Thriving at Camp: Ava’s Story

With Covid-19 jeopardizing many of their summer plans last year, Celia and Joel found themselves in a dilemma: should they send their daughter Ava to Camp Cho-Yeh for Summer 2020? They had watched her anxiety build for months and could see she was feeling the impact of isolation during the pandemic. 

“We debated back and forth on whether to send her off to camp or not and we prayed about it and felt like she needed it.” Looking back, they know they made the right decision. “We couldn’t have been more right.”

During her week at Camp Cho-Yeh, Ava was surrounded with the positive attitudes of her cabinmates, instantly bonded with her counselor, Bailey, and even conquered her fear of heights. Despite all the fun stories she brought home, her favorite part of camp was the comfortable space she had to pray and explore her faith. 

Though it was the longest time she had been away from home, it was obvious to her parents that Ava was not ready to leave.

“She was so happy and actually crying because it was over.  She would truly miss her friendships that were formed.”

After seeing such a significant  impact on their daughter, Celia and Joel have already started saving for Summer 2021. With the generous support of Cho-Yeh’s donors, they hope to send Ava to camp with the assistance of a partial scholarship. 

“We are truly grateful for the opportunity.”