Hey! It's Kiwi Aimee!

I have worked most of my life at a camp in New Zealand. A few years ago, I was looking for something to do for a few months between seasonal contracts. When a Canadian volunteer (from Birch Bay Ranch) who was at my camp in NZ suggested this place in Canada I thought it was a great idea. Little did I know how profoundly my time at Birch Bay Ranch would impact my life, character and journey.

The ministry of Christian Camping is important in today's world. Kids are leading such screen based lives that they often have no idea how to have a conversation face to face. Having a chat with their cabin leader on the way to camp fire might be the first time a kid has ever had a real conversation with anyone outside of their family. These moments are so important in the lives of all kids who have ever been to summer camp. Birch Bay isn't about creating jobs in a tough climate, or giving kids a chance to ride a horse or climb a wall. It's about the relationships formed and bonds strengthened in ways that can only happen in that kind of environment.

My experience at Birch Bay Ranch was such that I booked tickets a couple years later and went back for round two. Were it not for my time at Birch Bay Ranch, I wouldn't be in the place that I am spiritually today. BBR has a way of shaping people and sneaking it's way into their hearts in a very short amount of time. I've been to many, many Christian camps, and there really is something special and unique about Birch Bay. 

I recently got married, some friends from Birch Bay Ranch came to my wedding in New Zealand, and the Fraess family came to visit us a month or so later. My dream is to share what has been such a huge part of my life with my husband, and to have him meet the rest of the BBR family!

As you have no doubt already read, this camp has been part of so many people's lives for so many years. Everyone who has ever been on staff has stood on the shoulders of those before them. All we can hope for that we can honor the efforts of those who have come before us and served God at Birch Bay Ranch. 

Ours is a huge responsibility, to care for this legacy and pass it on to the next generation of staff and campers. 

Aimee Fawcett (Jones)