It was an exciting week at Camp Pequot when a group of 29 teenagers and young adults from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, joined the camp staff just over a week ago to help with the camp programming.

The group were from the CHUTeRS (Cole Harbour United Teens ‘ere Really Special) youth group at Harbourside Pastoral Charge near Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. They were led by youth leaders, Jamie and Jennifer Muirhead, and Harbourside’s pastor, Rev. Dr. Susan MacAlpine-Gillis, and hosted by Rev. Margaret Sagar at Ebenezer Methodist Church in St. George.

“The communication started over two years ago with Herbie Siggins,” explained Mr. Jamie Muirhead, who had met Mr. Siggins, his wife, Jeannie, and their daughter, Emily, at a Maritime Conference. Emily had participated in a young peoples programme led by the Muirheads, and told her parents that the couple had to come and do the same thing in Bermuda.

The Muirheads last visited Bermuda in 2002 when they ran an ecumenical children’s programme in St. George’s, called Ebenezer and friends, however, they weren’t sure if a bringing a large group of young people to the Island was feasible.

“Last spring was when we realised that we had the right group (of young people),” Mr. Muirhead said.

The announcement was made The announcement was made to the Harbourside youth programme on Mother’s Day, 2006, and an invitation was also extended to youth at Musquedoboit Harbour First United Church.

The group initially hoped to raise $30,000 together, covering two-thirds of the total cost, with the expectation that families would pay the balance, however, by December, the group had met that goal and continued working towards the full amount. They also received a grant from the United Church of Canada Vision Fund.

In the end, the young people had raised the entire cost of the trip.

To prepare for the trip, not only were the young people responsible for working at raising the necessary funds, but they were also involved in the youth group and assisted in various ministries of the church.

“In terms of programme, they’ve been working all year on focusing on the creeds of the church,” Rev. MacAlpine-Gillis explained. “They’ve really gotten more out of the experience because they had to work for it.”

Aaron Vaters, 19, was one of the young people on the trip. He graduated from high school last year and hopes to pursue a degree in criminology at St. Mary’s in the fall.

“I learned a new side of myself, that I can take control of things,” he said. “It’s a new side that I never knew was there.”

Likewise, 16 year old Rebecca Stinson, found a great deal of learning simply in the process of raising the funds for the trip.

“I learned a sense of community. You can’t judge a community by one person.”

She was especially amazed at the funds raised simply by going door to door asking for drink bottles that could be returned for their deposits, which earned the group $10,000.

“It shocked me how much we raised from the bottle drives, because I didn’t expect to raise that much.”

As Mrs. Muirhead said: “It hasn’t been about the destination; it’s been about the journey.”