Joe Westbury
Emily Wright, leaning forward, and Katie Dodson, right, both of Concord Baptist Church in Clermont, listen to a camp counselor teach about reaching people in India with the gospel. Cabin leader Erin McCallum of Tifton watches from behind the two girls. Campers wore traditional pink scarves known as dupattas and skirts known as saris as part of the missions experience.
CLAYTON — Ally Mabry of Fayetteville is used to eating hot dogs and hamburgers at summer camp but one day in late June she found herself sitting cross-legged on the floor and eating traditional Indian food.
While other campers were enjoying the hot dogs in the Camp Pinnacle cafeteria, she and two-dozen other campers were baking their own flat bread (known as chipati, or roti) and then chowing down on jalfrezi (vegetables), rajma (pinto beans), rice, and washing it all down with chai tea.
That was just part of this year’s culture camp experience where young girls learn about a foreign culture and how Southern Baptists are sharing Christ with those halfway around the world. Camp Pinnacle has been offering the popular cultural dimension for several years as part of its missions emphasis.
Joe Westbury
Young girls like Mabry of Flat Creek Baptist Church and Emily Wright of Clermont’s Concord Baptist Church, both clad in pink scarves called dupattas and skirts known as saris, were fully immersed in the culture as part of their camp experience.
“The Camp Pinnacle experience is all about developing the Acts 1:8 lifestyle,” said Karen Pace of Georgia Baptist WMU who oversees the summer experience.
“While there are other good Christian camps out there, there are really no other opportunities like Pinnacle that give you the full missions exposure along with the summer fun like being in the outdoors and doing crafts. Our niche is reinforcing the missions lifestyle and teaching the girls that God can use them as part of His plan to reach the world.”
But truth be told, there were other reasons why some of the girls wanted to attend summer camp.
Fifth grader Elip Roman, age 10 and also a member of Flat Creek Church, said she likes to go to camp “to get away from my brother. He yells at me a lot.”
Joe Westbury
Ashleigh Weeks of Dahlonega Baptist Church, above, divides the rice in her plate with flatbread she had just baked. Girls were taught how to divide the rice evenly to provide for other elements of the meal that were still being prepared.
Joe Westbury
Ally Mabry and Elip Roman, left to right, both of Fayetteville, learn about the various faith groups in India and how missionaries are needed to bring Christ to such distant lands.
Joe Westbury
Shoes are piled high outside the front door of the cabin that was transformed into a traditional Indian home at Camp Pinnacle. The sign on the door stated the girls were entering “Mrs. Ghandi’s House.”
Joe Westbury
Camp staffers Stephanie Buice of Woodstock, center with baseball cap, and Jenna Huesing, right with sunshades, help the campers cook their Indian flatbread as part of their lunch experience. Buice attends Cherokee Baptist Church while Huesing is a member of First Baptist Church in Marshall, Texas.
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