Some summer memories are fun in the moment. Others stay with you because they remind you that you are seen, valued, and deeply loved.
At Southeastern Children’s Home, experiences like camp and summer trips are about so much more than getting away for a few days. They create space for joy, confidence, friendship, and spiritual growth. Whether it’s worshiping by the lake, cheering at a baseball game, meeting new friends, or receiving an award that means more than words can express, these moments can leave a lasting mark on a young person’s heart.
The two stories below offer a glimpse into what these experiences meant to two of our youth. Through their own words, you’ll see the excitement, gratitude, and encouragement they carried home with them—and why opportunities like these matter so much.
PBC 4th Week
My name is Jacob Gosnell. I am 15 years old and a ninth-grade student. This summer, I had the privilege of attending Palmetto Bible Camp three different weeks: Super Week, 4th Week, and Senior Week.
During 4th Week, I was honored to be chosen as Camper of the Week. Receiving this award meant a lot to me because it was based on showing respect to the staff and other campers. I was also blessed to have great friends who encouraged me, supported me, and poured into my life throughout the week.
Camp was an incredible experience. We played a lot of fun games, spent time worshiping together, and heard powerful, Bible-centered preaching every day. One of my favorite parts of the week was Lakeside Devotions. During that time, we gathered by the lake to worship, listen to a devotional, and spend time together playing games. It was a great opportunity to grow closer to God while building friendships with other campers.
I am so thankful for everything God taught me during 4th Week and for the memories I made at Palmetto Bible Camp.
The Story Of How I Felt After Winning The Camper Of the Year Awards and What We Did That Week
The Myrtle Beach vacation is something I have looked forward to since last summer when we went! It is a vacation that is so much fun, full of fun activities, time at the beach, meeting new friends from the youth group, and time spent with everyone here.
The first day, when we arrived, we were met with the youth group from Virginia. I remembered some of them from last year. I was excited that we were spending part of our week with them. They helped us unload and we unpacked everything and then we chose our bunk beds and put the sheets and blankets on it. When we were done with that, we had dinner with the youth group. Then, we went to the Seashack with them. We went to their service and had praise and worship and played Family Jeopardy.
The second day, we went to the beach and played in the ocean. It was a lot of fun! We spent the evening with the youth group while doing praise and worship and some fun activities in the blazing, hot sun. The third day, we went to the place where we had praise and worship, and we did this competition because it was like a Fourth Of July thing and then everybody went to change. We loaded all the vehicles up, and we followed the youth group to the baseball game. Mr. Brad bought us ice cream and a baseball. After the game we got a few autographs from some of the players. That was a really fun day!
We also went to this really cool amusement park called Wonderworks. It is a place where when you walk into the entrance the whole place is upside down, and it looks really cool and when we went, I wished that I would be there working as a manager.
The fourth day, we spent at the beach and pool. Then, we got dressed up and went to Golden Coral and then to a place called the Carolina Opry. The Carolina Opry is a really fun time! The show was cool and their voices sounded really good, and the way that they programmed it all was really fun. I think my favorite thing about the Opry was the songs, because there were some, I had never heard before and there were some that I have heard.
On the fifth day, we packed up and cleaned, and then we went up to breakfast and that is when I won the camper of the week award. When I won the camper of the week award, I guess that I didn’t know what to expect, because there were a lot of other people that were very helpful, kind, and Christian like too. When I won, I felt like I won the Grammy Award because I have never won something like that before! It made me feel good! Winning the award meant a lot to me because it was chosen by the people that love me and know me well. It also made me think I am more than a conqueror! That is how I felt about winning the cross. Thank you, guys, for letting me and my family go on the trip and picking me for the camper of the week. It was a highlight of my summer! I can’t wait until next summer!
