A Story to Live Into

Everyone comes to camp carrying a story.

Sometimes that story is shaped by stress, anxiety, fear, self-doubt, or isolation. Sometimes it’s a story that says, I don’t belong, I’m not enough, or nothing will ever change.

Amy arrived at Sunset Lake Camp carrying one of those stories.

She was angry, withdrawn, and only here because her grandmother insisted. Amy wore black from head to toe, dark lipstick, and a sullen expression that kept the world at a distance. At registration, her grandmother quietly warned every staff member she met: “Amy is a troubled young lady. Don’t be surprised if she tries to run away. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

Then her grandmother went home and waited for the call she was sure would come. “Amy is in trouble again. She’s run away. There’s nothing more we can do.”

But the call never came.

When Sunday arrived, her grandmother drove back to camp with a knot in her stomach. She stepped into Amy’s cabin and didn’t see her at first. Her heart sank. She’s gone again, she thought.

Then she looked closer.

In the middle of the cabin was a group of girls laughing, crying, hugging—recounting the adventures of the week. And right in the center of it all was Amy. The black clothes were gone. The dark lipstick was gone. Her face was alive with joy.

“The change was so unexpected,” her grandmother later said, “I didn’t even recognize my own granddaughter.”

Author Michael Margolis writes, “If you want to change the world, you need to change your story.”
That belief sits at the heart of Sunset Lake Camp.

Here, we intentionally invite every guest and camper into a new story.

A story shaped by four simple, powerful truths:

Grace — You are loved.
In quiet moments by the lake, on the prayer path, in worship spaces and creation itself, guests encounter a love that doesn’t need to be earned.

Community — You are accepted.
Around tables, in cabins, and in shared laughter, walls come down. No one has to perform. You are welcomed as you are.

Adventure — You are called.
On the waterfront, at the challenge course, in the barn, and on the trail, guests discover courage they didn’t know they had—and a sense that their life has purpose.

Belonging — You are home.
From the moment you arrive, something shifts. You are not an outsider here. This is a place where you are known, named, and claimed.

Amy didn’t just have a good week at camp. She stepped into a new story—one where she was loved, accepted, called, and at home.

That transformation doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because of people like you—donors who believe stories can change, and who choose to invest in places where they do.

We invite you to come experience this story for yourself. And if you’re able, we invite you to help us keep telling it—so the next Amy can discover a story worth living into.

Because when a story changes, a life can change.
And when a life changes, the world begins to look different too.