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Christian kids help clean up city
In the middle of a hot summer day about a dozen teenagers, wearing matching T-shirts, spent the day doing yard work for someone they've never met before.
"We're not in trouble, we're doing this on our own," one of them called out.
The group was one of five teams from Commission, a week-long, nondenominational church camp for junior high and high school students that focuses on community service.
"Students come together and realize they don't have to be adults to serve," camp director Crystal Gunderson said. "So often teenagers are focused on themselves, this is a week for them to focus on others."
The camp's 50 students from Idaho, Oregon and Colorado, along with 11 counselors and 20 staff members from Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Texas, are broken into five teams.
One team put together backyard Bible study groups, another spent the week painting and making repairs to a house, another put on puppet shows, skits and plays at the Senior Citizen Center and local parks. Another group took pictures and videotaped the other groups in action for slide shows, presentations and memories.
The fifth group, the element team, spent Wednesday helping a Mountain Home resident with yard work. Her yard was in violation of several city codes and Kelly Janis, the city of Mountain Home code enforcement officer, paired the team up with the house owner as part of her program to help citizens who are physically and financially unable to comply with city codes. They spent the rest of the week doing work of the same nature at various locations throughout town.
Students camped at the Bruneau Sand Dunes and spent time in worship sessions and Bible studies based out of the First Baptist Church.
Gunderson started the camp in 2000 because she had attended a similar camp in California for two years while in high school and said she wanted kids in this area to be a part of something they might not have otherwise been able to afford.
She said the camp's focus on community service sets it apart from most church camps that focus solely on having fun.
"Some kids at the beginning of the week complain their parents sent them to a forced labor camp but most realize there's something unique about giving back to the community," Gunderson said.
Kevin Osborne, 15, has attended the camp for the last four years.
"This is the best week of the year," he said. "We're working and helping people out. Last year, this lady at the Senior Citizen Center cried because she was so excited to see what we were doing. That's always good to see."
Osborne is from Ontario, Ore., and the camp is a family affair at his house. His parents and four siblings took part in the camp this year.
Student Jackson Ried said he really enjoys the camp and said it was one of his favorite times of the year and things to do. The 18-year-old from Boise has attended the camp for the last seven years.
Jackson said the camp costs between $180-200 to attend, money students raise themselves throughout the year by mowing yards, selling pizza cards and holding yard sales.