10 Signs You're a Christian Camp Counselor in the "Off Season"

For a place like Tuscarora, volunteer camp counselors make many of our youth camps possible during the summer months. Many of our counselors say the year starts and ends with their weeks at camp. However, counseling is such an intense week that some of the things they learn during that time tends to trickle over into everyday life. Here, we list 10 ways you can identify a Christian Camp Counselor in the off season.

1. You sometimes find them counting their friends

For a lot of camp counselors, it's the first time in their lives they have ever been responsible for another human being, let alone five, or six, or seven! If those campers are small and tend to wander off, counselors find themselves counting kids over, and over, and over again. This is a hard habit to break and you may find them standing in the middle of a mall shouting, "One, two, three, four - where's five?!"

2. They know the value of a full night's sleep

Sometimes at camp there are real reasons you can't get to bed - a homesick camper, hallway prayer, or a late night dance party for example. But more often than not, camp counselors are having so much fun they don't want to put their head down and miss the opportunity to create more memories. You may find them joyfully exclaiming what an AMAZING night's sleep they got and how ready they are to take on the day.

3. You always find them with a coffee cup in hand

Because of all that lost sleep - many people start a pretty serious caffeine addiction while they're at camp. Throughout the rest of the year they suddenly need 3 or 4 cups of coffee just to make it through the day, and will come to camp the next year prepared with an extra large mug and a few tasty flavors of creamer.

4. They still use snail mail

If you're a counselor to small kids - you may not be able to keep in touch with them throughout the year via email or social media. This means pulling out the pen and paper like the days of yore. Everyone likes to get mail and it's a really great way to stay in touch with kids from year to year. Sometimes a camp counselor may get carried away though and start sending letters to every person in their life.

5. They know hand motions to every worship song

You can ALWAYS spot a Christian camp counselor during worship at church. This is because they are inevitably doing hand motions they learned alongside their campers. Once you've waved your hands back and forth, jumped up and down, and spun around to a song it's hard to worship any other way.

6. They complain about a lack of storage space

Every camp counselor has a small collection of themed t-shirts and costumes they've used throughout the years. You can quickly run out of closet space for your other belongings when you have several summers worth of stuff. They could get rid of it - because how many neon colored athletic shorts and bandanas does one person need? But it has too much sentimental value - and they like being the go to person for absurd accessories.

7. They're a kids' entertainment and activity expert

Counselors aren't just responsible for keeping their campers safe - they're also responsible for keeping them entertained. They always have to know a variety of games and activities that would appeal to a wide variety of kids and ages. Because of this - you can always count on an off-season counselor to be the first person at a party to gather their nieces and nephews into a game of Red Rover - or force their friends into four on a couch.

8. Feeling homesick even though they're home

Every counselor knows that their camp is their second home. So in the off season, you may find a counselor wandering around their house wishing they could turn a corner and find a room full of friends just waiting to make memories. It can be lonely, but it also makes their return the next summer even sweeter. They always have that place to welcome them back.

9. Being a walking billboard

It can be hard for an off season counselor to start sentences without using the phrase, "This one time at camp..." They made such great memories, that they want other people to do the same! They tell every parent they know about sending their kids away for summer camp so they can have the best experience of their lives - and maybe one day even be a counselor. You'll catch them posting throwback photos to their days counseling and making sure everyone in their life knows when registration for next summer is posted.

10. Lifetime Long Distance Friendships

Counseling isn't just a fun experience - it's a challenge. When you work hard at something alongside your friends - you build a bond that lasts forever. No matter how far apart they may live they stay connected through group chats and social media, and whenever they're reunited it's like no time has passed at all.

This is especially true of people who counsel at a Christian camp. Not only are they working hard - they're walking side by side to spread the gospel. They have the knowledge that God chose to call them to camp together. They know they were chosen by God to be friends. That's a bond that doesn't weaken over time.

Darci Hakvaag and the Importance of Women's Ministry

With the Fall Women’s Retreat approaching we wanted to give you a behind the scenes meeting with one woman who is a part of making the event happen. Meet Darci Hakvaag!

Darci came to Tuscarora for the first time in the summer of 1989. The trip was a memorable one because she took her first plane ride from Minnesota to spend her summer serving with Summer Staff and visiting her sister Denise who was working as a registrar. It wasn’t long until Darci fell in love with the ministry, the grounds, the friends she met here, and her eventual husband! She loved her experience on Summer Staff – and enjoyed the location being so close to New York City, and the New Jersey beaches. “It was eye opening, for a Minnesota girl,” she remembers.

She returned home to Minnesota for her Sophomore year of College, but eventually decided to return back to Mount Bethel and worked at Tuscarora while she finished her last two years of school. During that time she filled a variety of roles from lifeguard to housekeeper. This variety of experience has allowed Darci to have a unique perspective in her current role as Business Assistant. She is able to use her professional knowledge and experience for the betterment of the ministry she loves – and the benefit of those whose shoes she has walked in.

Darci also serves her communities in other ways. Darci and her family attend Mount Bethel Lutheran Brethren Church, and she serves as the President of the Eastern Region Women’s Ministry of the CLB. This group works to ensure women in all of the Lutheran Brethren Churches have the opportunity to come together as sisters in Christ.

One of her responsibilities in this role is to plan the Annual Women’s Retreat which takes place each fall. This retreat welcomes women from all churches who need a time of relaxation, refreshment, and encouragement – but it’s also a wonderful family reunion for generations of women who attend the Eastern Region churches.

This year, Darci is excited to welcome Casey Baardson as the retreat speaker. Casey has been involved in women’s ministries for over 35 years, and has spent many years traveling with her husband in Japan and Norway. Her mission is to see relationships formed and strengthened as people gather in Bible Study and fellowship. Darci knows Casey is going to present Word based messages which will nourish and encourage the women who are coming. The environment that Tuscarora provides is perfect for finding the time to dig a little deeper into the Word of God, and hear the voice of the Lord.

Darci knows that the fellowship of the weekend is also important. Each year she has looked forward to gathering with her sisters to worship, and spend time eating around the table enjoying the company of friends. Saturday afternoon is also set aside for some free time activities where people can break off into small groups and explore the area – or find your way to the Olde Engine Works Market Place Antique Mall in Stroudsburg!

Alongside the rest of the Eastern Region team – Darci is excited to see who God brings to the grounds on November 3. They are excited to deepen old relationships, as well as create new ones. As an attender and an organizer, Darci loves being able to watch others benefit from this time of retreat. She hopes to see you there!

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Please consider joining us November 3 - November 5 at the Fall Women's Retreat at Tuscarora. Register by visiting tuscarora.org/our-events/women. We look forward to seeing you then!

Tuscarora Remembers George Akselsen

We believe Tuscarora is made up of the collective lives and stories of those who have experienced the ministry here and become a part of the Tuscarora family. Tales of Tuscarora is an attempt to collect these stories in order to paint a picture of who we are. George Akselsen, in his service to this ministry through God's grace, exemplifies the impact that comes from a life lived in faithfulness to the Lord.

George Akselsen served as a member of the board of directors for 33 years from 1981-2014. During that time he helped Tuscarora grow from a fledgling ministry to the facility of today. Our board members all possess different gifts - and George had the gift of making each and every member of the staff feel valued and cared for. George would seek out those in every role, from kitchen staff to housekeepers, from maintenance to the front desk, to see how they were doing and visit with them.

“George truly cared about all the staff as well as the guests at Tuscarora and made a point to have conversations with so many. Even as his health was failing he would faithfully attend retreats with Lois by his side. George’s leadership and heart for the ministry of Tuscarora was an amazing blessing. ”

— Paul DiQuattro

Brian Abrahamsen, our current Executive Director, shares this experience with so many others. 30 years ago when he started at Tuscarora as a dishwasher George would come find him and ask him how he was enjoying his experience on staff. This gesture at the beginning of Brian's journey into leadership was important in making him feel valued and supported in his work here.

This time spent with each person was so memorable because George possessed the gift of encouragement. Whether he was on the grounds for a board meeting or as a guest for the Midweek Retreat he would always bring humor and heart, and he was able to lighten the mood with a joke. He was also fond of walking around the dining room when he was a guest and forming new relationships with anyone he met. He would almost always find that he had a connection to someone.

“When I think of George my thoughts are of a sweet, thoughtful and caring man. He would always arrive at Tuscarora with a smile and a kind word for all of us behind the front desk. His thoughtfulness and love towards our families and Tuscarora as a whole were a great encouragement! Our love and prayers are with you Lois and all the Family. ”

— Clarice Danielson

He was also a valuable member of the Board for his wisdom and discernment. He was comfortable being the lone dissenting vote on an issue if that is how he felt called. However, he trusted the judgement of the group and even if they disagreed with him he would support the direction that was taken.

George wasn't just a valuable Board member, he was a loving husband, and a beloved father and grandfather. His Christian leadership to his family has left a lasting legacy. His children and grandchildren continue to serve in many areas of ministry. Most notably for the staff of Tuscarora, we get the opportunity to watch his grandchildren serve as counselors for Junior Week and Teen Week each summer. His legacy will continue into the future - and we look forward to seeing more of his grandchildren and possibly great grandchildren walk in his footsteps.

We never truly know our own impact during our time on earth - but we can say with certainty that many people have come to know Christ, or have recommitted their lives to Him through God's work through the ministry of Tuscarora - work which George dedicated his service to. Today, George is hearing from his Savior, "Well done, good and faithful servant." (Matthew 25:23)

Our deepest sympathies to Lois, Laura, Linda, and Ken and their families.

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In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that a donation be made to any of the following ministries:

Tuscarora Inn and Conference Center
Athletes in Action Ministries
Whiting Bible Church

Erik and Lauren Listor - A Tusca-Romance

Brianna Esposito

The summer youth camps hosted by Tuscarora each year are meant, first and foremost, to bring young people together in fellowship and worship and learning of the Lord. On that front, Junior Week accomplished its goal double-fold in the relationship it fostered between Erik and Lauren Listor, two life-long guests and volunteers of Tuscarora.

Lauren Adriance was just three years old when her family started a tradition of attending Leisure Week, and at eight years old, she made the natural step of becoming a Junior Week camper. At this time, her path began to overlap with Erik Listor. They wouldn't formally meet until it was time to sign up as counselors. Their decision to be involved with introducing other children to Christ would be even more life-changing than they could have foreseen.  

“The fact that we met because we decided to go into a sort of ministry is very special. Our shared responsibility of counseling helped us bond in the beginning. It helped us see each other in the best light, and see each other’s passion for ministry and helping other people”

— Lauren Listor

After their first summer counseling Junior Week campers, Erik and Lauren’s inevitable relationship began with a first date. They saw each other once a month the last two years of high school. They were connected through phone calls, letters, and the patient commitment that ensures a successful long distance relationship. 

When college came around, Erik and Lauren knew that they could defy all of the statistics and make it work. Their long-distance communication continued to stretch from Messiah College and Liberty University with sporadic but romantic dates, until the fateful season of graduation when Erik decided it was time to propose to his high school sweetheart.

Both Erik and Lauren credit Tuscarora with the founding of their relationship, as it is where they met and found a shared faith and joy in service through counseling children. They were surrounded by their fellow Tuscarora friends and co-counselors in their wedding celebration, and those friends continue to be a part of their lives whenever the chance to reunite presents itself.

Tuscarora’s campus has continued to have a magnetic pull on them as well – enough so that the couple felt called to contribute to the Per Rune Larson Scholarship fund at their wedding.

“In lieu of wedding favors, we decided to give the money we received at our wedding to the fund because [. . .] we wanted to help other children go and be as positively impacted by this place as we were. [. . .] We shared a passion for Tuscarora’s ministry and we knew the money would go to a worthy cause.”

— Erik Listor

With such a strong connection and beautiful story attached, it is no wonder that Erik and Lauren have already planned to make Tuscarora a part of their eventual family. Their relationship which was kindled on the campus, as well as the friendships and memories made, is most certainly a legacy that is worth building on for many years to come.

"Stop and Think What He Means to You" - A Legacy of Barney Jensen

Last week, we asked what you thought our theme song was. Many of your attempts were entertaining, but none were correct. They ranged from "Sweet Home, Tuscarora," to "Friends are Friends Forever." By far, the most commonly guessed song was "To God Be the Glory." This is Tuscarora's tagline - but when a theme song was instituted in 1992 it was decided to pull from a different part of Tuscarora's history and preserve a legacy of impact. 

Barney Jensen, a charter board member of the Conference Center who served as its secretary until his death in 1991, was valued by all for his warmth and wise counsel. As a young man, he was called to active duty in the United States Armed Forces during World War II. During his experience he was inspired to write a chorus titled "Stop and Think What He Means to You."

Stop and Think

Stop and think what He means to you,
when you're all alone.
Thank Him and praise Him for saving you,
when you're all alone.

Give Him the honor and glory
in everything that you do.
Tell out the old, old story
of the Christ who died for you.

Despite being written long before his service at Tuscarora Inn and Conference Center, this chorus in many ways describe the mission of our ministry. Tuscarora is made up of people who desire simply to create a space for people to hear the old, old story and through this work to bring glory and honor to our God. For many years, in fact since the very beginning of Tuscarora as we know it today, Barney Jensen helped to make this possible.

In July of 1992, in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Tuscarora this chorus was adopted as the theme song. It was a weekend of celebrations, with a Smorgasbord dinner, activities in the afternoon, and a recognition service led by Fred Stoutland. During this service, Gladys Jensen and her two daughters, June and Becky, received a plaque in recognition of the song as Tuscarora's official theme song. A similar plaque hangs in the main office to this day.

Today, Barney's legacy continues at Tuscarora. His wife Gladys, who played an active role alongside her husband in the early years of our ministry, has continued to return year after year with members of her family - immediate and extended. They are playing crucial roles in ministries and continue to allow themselves to be inspired by the words of this chorus - thinking on Christ's sacrifice and bringing glory to His name.

John Ahrens, current President of the Board of Directors, leads the Board of Directors and audience in singing "Stop and Think What He Means to You."