Ryan: The Five Year Cross

“I’m really excited to get my cross”

The Five-Year Cross celebrates a camper’s fifth year at camp Cho-Yeh. But the meaning of the cross extends beyond a celebration of a milestone at Camp. The Cross represents the growth of our campers. Specifically, their growth with Christ and the meaningful relationships built at camp. With the five year commitment comes a deep relationship built between God, the campers, and themselves. For Ryan’s fifth year, his Five-Year Cross represents his consideration of Camp as a sanctuary to build his faith. After moving across Texas, he recognized a need to resettle not only his life, but also his faith.

“I just moved from Houston to San Antonio and haven’t found a church home yet. I’m excited to come to camp to get close with Christ again because coming to Cho-Yeh really helped me understand who God is!”

The past five years Ryan spent at Cho-Yeh equipped him to not only learn how to come to Christ in times of need, but also to use relationship building tools outside of camp to make lasting, Christ-focused relationships with those around him. Ryan’s value of the two week experience highlights the value in a longer time spent at camp. The Epic Two Week Session provides campers with the ability to come to camp and build a brotherhood or sisterhood with their cabins for fourteen days instead of seven.

“The Epic weekend was really special because you get to know your cabinmates way better. I met one friend my second year who I continued to see at camp for my third and fourth year. I learned how to better make friends, being able to talk with them for two weeks taught me how to build meaningful relationships.”

Ryan’s five years at Cho-Yeh celebrate his understanding of his faith and a recognition of his need for Christ’s relevance in his life. Specifically the two week epic session made Ryan more intentional in his friendships. He’s learned the importance of brotherhood and actively applies it to life outside of camp as he has needed to make new friends after moving across the state.

The Five-Year Cross represents a celebration of a long lasting relationship between Camp and camper that affects both their relationships with God and those around them.