AN UPDATE FROM THE ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE |
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MEET THE ASSISTANT CAMP DIRECTOR! |
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Hello Antiochian Village Family!
My name is Cade Scott and I am one of the Assistant Camp Directors here at the Village. I was born and raised in the great state of Alaska where I grew up attending St. John's Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral in Eagle River, Alaska. After graduating high school I went on to attend the University of Alaska where I earned a bachelor’s degree in history. I then went on to earn a master’s degree in special education.
I have always had a tremendous love for camp. I was a camper at our summer camp in Alaska growing up, and have been hooked ever since. My first Christian education teacher at summer camp was none other than Fr. Michael Nasser. Fr. Michael used to travel to Alaska in August to help out our camp after he finished the camping season at the Village.
In 2013 while working as a camp counselor in Eagle River I met Fr. Chris Shadid. We had an instant connection and Fr. Chris asked me to apply to the Village the following summer. I was blessed to be offered a counselor position that summer in 2014, and I smartly took the job! That was the best decision I ever made, and was one of the most memorable summers of my life. I have held a variety of positions at the Village. I have been a counselor, afternoon program coordinator, head counselor, intern, and I now work here full time. Each position has been fun and unique, and I have learned so much and feel very grateful to be part of the Village family.
Working with young people is my ultimate passion. Nothing is more exciting than helping them in their relationship with Christ. I have learned that Christ’s message is as powerful now as when He walked the earth, and hearts are truly touched and moved when we can offer the message of Christ’s love. The Village is unique because it provides an opportunity to cut off from the world and experience Christ and His creation.
If any of you are ever in Western PA please stop in at the camp and say hello. We would love to see you, and if you let me know in advance we can have you over to the house for a meal. My wife Maria is a great cook! God bless everyone, and we hope to see all of you soon!
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Cade oversees all of our programs, development, Alumni relations, fundraising, rental groups, staff training, social media, and bookstore orders. He also just celebrated his 1-year anniversary of being married to former AV camper and counselor Maria (Conte)! May God grant them many years! |
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We have been doing work around camp to ensure AV is as safe as possible when our Village family is able to return! We spent a lot of time cleaning up St. Thekla's outdoor chapel! We also cut down many dead branches that could be dangerous. |
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Join us on Sunday, October 18 at 6pm EST for our monthly alumni virtual hangout! This month will be led by AV legend Fr. James Shadid, who is known for his Village pranks during his many years as a camper and staff member. Fr. James is the pastor at St. George Church in Houston, TX, and he is the founder and Camp Director of Camp St. Raphael (Yaboy!) in Oklahoma.
Next month, our call will be held Sunday, November 15 at 6pm EST and will be led by Kh. Laila Ellias from St. Mary Church in Brooklyn, NY. She will talk to us about Advent. Kh. Laila is an AV pioneer, having served on staff the very first year. In addition to being a Khouriye, Taita, and Clergy Wives leader, she is also a speech language pathologist/staff development worker in NY.
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As we continue to monitor the pandemic, we have decided to postpone registration for the remaining Summer Camp 2021 spots. Registration will not open in December, as it traditionally has. We we keep you all updated as we learn more, and we will make sure that you know when registration does open! |
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The Bookstore is full of some awesome products! Be sure to check it out and grab some Village gear! If you have any question, do not hesitate to reach out and we can assist you! |
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Visit our bookstore to check out clothing, icons, books, and more! All products can be shipped nationwide!
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I was blessed to be a camper for four years at the Village beginning in 1988. I was then a counselor for the next nine years from 1992-2000. After attending seminary at Holy Cross and spending a year at the Balamand in Lebanon, I began ministry as a full-time Youth Director and Assistant Pastor at St. George Cathedral in Wichita, Kansas for the next 11 years. I have been serving as the Camp Director at Camp St. Raphael since 2001 and the Pastor at St. George Houston since 2011.
While I was raised in the Church from infancy, it was at the Village where everything “came together”. It was there that I learned communal living among brothers and sisters. It was there that I learned why Christ washed the feet of His disciples. And it was at there that the greeting “Christ is in our midst!” came to life.
The Village has given me my best friends and best memories. It was at the Village that I had my first kiss from the only woman I’ve ever kissed. It was our Village family that made our wedding so special. It was the “Axios” at ordination from our Village family that rang the loudest. And it was the “Memory Eternal” from that same family that made our mother’s passing less heavy. These relationships last a lifetime and beyond because it is Christ Himself that bonds them.
While SO many experiences from the Village have shaped my life (sheep tied to church bell aside), I think celebrating the Feast of the Transfiguration there for so many years is one of the most impacting. Just as the chief disciples were taken up on Mount Tabor and Christ’s glory was revealed to them, so too we that attended the Village are taken up out of the world to live a communal life with our brothers and sisters. The disciples are gladdened by the experience, so much that Peter cried, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
Just as Peter cried out these words in his ecstasy of being in the presence of the glorified Lord, so too we Villagers beseech Christ to let us stay up on that green mountain in Pennsylvania with our brothers and sisters. But alas, we know this is not the Lord’s will for His disciples or ourselves. It is our duty rather to radiate the light we have seen on the mountain into the dark world that needs so much the saving Light of Christ.
I literally kiss the ground every time I step under the arches, for I am indebted to the Village for all she has taught me. While it is holy ground, I know that I need not be there to live the life we have learned on that mountain.
Houston is a vibrant melting pot of a city with many transferring here from all over the country. We always said, “How cool would it be to live in the same city and our kids grow up as friends?”. We are getting to experience that reality with so many Villagers and their children living here and actively involved. It is a great reality that reminds us the Village is not merely a piece of land, but a way of life.
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Hey y’all, my name is Miriam Alrahil, and I’ve had the blessing of being a camper since 2016, so for about four years now! Right now, I’m a senior in high school, so as you can guess I’m currently under the stress of college applications, the IB program, and running multiple different clubs, one of which is my parish SOYO.
The Village is truly one of my favorite places on earth, and I feel I could write endlessly as to why I love it so much. The Village offers infinite life lessons, and so I can go on for hours about what I’ve learned. I guess the main two things I’ve discovered are the beauty of having such a great group of people around you, and how these types of strong relationships, with a foundation in Christ, are some of the best relationships a person can have. What makes the Village such a great place is how sincerely genuine everyone is, and witnessing that made me want to become a more authentic, kind, loving person, and not just at camp, but when I got back home as well. The Village shows that aiming to live a Christ-like life goes a long way in making you a better person as well as bettering those around you.
There are so many experiences that I could draw from, but one consistent experience that always tends to ground me and also help guide me in life are all the one-on-ones I’ve had with counselors in the past. Each year I gained advice that comforted me and also helped lead me in the next year of my life until I returned to camp the following summer. It was moments like those that really stuck with me, and at random points in my life I would recall bits and pieces of what they said to me, and they always seemed to help me in the situation I was in. All that I took with me from those one-on-ones gave me ways to better understand life and how to live it to the fullest, and I feel I wouldn’t have gotten as far or pushed myself as much hadn’t it been for those conversations.
I want to also highlight that the community of friends I’ve built at the Village serve as a constant reminder of what makes the Village so special, and whenever I talk to them I remember the power and beauty of our faith, as that is what brought us together. Overall, the Village is such a unique experience that I feel I can only adequately describe as the embodiment of love and joy.
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Hey Antiochian Village Family,
Christ is in our midst! He is and ever shall be!
My name is Liam Boris, and just like you, I’m a villager! I was a camper in the summers of 2015 to 2019 and served as the Office Manager in 2020. I also went to WAMP a few times and was a SOYO Special Olympics Coach in 2019. As cheesy and corny as it sounds, Antiochian Village has truly become my home away from home. Although we were not able to be physically together this summer, it was a blessing through Christ that we were still able to grow and learn from one another through the Virtual Camp Program.
I have the privilege of being a proud Minnesotan! Go Gophs and Skol Vikes! My home parishes are St. Mary’s Orthodox Cathedral in Minneapolis, and St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in West Saint Paul. I currently live as a first-year student at Concordia University St. Paul, and I am working towards a B.A. in Business Management with a minor in Spanish.
My time at Antiochian Village has been nothing short of a blessing. Over the past five years, I have grown in my faith and I attribute my growth to the Village. One of my favorite parts of camp are the friendships and relationships you make with your fellow campers and your counselors. A common challenge faced by Orthodox Christians living in the United States and the Western World is that very few people know of our existence, let alone our beliefs. At Antiochian Village, we are thrown into a beautiful community where we are united together in our faith and love for Christ. As such, it is extremely freeing to speak openly at camp in knowing that we share the same values and beliefs. This openness and common faith allow an ease in building relationships that is not found outside of camp. As Christians, one of the best ways we show our love for God is to love and cherish one another. Christ Himself said that “Where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there in the midst of them,” (Matthew 18:20). As I reflect on my own relationships from the Village, I would like to give a special shout out to my hike group from Session 1, 2019: Cabins 2, 3, and 46, you are the people I am talking about here. Additionally, I would like to give a special thank you to Joseph, Zoe, and Victoria for providing us with an incredible program and final year as campers at the Village.
My experiences at Antiochian Village have really solidified my faith as an Orthodox Christian here in America. I have learned so much from the Antiochian Village Camp program, but most importantly, I have learned to not be afraid. And lastly, of course, Antiochian Village has taught me that “We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.”
I missed you all incredibly this summer, and I cannot wait to see you all at camp the next time we are together!
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Support the Village while shopping on Amazon! Choose "Antiochian Village Camp" on Amazon Smile. This will donate a portion of each purchase to camp! We appreciate your continued support!
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