...and hopefully always will! But you never know the end of your story, do you? Well, i do know the beginning of my story.....
It all began when my parents would send my sis and i away to really different camps as kids; horse camp, french camp, day camp, leadership camp, survival camp, canoe camp, YMCA camp......a ton of camps.
Well, i can't really start the story of how i really got my camp start without talking about Paul.
My first real job at camp came after a summer at Camp Seton...a division of Camp Arnes, not unlike what Wildside is to our Camp Imadene. During that summer at camp seton, where we swam in ice cold springs, went on canoe camps, horseback overnights {which, btw, were the highlight of my life...no joke}......one of the counselors was "Yogi" {yup, all counselors had nicknames.....}...he is the one on the very right.
Paul encouraged me to take a job at Camp Arnes to work on the waterfront on the summer of my graduation of grade 12. It was a great summer....i made so many friends, met my first real boyfriend, lifeguarded a guest group of small children who were traumatic burn victims {another humbling highlight of my early years}, drove the boats, taught canoeing, served oatmeal to the campers in the mornings with my other waterfront fellow staff {my camp name was Ariel.....}. My main locations were the indoor pool and the beach....that is where i happily lived.
Here is Paul and I this past summer, almost 20 years later!!
I worked at Arnes for 2 summers before my family moved to Kelowna.....i worked for the local sun fm radio station there during the school year in their promotions department, organizing fashion shows, ladies ski days up to Big White, and a bunch of really fun events throughout Kelowna....but in 1997, i had a few different offers from a few different camps around BC to work on their waterfronts either as waterfront leader ... and after some gentle leading and a quiet introduction to a boy named Chris Burdge...i started at Camp Qwanoes as their 'waterfront specialist' since their director position had already been filled.....but i was able to have the most fun! lifeguard, boatdriver, ski instructor....all fun stuff with none of the responsibilities of the director....i could focus on the friend i would have for the rest of my life. Here is the crux of my whole island camp start: I had come to qwanoes for 3 days to check it out, being from kelowna, i wanted to see what the camp was like. And after those 3 days, i had another camp to check out before i made my decision. When i left chris after those short 3 days and went home, there was a feeling of emptiness where there was no gap before i had met him. It came upon me so suddenly and i knew right away that life wasn't going to be the same. Little did i know, that after i left, chris went to the beach that night and walked along the water to pray. His prayer was short and specific "If Sharon is to be my wife, bring her back to me"........i was back by the end of the week.
And i was right....life was never going to be the same after that.....it was much, much better.
And so began my start at Qwanoes.....oh man, we had fun!!
The man i fell in love with.....here we are on the front field at qwanoes....
I loved my girls.....after that first summer, i started counseling...and i loved it.
The weeks i didn't counsel, i was on the All Star team......running program games....
Here is Kibby and Jenna....girls who i still am in touch with.....but we loved to play a freeze game at meals....so this time, i had a little fun with the mustard and mayo containers....they got me back pretty bad later {i think they did anyways....can't remember!}
A few of these girls are current good friends of mine!!! Kim and Ashley!!! I love that Kim and I are looking at eachother as the picture got snapped....so sweet!
Chris and i on the rocket....and see that red headed kid at the back? Ben Badke!!!
Qwanoes Christmas Party
Lifelong friends i made at qwanoes.....i miss them alot during this stage, but
they will always be in my heart.....
The thing about camp, is that you never know who is going to make that impact on you....to help you in your walk with jesus, to develop your character, your skills, your friendships.....i didn't know at the time how important this stage was going to be. I met my husband, my friends, and learned more than i can share here.
After Qwanoes, my career turned to marketing in radio while chris continued his career at qwanoes and later at Imadene. I finished my psychology degree while working in radio.....Chris loved camp...has had a passion for it since he was a young boy. I almost felt as though i never wanted to overshadow his ability to stay at the place he loved so much. So during these last 10 years here....we traveled, worked, made friends and made 2 beautiful babies.
It's now 2012.....its a new chapter...and camp sort of feels new again.....so lets DANCE!!
