For over 30 years, Camp Nazareth has been the "home away from home" to our Diocesan youth.  Another summer session has come and gone, and we felt the best way to show the impact the Camp has on our young people was to ask them to tell us. 

Over the course of the three Diocesan camping sessions, our younger campers were asked what they liked best about Camp and our older teen campers were asked what attending Camp Nazareth means to them.  We received hundreds of responses and are sharing some of them with you.  Our children enjoy all the same things that kids can find at just about any camp: sports, swimming, hiking, arts and crafts, dancing, etc.  You name it. 

But what sets apart Camp Nazareth is that  the campers are able to do all of these things in the context of living their Orthodox faith to its fullest.  A day of sports and games and crafts is always book-ended by prayer, supported by the guidance of our Diocesan clergy, and filled with opportunities to grow in their faith.  That is what came through in the responses  that were shared with us.  If you have not yet experienced a week at Camp Nazareth, plan to do so the next camping season.  It will have a tremendous impact on your life.  Don't believe me?  Read what your peers are saying about it themselves in this issue.  In keeping with that theme, I close with the words of camper Jenna Goetz.  Jenna is 17 years old from Bridgeport, Connecticut and has been attending camp for many years.  What does Camp Nazareth mean to her?  "Coming to camp, personally, has the feeling of coming home, and being here is like achieving the closest parallel to heaven on earth."