me. To this day I still go to camp every summer, I now am a counselor and wouldn't change it for the world. Having this camp has helped me make it through my life as I know it has helped many other people. I thank God for HTH every day and without it I don't know where I would be.

Alicia

HIS THOUSAND HILLS
by Holly Cotner age 16

His Thousand Hills,
The place I love
Praising God, up above
This place I love,
and adore
Everyone always wants more

His Thousand Hills,
Where God is close.
You feel Him when the wind blows
This place I love,
We sing and dance
You always get a second chance

His Thousand Hills,
So great and true
Will always be close to you
This place I love,
We laugh and play
Always taking time to pray

His Thousand Hills,
Holds firm and strong
To it I feel, I belong
This place I love,
Where friends are true
You never have time, to be down and blue!

His Thousand Hills,
Goes forever on
You don't even have to mow the lawn!
This place I love,
Just sit back and embrace.
God's amazing Grace
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Camp has always been a place where i could get away from the world and just praise God and think about all the things he has done for me. Also its a great time to make new christians friends and hang out with old friends. It’s a great time for fellowship with good christian friends, and all the people there treat you with respect and they don’t care what you look like on the outside but care about what’s on the inside. When I’m at camp I always feel a special closeness to God and I can feel his warmth and love and I know how much he cares for me. Camp is one of the most awesomest (excuse the grammar) times of the year. And if it was to disappear that would really stink because i could never start to explain how much i would miss it!!!

Andrew - 15

As long as I can remember, I have gone to His Thousand Hills during the summer for "church Camp," as a camper and LIT the last two years. It was, and still is, something to look forward too each school year when the snow starts to fly and my classes in school get hard. The memories of campfires around a fire ring, with not only the fire to keep me warm, but the smiles on the many friendly faces singing God's praises. People running all over the camp playing games that challenge even the most fit camper and counselor, in the light or in the pitch black of the night. LIT training with close friends, and even dealing with homesick junior campers. This camp has taught me many life lessons as well as provided me with these memories that are important and i will remember them always, but there is one memory and decision I made at camp that has changed my life. On a beautiful night under a blanket of stars painting the sky above, around one of the campfires , I gave my life to Jesus. And quite frankly, I don’t think I would have been called to do that to this day other than at His thousand Hills. Many people say that if you sit and look at the mountains long enough from the mess hall, you can see where God’s hands molded the mountains. You can look at the nature throughout the camp from the animals to the abundance of plants, and see his creation. And when you sit down in the vesper grove very quiet you can hear his voice as the breeze whispers through the trees. And then you say to yourself, "this place was meant for God." God worked in me there, I have seen others being moved the same way, and i believe with all my heart that it would be a sin to stop that.

Luke – age 16

I would like to take a few moments to tell you what camp means to me. For many years His Thousand Hills has been the host for North Country Baptist Youth Ministries' two summer camps and leaders in training program. I have spent many summers on the beautiful grounds of HTH first as a camper then later as a counselor. HTH has been the perfect camp setting with it's wonderful facilities and breath taking view. It has become a second home for those involved in the camp ministry over the years.

I believe it is vital that we continue to keep HTH as a camp for as long as we can. I have seen so many lives changed as a result of the summer camp program, including mine. I believe I would not be where I am today in my spiritual walk had it not been for the summers I've spent at camp being nurtured and challenged by the word of God. As a counselor, I have seen many children and teens come to Christ for the first time at one of the many campfires. I have also seen many of our campers return year after year and grow in their faith. Many of them are now student leaders within their own churches. Camp is a time for old and new friends to come together to learn, worship, and grow in their Christian walk. Many have made life long friends and stay in touch throughout the year.

I can not emphasize enough the importance of Christian friends to keep you accountable. Many of our older campers have sacrificed their own vacations and taken time off from summer jobs just to come to camp. Although I am now living in Florida, I still come back each summer to be a part of the camp. Camp has become very important to many people, it has meant the difference of a life changed for Christ. I'm sure many can attest that their Christian walk began at His Thousand Hills. I believe God started HTH to fulfill a purpose and He is not yet done fulfilling that purpose. There are many more kids to bring to Christ through the camping ministry. I pray that we will not let financial difficulties stand in the way of furthering God's kingdom. I pray that we will get through this and somehow raise the money we need so HTH will continue to be a light in the darkness, a city on a hill.

Chanda Summers

It's hard to say what camp has done for me because there are so many things. Before I went to camp, praying at night and in the morning seemed like a burden and it was done very carelessly. Then, I went through some hard times. At first I turned to people, but something was still missing. I realized I could talk to God about anything and you don't have to be fancy about it. All he wants is to be your friend. His Thousand Hills taught me that and I grow stronger in Christ every time I go back.

Erin Huff

Camp means everything to me. I look forward to that camp more than anything all year. I've been going to camp as long as I can remember, but it never gets boring because it's never the same. At first, I went to camp as an escape from my incredibly messed up life. I got there and it was so much different than anything that I had ever experienced in my life. I was accepted...no questions asked. I no longer needed the mask that I used for school and my other friends. I met (and am still meeting) some of the most wonderful people at camp. Those people are always there for me, no matter what happens, I know that I can go to them with any problem. And on top of all of that, in that week of camp every year I get closer to God than I thought was possible. Maybe it's something about being on top of that mountain and being able to see and experience God's grace and the wonders of life first hand, I don't know, all I know is that if I hadn't of had camp then, and if I don't hav e it now, I don't how I would have or will be able to survive. Camp is everything to me.

Jen Badger -age 16

My camp experience at His Thousand Hills has impacted me in so many ways. I accepted Christ into my heart there; I found an invincible love that will never let me go. Going to the hills each year is the highlight of my summer. I have met some amazing Christians at camp that I can talk to whenever I need help with my faith. The friendships I have found at camp and the Father I met there years ago, have gotten me through so much in my life.

– Eileen - age 18