Newtown: Standing with community on sacred ground

Welcome to Camp Noah
I recently I went to Newtown, Conn. as a retired educator attending Camp Noah. In 1997, Camp Noah began as a response to flooding in the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota. In 2006, Camp Noah grew dramatically when it became a national program in response to Hurricane Katrina. Today, Camp Noah has welcomed children affected by the events of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 14, 2012. The camp is owned and operated on a national basis by Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota.

In response to the tragedy in Newtown, Camp Noah’s professional staff guided the daily curriculum by offering hope to families in disaster. My work focused on children from the four Newtown Elementary Schools, ranging from 7-10 years old.

When people have been traumatized, they are in a vulnerable position, especially as they open themselves up to share their feelings and thoughts. At Camp Noah, each day included six hours of working with intermediate-aged children. All were provided with therapeutic, play-focused, creative activities that allowed them to tell their stories and to build necessary emotional skills in dealing with their trauma. We had 40-minute sessions filled with crafts and games, large group events, small group activities with snacks, recreation, music, and story time. Breakfast and lunch were served family style. The most important mission of Camp Noah is for children to see and feel that they are loved by God and His people. God is always with them and ready to listen to their prayers.

Lessons Learned
I learned three valuable things while in Newtown. First, the people of Newtown are deeply grounded in hope. Many of the children I worked with are beginning to feel confident in going back to school this coming September. While I was with them, they were invited to participate in the daily activities – all centered on knowing that their futures are bright and filled with sunbeams! The centerpiece of Camp Noah’s Curriculum was teaching each child that they are filled with hope and great potential.

Second, the families of Newtown are survivors and able to endure. They are beginning to celebrate their own unique talents and gifts in the midst of knowing they are survivors (much like Noah his wife and three kids). It was a blessing to witness how these children are embracing good things that are happening while growing up in difficult times.

Third, it takes a community to provide an atmosphere for healing. It is amazing how these residents have turned to church – and to each other – to surmount a mass shooting; they are NOT DEFEATED..

During my time in this beautiful area of our country, I understood what it means to stand with children on Sacred Ground. For the rest of my life, I will reflect on how precious each of us is to God. We all have gifts and talents given to us from God. At my home church, Des Moines UMC, we share these gifts in our own ways. I pray that each of us will realize how important it is to be rooted in care for each other.

From my time with the people of Newtown, I walked with children as they discovered God’s love through community. It is a community that continues to rise above tragedy with help offered to each other. Looking back I can see the value of why Jesus called for 12 disciples – to be in community with Him. Camp Noah and Lutheran Social Services expressed the love of God through service that inspires hope, changes lives, and builds community.

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