More than 400 campers and counselors from across South Carolina attended the 25th annual Joy Retreat, a camp for adults 18 and over with special needs. During the first session of the retreat, one camper made a profession of faith.
“One of the things that makes the Joy Retreat different from similar camps is that it combines the camp experience with spiritual growth,” Kay Leagans, Joy Retreat director, said. “The campers get to hear about God’s love and express that.”
This year, like the others, the Joy Retreat was held at White Oak Conference Center. To accommodate the high number of attendees, the retreat was divided into two adjacent sessions. Session one was held June 30-July 2, and session two was held July 2-4.
The sessions included classes based on Vacation Bible School material, recreation, crafts, puppet shows, and evening worship services. Missions volunteers from SC Baptist churches taught the classes, and youth from volunteering churches were assistants.
The teachers decorated their classrooms with waterfalls, bamboo, and exotic animals to coincide with the VBS material, “Amazon Outfitters.” Youth and adult missions volunteers from Oakland Church, Rock Hill, provided the puppet shows for the first session. Calvary Church in Ware Shoals, First Church Ware Shoals, and South Main Church, Greenwood, performed puppet shows during the second session. Steve Scudder, SC Baptist Convention mobilization strategist, presented the Gospel during the evening worship times.
According to several of the volunteers, the campers enjoyed crafts and music during worship the most. “The campers enjoyed the worship times,” Scudder said.
Louise Smithwick and Bernice Popham founded the Joy Retreat in 1979. After attending a Happiness Retreat--a camp for the developmentally disabled--in North Carolina, Smithwick said she “saw a marvelous opportunity for our state.” About 20 campers attended the first Joy Retreat.
“It’s really addictive,” Leagans said. “You think you are giving so much to the campers, but they are the ones blessing you."
