Ignite was something I looked forward to even before I was old enough to attend. I have been to Ignite 8 times as a camper and loved every year just as much as the last.
Like most 7th grade students, the hype for Ignite begins around the blob, a giant waterslide, and the sweet afterglow events that we always see videos recapping. Truly the first year of Ignite remained like this, but the second year was different. God had taken that first year and planted seeds in my heart, and it was not until a year later that those seeds began to sprout. After my 8th grade year at Ignite I made the decision to own my faith. I decided that baptism was the best way for me to do that, and it would be a great way to show everyone else that this is the new me.
Following that year, Ignite was much more than a week-long trip with my closest friends, it was the most impactful week of my entire year. Setting aside everything besides God and fun for a week tears at your heart in the right places. Each year I could feel my relationship with Him getting stronger, and the development of more than just an almighty power, but a best friend. Ignite strengthened my relationship with God to a whole new level, and those 8 years as a camper remains the foundation of my faith as I continue through college.
One summer, I was given the opportunity to return to Ignite camp as a counselor. That year was almost more impactful than all the previous 8 years. Not only was I receiving the same spiritual impact as I had, but I could watch and observe God moving through hundreds of other teenagers. That sight was amazing and too powerful to describe in words. I have always felt like God had called me to be a leader, but never had I thought I would be a counselor at Ignite. Through that week I felt like God was showing me my capabilities as a leader for Him, and through that He had given me new skills and tools to bring back to school and be an even bigger light than I had ever been before.
The overall experience of Ignite is amazing, and through all the fun and games is a deep relationship waiting to be built. God is there at Ignite for every camper and every counselor. I know that once I went there and finally met Him for real, my life was changed eternally.