Massanetta Middle School Trip: Wholly Loved
It is in times when I step into a new season or place that I am reminded of how guiding the Holy Spirit truly is. For those who don’t know me, my name is Paige Hokunson, and I am in my first month as the new Assistant Director of Youth Ministry (aka primary staff person for middle school) here at White Memorial. I am loving it so far, and Massanetta is one of the many reasons why.
I was invited to attend the Massanetta trip with leaders Genevieve Brooks and Caroline Garcia, along with 5 wonderful, energetic, and kind-spirited middle schoolers. I grew up going to Christ Presbyterian Church of La Costa (located in Carlsbad, CA), and we went to camp every summer. I was highly involved in a youth group and its associated events. Being part of a loving community was transformational for my faith as I grew up, so I was thrilled to attend a camp soon after taking on this position, meet some students before the school year began, and experience Massanetta for the first time.
For those who have never been, hear it from a first timer: Massanetta is a place of growth, love, and a safe space for young minds to ask questions about God’s abundant love.
The theme for the week was “Wholly Loved” (a combination of whole and Holy), and the keynote speaker, Katherine Piper from Wake Forest Presbyterian Church, was phenomenal. A repeated statement she shared was that God loves us as is, not only if we do certain things, read our Bibles enough, etc. We learned about how faith is better in community—and we jumped into scripture that reaffirms God’s love for us and how we were all created good.
This concept applies to us all, regardless of our stage of life. We are supposed to be where our feet are, not ten steps ahead. The beauty of living in the present is that God is here now, guiding us every single step of the way. I was reminded through the keynotes that it’s what God says about us that matters the most.
I mentioned earlier that the Holy Spirit guides me in new seasons, and I think the beginning of our trip was a bit unexpected for all of us. When we arrived at camp, we learned that we would be staying in different living arrangements than we had planned. Hotel-style rooms turned into cabins a bit farther away (and a bit more amongst nature than anticipated). In this moment, everyone stepped up, including our middle schoolers. While the adult leaders stepped up to ensure every student and parent was comfortable with the change, it was the middle schoolers who leaned into this switch-up the most.
I watched as 5 young minds rolled with the change, laughed, grew closer in friendship, and gained a super funny story to share with their families and friends. More than that, the Holy Spirit equipped them to be away from home and still show up well in a new environment despite the challenges.
Many factors make up a church, and youth is an important part of what makes a church a true community. These students stood out in their leadership, honesty, open-mindedness, kindness, and eagerness to grow in faith. If anything was made clear to me on this trip, it was how much God is at work in their lives.
Housing aside, we had a packed schedule. Every day we attended Encounter Groups (small groups led by high school Advocates (leaders)) at Massanetta, where there were discussions, games, and questions to think about amongst other students and leaders from different churches.
We also had outdoor recreational activities such as a huge Slip-n-Slide, a beautiful candle-lit vespers worship, free time to explore, and time to reflect with just our church at the end of every night. That was perhaps my favorite time of camp—sitting together in a circle as we shared highs, lows, and overall thoughts of the day.
On the second night, I truly thought we were all going to cry from laughter from telling stories and jokes. It was the kind of laughter that once you started, you couldn’t stop, and it was highly contagious in the best way possible.
Camp is meant to be a place to make friends, learn, and leave feeling like you are part of God’s community. After my first visit, I can tell that between the campers and staff, Massanetta is a place for that and more. I hope that the students who attended this year continue to ask questions, lead in new ways, and plug into the communities around them.
The Holy Spirit is guiding us all, and this trip provided the opportunity for us to discuss God’s love and guidance well. We are all “Wholly Loved” right now in this moment, and we always will be.
By: Paige Hokunson, Assistant Director of Youth Ministry