NEXT MORNING Peter and Donald were up long before other sign of life aboard the “Chinook.” They climbed into the dinghy and were soon pulling toward the camp. Sleeping bags were stowed in the boat just in case the director agreed to their their spending the night in camp.
“A whole day! Won’t it be fun!” Peter exclaimed.
“Night will be more fun I bet,” Donald said. “Bob was telling me yesterday that sometimes they let two or three boys sleep in the hay in the barn.”
“In the barn? With the cows?”
Donald grinned. “No, nitwit! There’s a ladder at the back of the barn leading to the hayloft. Bob showed it to me. When there are more boys than they have sleeping room for in the cabins, that’s where they go.”
“More fun than bunks, I guess. With a sleeping bag it wouldn’t be too scratchy.”
They each took an oar and rowed faster. The harbor looked like a lake in the morning sunshine, the water glittering and faintly ruffled by a cool breeze.
Although it was still early a score of boys came racing down the wooden jetty to meet Peter and Donald as they neared shore.
“Hey there, you kids!”
“Hi!” Peter called back. “We can stay all day!”
“And night too, if there’s room!” Donald called.
Bob Henderson took the painter of the dinghy and tied it to a wooden piling as the boys stepped ashore.
“Bet you’ll get a job,” Bob said.
“What kind of a job? We’re on vacation you know!” Donald said.
“Oh, helping around the place. We all have to work.” He jerked his head toward the kitchen. “Bill’s on KP today. I helped with the cows and got through early.”
Peter stared at him. “You mean you milked cows?”
“Yep! This is a different kind of camp, you see. Away up here in the islands we have to look after ourselves.” They walked up the winding path and Bob pointed toward a vegetable garden. “This is the camp garden; we help in that. Over there’s the barn. There are chickens for eggs, cows for milk, pigs for meat.”
This was a new experience for Peter and Donald, but they enjoyed every minute of the day, even the work which they were more than willing to do. There was a Bible study class in the morning, a long swimming and sunning period in the afternoon and then a hike through the woods before supper.
Peter looked around in surprise as they hiked. He wasn’t used to country as wild as this. No homes or settlements and they seemed miles and miles away from any town! Bob and Bill told him something about this island called Quadra. Their grandparents had been among the first white settlers to arrive on it.
As long as he was with others who were singing Gospel choruses, sometimes shouting ahead, Peter didn’t mind the dense forest, but he wondered if he would like walking along this trail at night. They climbed under fallen trees, over stumps and logs, pushing their way through the bushes which overgrew the path. At last they came out to some big rocks.
The rocks were covered inches thick in soft green moss, still warm from the sun. Peter sank down on it, looking at the tiny flowers which poked their heads through the green carpet. “Isn’t this stuff wonderful?” he sighed contentedly.
But he wasn’t allowed to enjoy it long. Mr. Baird’s shrill whistle was summoning them to gather where they would eat their sandwich supper and have their evening devotions.
After the meal and a few games the boys climbed to a high rock overlooking the Straits. All around were tall trees, quiet in the evening air. Over the mountains on Vancouver Island the sun was slowly setting in the splendor of pink and gold, and the cloud colors were reflected in the water far below. Peter thought he’d never seen anything so beautiful. He sat down on a moss-upholstered rock and listened to the boys as they sang choruses.
Here the outdoors seemed so great, so wonderful it made Peter feel small and unimportant. Yet he felt close to God, and the other boys must have felt the same way. They kept their faces toward the setting sun and there was no restless kicking of toes into moss, no throwing of pine cones. The glow of the sun transformed their faces. Peter wondered if Jesus looked like that when He was up the mountain with His disciples. Absorbed in his thoughts Peter hardly noticed what was going on, until suddenly he heard his own name.
“—Dent from Seattle and Donald Harris from Vancouver. We are pleased to have these boys with us. Is there anything you’d like to say?” Mr. Baird was smiling and nodding in their direction.
Peter saw that Donald was looking expectantly at him. “You first, Peter. Say something!”
Peter scrambled to his feet. He was glad the sun made his face look red, maybe they couldn’t tell how red it really was.
“I don’t know just what to say,” Peter began, “except that I’m glad to be here and I think this is a wonderful camp in a wonderful place. But the best thing about Bible Camp is that you learn more about God who made this world, about His Book, and about His Son the Lord Jesus. When I was at The Firs camp about a year ago, I accepted the Lord Jesus as my Savior, and I’m glad I did.”
Donald was on his feet before Peter sat down.
“I’d like to tell you that it was partly through Peter that I came to know Jesus. This summer I went to The Firs, and Peter was in the same cabin. I knew he had something I didn’t have, but at first I didn’t know just what it was. I soon found out that I was a sinner, as the Bible says and not good enough to go to Heaven. But then the counselor talked to me and explained that Jesus had come to die for me and that by believing on Him I could be saved and made fit for Heaven. The boys who were Christians were praying for me,” he smiled at Peter, “and Peter talked to me, too. He showed me that verse ‘as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.’ It wasn’t hard to believe and receive. I’m sure glad I went to that camp. I’m glad I can come to this one and tell you about it.”
Mr. Baird smiled and nodded at the two boys, then suggested that some of the others might like to give their testimonies. After a short reading and prayer-time the boys hiked back to camp. Mr. Baird had agreed to Peter and Donald spending the night with the group.