First Posted: 8/12/2014

Eleven second to fourth-grade students from area Methodist churches enjoyed a week-long summer camp on the grounds of Trucksville United Methodist Church.

TUMC’s first-ever summer camp was enjoyed by children from Harding United Methodist, Idletown United Methodist, West Pittston United Methodist as well as by members of Trucksville United Methodist Church.

Madeline Roote, TUMC administrator, said the pilot summer camp program was formed by the Susquehanna United Methodist Churches group.

Amy Bealla, of West Pittston, the camp’s director, said the program was started to introduce children to summer camp and for them to see what it is like before attending a traditional summer camp. Bealla’s father is the pastor at Harrisburg United Methodist Church, and previously served as pastor for both the Dallas and Kunkle United Methodist Churches.

Lucy Obrzut, also of West Pittston, served as the camp’s counselor. Obrzut and Bealla provided the students with activities such as sidewalk chalk drawing, leather art and making crosses where each child placed a list of his or her gifts given to them from God underneath the crosses. The camp started off each morning with a prayer service.

Orbzut’s 7-year-old son, Nate, attended the camp and was very pleased with the week’s activities.

The camp was “great,” Obrzut said “I liked doing the crafts, all of the crafts, I liked it when we made the shirts, too.”

The group made individually decorated tee shirts.

Lehman Township resident Chase Smith liked “the camp’s recess period” and also wants “to come back to the camp.”

Michael Miller, of Kingston, will enter fifth grade with the start of the new school year and, although he hoped he could return to the camp next year, he has reached the age limit. He also stated that his favorite part of the camp was the field trip to Wesley Forest where the group participated in activities such as swimming, hiking and crafts on the trip.

Paige Moss, of Lehman, a third-grade student, spoke highly of the summer camp, saying she enjoyed “spending time with friends” and that she wishes that the camp would “last until school begins.”