The Trail

Rachel Scarborough
WSM Development Intern

Hi! My name is Rachel Scarborough, and I’ve been working at Teen Haven Camp for nine years. I started as a camper and continued to be a junior counselor and finally a head counselor. These blogs are just a few of my camp experiences. Read, enjoy, and don’t forget the bug spray.


The woods were sticky and dark as Chanea, the girls’ director of Philadelphia, and I brushed aside branches, striving to see the barely visible path we were walking on. We were playing a new night game called Counselor Hunt, where the entire counseling staff hid and all the campers had to find us. I was excited for the game until Chanea suggested we go on an old nature trail. When the game started the sun was just slipping behind the trees and fireflies were beginning to decorate the air, but as we walked the trail it seemed as if the darkness enveloped us like a blanket, thick and quiet. “Chanea!” I whispered with a hint of fear, "I can’t see anything! How much longer do we have to be here?” She sighed, “Um, I don’t know but I don’t hear the kids...” She paused. At that moment we heard the sounds of an unrecognizable animal, Caw, caw, caw! Without a second glance I took off running like a character out of a safari movie, pushing branches out of my face, and jumping trees as fast as I could, leaving Chanea no choice but to run as well.

Luckily, for Chanea and I the animal never showed its face and the campers never caught us. However, the whole experience reminded me of the Christian walk. Sometimes God takes us down paths that we are scared to follow or aren’t familiar with. However, instead of trusting Him we turn and run for cover at the first sign of hardship because of our fear. I didn’t run because I saw an animal, I ran because of the fear I had that those sounds would materialize into something I would be afraid of. Remember our God isn’t one of fear but of courage.

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