CAMP HOSANNA – “A CELL PHONE FREE ZONE”

Dear Parents,

Camp is a time for children to learn to live without some of the normal comforts of life. One of those things is a mobile phone. At CH there are no televisions, Xbox, Nintendo Wii’s, Playstations or any other type of video game systems for the use of our campers. This is all by design. The goal of our staff is to help your child to focus on the most important aspect of their life and that is his/her eternal soul. Adults and children alike are distracted by so many things and, regretfully, one of those things has become the mobile (cell) phone.

When you check-in/drop-off your child, we are asking you to cooperate with our request and make sure that your camper has already surrendered his/her phone to your possession. Now, I know some of you are thinking, “I want to speak with them each night before they go to bed.” As a parent of four children, with two now in college, I completely understand this desire. However, one of the greatest battles we face during a week of camp is “homesickness.” 

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Most children that get homesick do so for two reasons: 1. the camper will hear Dad or Mom’s voice and will suddenly want to go home, sleep in his/her own bed, “talk” on the phone, go over to a friend’s house, swim in the pool, pet his/her dog or cat, all because they heard Dad/Mom’s voice; or 2. my mom said, “I am supposed to call home each night.” You, as the parent (without realizing), are teaching your child to ignore, disobey and despise the clear request of the camp to not bring mobile phones during the week of camp. As a parent, the greatest lesson that you can teach your child is the lesson of “obedience to authority.” Stand with the camp, not your camper, and make them hand it over. 

It is only for five days. Trust me, you will be fine and so will they. Let them grow, spread their wings, and begin to devolop some independence in life.  Let them save it all for Friday when you pick them up, and they are spilling over with excitment about the greatest week of their summer.

If you just can’t stand it, then carve out a night in the week to come out for an evening chapel. All of our evening services begin at 7pm and will typically end around 8:15pm. However, this can be a challenge to homesickness as well, but if you as the parent will just be strong  and tell them, “No! you are staying,” trust me, they will be fine.
Can’t wait to see you this summer and remember – “Leave the cell phone at home.”

Brother Bill Abbott
Camp Director