What a way to start summer 2022! Adventure Camp with the confirmation youth and Latino Ministries Camp with the Spanish-speaking families of the Greater Milwaukee Synod and the South Central Synod all in the same week. In both activities it was my first participation with this type of ministry.
Adventure camp was a wonderful experience surrounded by many activities next to the wonderful natural resources that God has given us. I had the opportunity to live and interact with young people that I didn’t have the opportunity to connect with during our confirmation classes. I was able to face my fear of heights during the rock climbing and zip line. If the confirmation students experiences were similar to mine, their parents will be happy to know that there was a lot of prayer at this church camp in those moments.
There was a lot of joy and a lot of energy, but my time at the lake and at the Kalahari were also filled with a lot of difficult moments and spiritual meditation. During the time at the lake my mind was thinking about my nephew Fabricio and wondering what he was feeling in those last moments of his life in the lake at Adventure Camp. Seeing the young people enjoying the Lily Pad that Pastor Tony and Pastor Chris rented and watching everyone’s joy motivated me to join them. I tried to enjoy the moment, but at the same time I had my eyes on all of them, mainly the two young men from the Latino Ministry who did not know how to swim.
Entering the Kalahari was another big moment. The day the tragedy happened, my wife and daughters and I were at the Kalahari. We were in the lobby outside of the water park when we received the news of Fabricio’s death. I told my wife we would never step foot in the Kalahari again, yet here I was. Let me be honest. When we were about to enter the Kalahari the only thing I said was “God, please I don’t want to receive any more bad news in this place.” We had only been inside for 10 minutes when suddenly I saw three missed calls from my brother Carlos and three calls from my dad. My anxiety went through the roof for a few minutes. The wonderful thing was that the calls weren’t about bad news, just mundane ordinary things.
My first experience in the camp with the young people has been very helpful for me personally because it has allowed me to face fear and uncertainty in those moments and places where I have had only bad experiences. It is difficult to face those bad memories, but it is important that we remember that the only way to get out of that cycle of fear is to walk through it. This is how we become more resilient people, facing difficult and even frightening situations. When we are walking through those moments of fear and grief, we do not walk alone. God walks alongside us.
Another activity in June was the family gathering held by all the Latino ministries of the Milwaukee Synod and the South Central Synod of Wisconsin. We had the presence of five Latino congregations. Families had the opportunity to meet and interact with other ministries in the area. They are even asking us when we will have our next family retreat. This retreat had been planned since 2019, but over the years it had been cancelled over and over again due to covid. The fact that families are asking for a family retreat in 2023 is a sign that there is a desire for interaction with other ministries. We will continue working so that our Latino ministry has more interaction activities within our Church and outside of it.
May you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit walking alongside you as you face your fears and moments of sadness. And may those moments be few and far between.
Edwin Aparicio, Spanish Language Minister
