Abigail Macy | Kids Camp Co-director
Ten years ago, I surrendered my life to Christ at Camp Quaker Haven in front of the whole chapel. I was a sixteen-year-old girl at the time, enjoying my very first week at camp. I remember feeling amazed by the community of friends and the passion everyone had for Christ. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. During open worship on the last night of camp, I felt this deep urging within me to stand up and announce that I was ready to follow Jesus and make Him the Lord of my life. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was the Holy Spirit pushing me towards Christ; into the arms of my Savior. I left camp with what felt like a seal from the Holy Spirit. God felt so real to me in that chapel that I knew when I got home there was no turning back. I was a new creation in Christ.
Once I made it back home, I grabbed my mom’s old Bible and studied the whole New Testament. I bought a journal to write letters to God as well as document all the incredible things He was doing in my life. I also joined the youth leadership team at our church and met weekly during my junior and senior years of high school. If it were not for that instant community, I very easily could have fallen back into my old ways of life. However, God was faithful to surround me with friends and mentors to inspire me to keep seeking after Him.
For the next two years of my walk with Christ, I was like a spiritual sponge… I wanted to learn more and more! In the middle of my senior year of High school, I felt God leading me to Friends University in Wichita, Kansas to study Christian Spiritual Formation. Being from south Texas, this felt like a big deal. In order to convince my parents to let me move ten hours away to a private Christian University, I came up with a perfect case scenario plan; I would receive such and such scholarships, become an RA, work on and off campus to help in any way that I could, etc. Eventually, my parents realized this is where God wanted me, so they did everything they could to make it happen. And so… this Friendswood girl moved to Wichita!
My experience at Friends University was everything I ever dreamed of. I made a group of friends who all loved Jesus, found a wonderful church home, and even spent a summer serving at multiple church camps across the midwest. However, my favorite part of college had to be my CSF classes (Christian Spiritual Formation). I was deeply passionate about what I was learning and what it meant to transform in Christlikeless. The beauty of my time at Friends is that I could clearly see God’s faithfulness throughout it all. Not only did every aspect of my “perfect case scenario plan” come true, but even more so than I imagined. God had provided so abundantly that there was no denying I was exactly where I was meant to be.
Little did I know, my best friend (and camp crush) lived right down the street from my new home and also planned on attending Friends University. We started dating at the start of our sophomore year, right after spending all summer together doing camp ministry. Two weeks after I graduated from Friends, I married Joel Macy at the place we met: Camp Quaker Haven. Joel and I met the very same week I gave my life to Christ. So in a way, Joel has known me my whole life. Four years have gone by since our beautiful wedding day and the Lord has blessed us with two little boys, Micah and Malachi. They truly are the greatest gifts we have ever received.
As I reflect on these past ten years of following Christ, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for His goodness and faithfulness to me. He has filled me with an abundant joy and has never failed to comfort me in the difficult seasons. Throughout the years, I have learned so much, yet I still have a lifetime of learning to do. My decision to follow Christ has been and will be the greatest decision I have ever made. Our God is good, He is faithful, and His love is everlasting.
As we recently wrapped up this camp season, I couldn’t help but feel sentimental. Camp Quaker Haven will forever hold a special place in my heart. Camp has given me a relationship with Christ, my husband and many friendships. I have been blessed with the opportunity to go back every year and serve either as a counselor or program staff, and as one of the directors for Kids Camp. Thank you Lord for CQH and an abundant ten years of life with you! I am excited to see how God will lead my family and I in the next ten years!
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