A second home

WHO WE ARE | PEOPLE

Jen Forster, camp director at Salvation Army Camp Wonderland in Sharon, Mass., talks about growing up as a twin, sharing her love of reading with campers, and how she stays connected to camp counselors when summer is over.

A lot of people in The Salvation Army have been involved in several of its camps, but I’ve experienced only Camp Wonderland. I grew up in a little town in Massachusetts called Athol and came to Wonderland at six years of age. It gave my siblings and me our first experience outside our hometown. I met kids my age who didn’t look like me and had different cultural backgrounds. When I turned 14, I started coming to Wonderland to work in the summer. Today, I’m the director of the camp, and I’ve also done just about every job there is to do here. That’s helpful when I train someone for the first time, and I can say that I was there myself. Wonderland has been a second home to me, my family, and my own children.

My twin sister Jodi is my closest confidant. Being a twin really influenced my childhood in a way that I didn’t notice until I had children of my own. Because I’ve always had my sister to interact with, making friends never felt difficult or full of the pressure that many kids feel. Though Jodi and I had lots of friends, we were blessed to know that our best friend would always be waiting at home, and nothing would change that.

Reading has been a crucial part of raising my children. When I was a child, no one read to me. But when I had children, I made sure to read to them and with them often, even as they grew older. I wanted to bring that reading experience to Wonderland. So, Elisabeth Evans, an 8 th grade teacher who is also our program director, wrote a grant to bring more books into camp. Now, libraries are in each of our cabins, so our campers have access to books during any down time. Every night after devotions, we encourage counselors to read aloud to kids as they go to sleep. We want to replicate that experience for our campers so they will realize the power of reading.

It’s important that The Salvation Army stays connected to young adults. That’s why working as a college ministries director means so much to me. I visit the camp counselors at their college, go out and eat with them, give them my full attention, and build a connection that goes beyond the work they do for Camp Wonderland. I love seeing that part of their lives as I get to know who they are when summer is over. They’re making an impact on their world. When they become adults, some come back to volunteer. I’ve been here long enough to see kids who came as campers, were staff members, and now send their own children to Wonderland. We’re still here to welcome them home.

When working with children, every summer and every day is completely different. But Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He is consistent, and He never changes. When there is an issue in camp that weighs on my heart, I still say that I can’t wait to see how it will all work out. We know that this ministry is important to Him, and He will provide for it.

Interview by HUGO BRAVO