For the first time, I got to spend all summer at Camp. On bus days, I checked in campers at our Richmond office and made sure they were on the bus, and then followed the bus to Camp.
It was a summer of seeing first hand so much of what I had heard about from my own kids.
I ate meals in the Dining Hall. I filled water pitchers and set tables, and then shared a meal and got to talk to campers about their day and their lives. It is a Biblical idea that we share so much around a table, and these times were sacred (and loud and chaotic).
A couple of evenings I was on creek duty. I got to watch campers wade in the creek, skip rocks, catch craw fish, and just walk across the dam going between The Field and Cabin Row. The sound of the water flowing and the campers talking was peaceful and invigorating at the same time.
There is a sign that says Gracie’s Porch, our campers call it Beth’s Porch. It has rocking chairs and benches, and you can see across Camp from Cabin Row to The Tower. 
Throughout the day campers come and go as they look for the nurse or need to talk to Beth.
One day I was sitting on the Dining Hall porch and realized that the path up to Beth’s porch is not a straight one.
You have to go around a tree. It is a little of a meandering path. I like that.
The last campfire of the season was much like all of the ones before it, but it is also different. We all get our patches.
On the last day of camp, the campers get warm fuzzies. We are reminded of the importance of kindness. Each camper is told, “We love you, and God loves you!” My grown children still have some of their warm fuzzies.
I left when the bus did. As the bus drove down the driveway, the counselors gathered at the bridge and waved and yelled as the bus began the drive home. It was the perfect end to a great summer.
by: SaraAnne Burgess, Camper and Family Liaison
In her role as Camp Alkulana’s Camper & Family Liaison, SaraAnne registers every camper who attends camp. She also builds partnerships with local organizations and churches who refer campers and connects with campers’ family members to offer supports all year long. This summer her job looked a little different.