Today we continue our weekly Tuesday Testimony post where we are having campers, staff and parents share their story about how God used Delanco this summer in their lives. If you would like to share your story email dan.ulrich@delanco.org.
Hello, my name is Chad Blatherwick. I am the Assistant Pastor and Youth Pastor at Sicklerville United Methodist Church. I have been attending Sicklerville UMC for the past 12 years and have been on staff the past 2 years. Six years ago I was asked to help out at Delanco Camp for Middler Camp. I was not too familiar with camp and was unsure of what to expect. The moment I set foot on the camp grounds I could truly feel God’s love and presence all around me in a unique and special way. Needless to say, I was absolutely blown away and I have been serving at Middler camp every year since then. I have made lifelong friends at camp and have met some of the most wonderful people in the world.
I have so many fond memories of camp and the impact it has made on my life. I started that first year as a counselor and have made the transition to teacher, dean of men, and most recently, the evangelist. Each and every year I think it can’t get better, yet it always seems to. On a personal note, my favorite memory was when my wife told me four years ago at the chapel in the pines that we were going to be having our fourth child, Annika. It was a very special moment that was made even more special being at camp.
Perhaps the moment that stands out to me the most happened this past year. After our evening service and altar call, some of our campers stayed to pray while most were dismissed to go get dressed for night games. One of our guy counselors came back into the tabernacle with tears in his eyes and said he couldn’t believe what he just saw. Apparently the boys, yes the boys, had gone back to the dorm and formed a circle and were praying very deeply for one another. They did this on their own, with no prompting. But that shouldn’t be a surprise, God works at Delanco Camp. When I used to hear people say their life was changed at Delanco Camp I didn’t understand the full impact, until I experienced it. Delanco Camp has, and will continue to, change and transform lives through the love of Jesus!
