A Reflection by Rev Roberto Ochoa, Conference Minister for Iowa Nebraska South Dakota Conferences of the United Church of Christ
“The river runs deep, Kaleo remains. A fire burns bright through the dark and the cold. We come and we go, but the spirit sustain, a story of love, a story of life that will never grow old.” Chorus to “The River Runs Deep” lyrics and music by Rev. Katie Miller, Pastor, United Church of Christ Vermillion South Dakota.
Last week, I had the privilege and joy of serving as a camp counselor/chaplain for Jr/Sr high school campers at Kamp Kaleo in Burwell, Nebraska. I must admit, I was a little reticent to volunteer when Rev Brad Hindsley, Executive Director and Minister for Kaleo called out for male camp counselors, uncertain if I could be relatable to these young people. Rev Brad assured me I’d do fine as long as I had the stamina to keep up with them. Which I felt I had.
I’m so glad that I did! I was able to experience firsthand the high caliber of staff and dedicated volunteers that worked so hard to ensure that our youth would have a spirit-filled and soulful impactful week in the beautiful setting of Kamp Kaleo.
Check in began on Sunday afternoon with all young campers turning in their cell phones and tablets for the week. The goal being to minimize outside interference to encourage full participation in the camping experience. I noticed the youth complying with the rule with minimal groaning and protest. Which impressed me.
After the registration process, each camper was assigned a cabin and introduced to their camp counselor and were escorted to the cabins with their gear. Parents and family members were allowed to come along to see the cabin their offspring was going to call home for a week.
I was fortunate to be paired with a young camp counselor, Brock, who would share counseling camp duties with me to six Jr high school age boys. Brock has this immense love for Kaleo, as he grew up as a Kaleo camper throughout his youth. We hit it off and worked well as a team that week.
Ms. Lizz Brennfoerder and Mr. Johnathan Moore served as the Camp Directors for the week, planning an array of activities based on scriptural lessons using the “Inside Out: Another Way” Christian camp curriculum. Youth were assigned “family groups” led by adult camp counselors outside of their cabin assignments to allow for maximum opportunities for meeting and making new friends to discuss biblical themes. It was clear, there were quite a few returning young faces happy to see each other again.
A typical day began with morning rising at 7:00 am, breakfast at 8:15 am, a morning watch of quiet meditation at 9 am, followed by a gathering to hear the “exegetical” lesson for the day for the family groups to discuss. Each family group was assigned an evening in which they would plan and lead a vespers service based on the day scriptural theme.
Family groups also had a day assigned to them to assist in table setting for meals or to do light housekeeping throughout the week.
I learned that mealtimes at Kaleo required courtesy protocols for all campers. Tables were assigned an order for the campers to go up to receive their food and the rule was no one began eating until they all had their food at their table. Clean up was similar, everyone had to have stopped eating before clearing the dishes. The food was pretty great.
Meal prayers were sung to the tune of popular songs, often with silly body movements.
One of the surprising parts of the day, was that after lunch the camp went on a “siesta” of rest called FOB (Feet on Bunk). An opportunity for all to nap in their bunk and to refresh for the afternoon and evenings activities.
Each day offered an array of outdoor activities, popular being tubing, tanking, canoeing, and swimming. Excursions to places outside of the camp were also offered.
After dinner each night, each family group led a vespers service around a fire pit…though one day it was moved indoors due to rain. Lights were always out by 11:00 pm.
On Thursday, June 19th, as we celebrated Juneteenth, we all enjoyed a day at the local community’s pool, and we enjoyed our last meal of the week that consisted of pizza, when we got word that a tornado warning was issued for Burwell. We immediately evacuated to the lower part of the Discovery Center Chapel for safety and waited. Emotions ran high for some, and counselors and staff alike worked diligently to lift up spirits. Soon the tornado warning ended, and we moved upstairs to the upper part of Discovery Center with the intention to have fun activities.
While we were upstairs, a second weather system moved in quickly, with strong winds and hail began pelting on the roof. We moved all the youth away from the windows and had them sit at the furthest part of the room. Anxiety was high…and we adults were acutely aware the youth and children were looking at us for any sign of fear. Rev Shelby Moock, pastor of Hastings UCC led everyone to some meditative body movements to lower our hearts in a very calming voice which seemed to work. The older youth made themselves available to calm the younger ones and then the lights went out.
Earlier in the day, as a mission fundraiser to plant additional trees in Kaleo, camp counselors Brock and LJ were elected by the youth campers by their dollars to have their faces to be made up by Ms. Holly Gage, from First Pilgrim UCC in Lincoln, and the Youth Ministry Coordinator for the Disciples of Christ and UCC.
Using flashlights…Holly proceeded to make up Brock’s and LJ’s face, sharing stories of life. The family group proceeded to provide vespers for the night and Rev Shelby read a couple of stories as we all hunkered down not knowing when the lights would come back on.
Rev Brad and some community members were able to assess the damage. Several trees toppled, a couple on cabins, yet no major damage seemed to be apparent. Generators were located to provide power for the bathrooms and everyone received water.
Finally, around midnight, all were allowed back to the cabins led by counselors for the night. Fortunately, and gratefully, the power was restored as we all arrived at our cabins.
The next morning, we were all able to see the extent of the damage and debris caused by the storm. We knew it could have been worse. One young camper came up to me smiled and said, “last night was intense Rev Roberto…I think it bonded us being in the same boat”. I laughed and said “Amen”.
The final day packing up, breakfast, and closing ceremony before lunch, were filled with, I think, a greater sense of emotional tears for an unforgettable week for us all as we all sang the Kamp Kaleo’s touching theme song we’d been singing all week, The River Runs Deep by Rev Katie Miller, a long time supporter of Kamp Kaleo and currently serving as the pastor of United Church of Christ Vermillion, South Dakota.
Parents and family members picked up their children, safe and sound.
There is so much I am leaving out, however my takeaway from my camp experience at Kaleo by the River is the deep affection our youth and adults have for this place. And when the threat of harm appeared, the staff and volunteers mobilized immediately to ensure the safety of the youth put in our care by their families and for each other. I was touched by the actions of compassion and care offered by adults and youth alike to those that seemed most affected emotionally in a highly anxious situation. I praise God for that!
Rev Brad tells me that 22 volunteers came out the day after the storm and in seven hours, 75% of the clean-up was done. I praise God for that too!!
Would I be a camp counselor again? Yes, in a heartbeat! It was an indescribable blessing and joy to be among these amazing young human beings. In a world that is in so much turmoil…a moment to just be in nature and with God…is so worth it! I pray that all in the United Church of Christ will find time to experience and support camp that brings so much to us all.
Bendiciones y Paz,
Rev Roberto
I’d like to acknowledge with gratitude the fantastic human beings that I was able to spend the week this past week at Kamp Kaleo, June 15-20, 2025 doing the work of Christ among our Jr/Sr high school youth:
Camp Directors: Lizz Brennfoerder and Johnathan Moore
Camp Nurse: Rev. Adam Lassen
Resource Team: Gilbert Clear, Fayth Brudvig, Grace Baker
Kitchen Staff: Rylee Jarecke, Katie Hughes, Jessi Jeffres, Tresa Miller, Kennedy Klimek
Camp Counselors: Sue Shear, Jayde Davis-Ramos, Jessica Kuta, Emma Shimek, Holly Gage, Rev Shelby Moock, Lee’Jax Heckeroth Brown, Pastor Stuart Davis, Tyson Shields, Jeff Moock, and Brock Has.
Rev Brad Hindsley, Kamp Kaleo Executive Director and Minister
For more information or to support Nebraska South Dakota Iowa UCC Conferences affiliated camps, please visit the following links:
Kamp Kaleo on the River in Burwell Nebraska: Home | Kaleo on the River
Placerville UCC Camp and Retreat Center in Rapid City South Dakota: About — Placerville Camp
Pilgrim Heights Retreat and Camp in Montour Iowa: ABOUT US | Pilgrim Heights Camp
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