Pondarosa is a Christian camp I go to every year during the summer for one week. When I was in elementary school I went to the younger version of Pondarosa it was called Redwood. Both  of the camps are owned by a company called Mount Hermon. Even though I have only been to this camp. three times it has influenced me so much and keep influencing me more and more each time I go back. The camp teaches us about our devotion to God and our love for him. Most people think that this camp is about fun and games but to me it means so much more! When I am at the camp I feel like I can be the true me and no one will judge me. That camp has helped turn me into the person I am today and taught me about devotion. I am one of God's children and I know that because of the camp, I also know how much he loves us and how he would do anything for us. When I went there this summer we learned a verse about how we are God's children. "But we are chosen race a royal priesthood a holy nation God’s own who's pulled us out of darkness into shimmering light -Peter 2.9."

     God isn't just a great person but he is our savior. I pray to God every night thanking him for all that he's done for us and how I'm so thankful for having him in my life. Every night I tell God everything that's going through my head, and what's happening. I tell God all of my secrets because I don't trust anyone except for God, because I know God is loyal and he will keep all of my secrets no matter what! God will forgive our sins when we make mistakes when no one else will, no matter how bad the mistake is. Even though we think we are anything but perfect God disagrees, he made us, and in his eyes and we are absolutely perfect and he wouldn't change a single thing about us.
     God is the only person who knows the TRUE me, but yet he still loves and listens to me. God was willing to get his hands dirty in the dirt to create us so we could learn and love about him. Before this camp I didn't always feel this way about God. I always believed in God and I sometimes went to church but I never really knew how to devote myself to him until I went to this camp. I would've never known about this camp if it wasn't for my best friend Lizzy. She went to the camp the year before and loved it so much she decide to get me into it. I now realize how lucky I am to have her as one of my best friends because if it wasn't for her, I would be a completely different person and I wouldn't feel this way about God. I can't thank her enough for introducing me to the camp, I also can't thank the camp enough for teaching me about God and helping me turn into the person I am today.
     Every time I get back from the camp I feel so special because I know not every kid gets the chance to experience what I get to. Every time I go back my love for God get's stronger and stronger each time. This last summer when I went to the camp I got a necklace from there which has a tree in it and there's a circle around the tree which is the camp icon. It has a teal leather string that's attached to the necklace which I put around my neck. They had a lot of different colors to choose from, but I chose teal because it's my favorite color. I wear this necklace every day because it means a lot to me and brings back a lot of good memories. It also reminds me how much God loves me and how he is our savior especially if I'm having a rough day.
     A lot of people ask me why I wear it and I always have to tell them the story, but I don't tell them too much because I know that they won't get what the camp and the necklace really mean to me. I don't let anyone try it on because it's really special to me and no one really gets how much/what the necklace means to me. The necklace isn't just an ordinary necklace to me. The necklace resembles God's love for me and now his love is infinite for me, and that God is always with me no matter what, just like the necklace. I sometimes clench my necklace when I'm nervous or when I just want to pray to God to tell him something that's happening at the moment. A lot of people that I have met over the years have judged me for being Christian. They have also said some super mean things about him which makes me really mad. It hurts me a lot, but it only makes my love and devotion for God stronger. When they say rude things it makes me want to punch someone but instead, I try to let it go because I know that God is real and he will always be there for me no matter what!