Located in Grand Rapids Michigan, Indian Trails (ITC) is a camp for people with disabilities. I’ve been going to ITC for a week every summer since 2003. This was my twelfth summer, I went from July 19th to the 25th. As in other areas of my life, it’s the memories and friendships I’ve made over the years that I prize the most. I just love repping Christ to many as I share my testimony in written form and live out my faith. Camp is always the best week out of year. It seems to pass by quickly, like the blink of an eye.
This year, when I first arrived, I met my nurse Ali and I immediately gave her the nickname Ali cat. We hit it off. Ali was so easy to talk to. Almost every night we’d just chat and enjoy one another’s company for an hour or more. My buddy Chris Withrow, whom I had requested as a counselor, was busy with Xan most of the time. Xan is a young man with a severe intellectual disability, who required one-on-one attention. My other counselors were Jamie Bristol, who also spent most of his time one-on-one with another camper, Nick Tata, and Dylan Coyle. I ended up hanging out with Dylan most of time. He’s from Ireland and has a hard Irish accent. Just listening to him talk was a trip and I often found myself having to ask him to repeat himself. Dude was full of energy and just a flat out trip. On Wednesday night, my facebook friend Jill, whom I had never met face to face, stopped by for a visit. She, Brittany Lake, Quintin Paich and I enjoyed Christian fellowship that night. Nurse Cara VanDusen joined us as well.
Thursday night I did a skit for the talent show. I did a performance of Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson. Chris played the part of Annie. He went above and beyond what I asked him to do. I simply asked that he wear a wig and a dress. Well Chris doesn’t do much of anything half way. He had one of the nurses put makeup on him. So here’s Chris sporting a tight dress, blonde wig, and makeup. Full on drag! In my opinion, he made one ugly chick! But he made the show! See the ITC Smooth Criminal video, in the post below.
Then, in a blink the week was over and I was back home enduring the daily grind, that is life.
