Encounter Faith: “Kneel Reverently When You Light a Fire”
There are few moments more sacred at camp than our times surrounding the campfire. “Kneel reverently when you light a fire. Kneel Reverently and thankful be for God’s unfailing charity…” These words echo in the minds and hearts of Kahdaladies long after the sweet songs and Tajar Tales are over. “Kneel reverently”. I love the…
Encounter Faith: Echoes of Eden: Pictures from CKC’s JC Retreats!
As our campers continue to settle in and enjoy our first days of trips, exciting things are taking place with our older campers. Over the weekend, our Kahdalea and Chosatonga Junior Counselors set out into the wilderness for their Junior Counselor retreat. The Chosboys stepped into the unknown with Jeffrey Trufant on a multiday tear…
Encounter Faith: Putting Faith in What Lasts Forever
“You made us for yourself, o Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” – Augustine of Hippo Recently, I had the joy of visiting an ancient Greek theater in Taormina, Italy. The theater sits in the saddle of a high ridgeline about 1000 ft above the ionian sea. The scenery is…
Encounter Faith: Simplicity: Following the Lead of the First Believers
“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” – Acts 2:42 I love the simplicity of this verse. After Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven, his apostles led the disciples in a simple life, a life…
Encounter Faith: Magnifying God’s Love
I want to share a short story written by my grandmother, Sue Dominick, on how we have the chance to magnify the love of God. Grandma was a faithful woman who was married for 57 wonderful years, raised seven children, was constantly involved in her church, started a Christian bookstore and endured life’s hard and…
Encounter Faith: Take the Time to Pray
Many of our campers and staff ask how they can grow in prayer away from Kahdalea and Chosatonga, so here I offer a few brief reflections on a sub-tenet of one of CKC’s core values, “Take the time to pray”. The author, monk, and mystic Thomas Merton was once asked what the single most important…
Encounter Faith: Cultivate Wonder – Grow Gratitude
To this day, my first time canoeing Frank Bell’s Rapid is vivid in my memory: My tandem partner and I nervously approached the rapid’s horizon line. I could hear the crashing of the water and feel my heart beating. I was obsessed with the river as a camper, and always impatient for my next whitewater adventure;…
Encounter Faith: Van Gogh and the WILDEST Gifts in the Cosmos
Dave Trufant gives legendary talks at our Sunday morning Chapel. Chosmen of all generations can attest to this! He relates simple, timeless wisdom with a certain “BOING!” that only “the Dave” can do. His joy is infectious and his talks leave the young men lighthearted, hopeful, and a little bit more comfortable in their own skin, as well as more inclined toward answering the many “knocks” we may receive on the door of our hearts throughout life. One of his more beloved talks revolves around, of all people, Vincent Van Gogh.
Encounter Faith: “Give Thanks in All Circumstances”
Dear Camp Family, Happy Thanksgiving! We’ve been thinking and praying for you all, and as I wrote my own children in a message on Thanksgiving morning, I wanted to write to you as well. This morning I’ve been reading 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s…
Session Updates: June 30, 2026 – Main Session Opening Day: It Begins Again
Hello Camp Family! Adam Trufant here. Opening Day was a blast. As I write to you, our campers are working our their “heart” and activity goals alongside their cabin counselors after our opening Campfire ceremonies. Today, former Kahdalea Program Director, Claire Losavio Willis, shares her insights with us after accompanying our campers through opening day….