Barbara Comito, former marketing director
6 min read
From Volunteer to Legacy Partner: Leaving a Lasting Impact on the Ministry
UGM operates 100% free from government funding. To effectively serve those in need, we rely on various types of generosity from the community—from...
After working in the emergency room of a hospital, I thought serving as a nurse at summer camp would be a breeze, Alli said. But she hadn’t taken the emotional pain into account. Alli and I were having coffee after her term at UGM Camp ended. The physical injuries over the course of the nine weeks were minor, she said, scrapes, sprains, sunburns and insect bites mostly. The hard work hadn’t come from a test of her nursing skills but rather from the demand to live out her faith in complex relationships
– to listen, to care, to seek to understand how these children’s heart wounds impacted their behavior, and to bring the gospel into everyday situations.
As an example, she told me the story of a full-scale verbal assault that took place in one of the girls’ cabins at 3 a.m. Feeling completely out of her league, she entered the fray. After lots of “she said…” and “she started it,” Alli simply asked the girls: “Is this what you want your relationships to look like for your whole life?” That question de-escalated the fighting and created space for conversation, conversation that eventually came around to our relationship with God, the problem of sin, and the beauty of forgiveness.
Alli was a great camp nurse – competently handling all the minor illnesses and injuries that arose that summer – but more than that, she was a vessel through which God could begin healing the bumps and bruises none of us could see.
~ Dennis Roach, Youth Outreach Director
5 min read
Physical Therapy Partnership: Caring for the whole person
Providing Essential Resources UGM relies on the support of the community to offer comprehensive care to individuals in need. One of the lesser-known...
3 min read
UGM Shelters: Havens of truth and honor
Once basic needs are met through UGM shelter services, individuals can face the issues that have perpetuated their unwanted situation. Through case...
Camp is just the beginning.
Barbara Comito, former marketing director : May 28, 2013
The modern church with its emphasis on high-octane youth groups struggles when it comes to developing authentic, compassionate relationships with the...
The bee sting
Barbara Comito, former marketing director : August 1, 2013
2013 Tshimakain Creek Camp Staff - loving kids well and being a little goofy at times God works for our good. All the time. Even when we are praying...
Campfire stories
Barbara Comito, former marketing director : May 14, 2013
When was the last time you sat around a campfire, roasting marshmallows and telling stories? Well, wherever you are at this moment, I’d like you to...