Choosing Faith Over Fear: TJ’s Story

Third-grader TJ was terrified when he saw the rock wall at Cho-Yeh. It was so high, he could not imagine getting to the top. Still, he wanted to try. TJ’s cabinmates and counselors cheered him on, and he smiled the entire time he climbed.

“He said before climbing the wall he felt scared, like he didn’t want to do it… And afterward, he wanted to do it more because he understood how much fun he could have.”

By taking advantage of the unique activities at Camp, TJ made an awesome new memory and overcame his fear of heights. Still, the impact that Camp had on TJ will last far beyond the summer. His mom has already noticed some differences in him.

“The foremost change is his ability to verbally process his fears and his ability to lean into the Lord when they arise. He talks about God bringing him nearer to Himself through this process of facing his fears. Frankly, kind of big things for someone his age to verbalize.”

TJ’s new sense of confidence has also inspired the rest of his family. When some hard circumstances hit after TJ came home, he encouraged his family to keep their eyes fixed on the Lord and find peace in Him.

“TJ’s been able to remind me of some fundamental elements of trusting the Lord in the scary times and in the calm. He is the one who brings peace, not our circumstances.”

TJ and his family are so grateful for the experiences he had at Cho-Yeh. Now, he’s more prepared than ever to keep conquering his fears, relying on God, and having fun in the process.

“My two first-time campers said they had ‘the time of their lives.’ Just like TJ said, sometimes when we ‘do it scared,’  we realize how much fun we can have, how fulfilled we can be, and how much peace God offers.”