Reflections on Another Summer at Camp Ondessonk: A Place for Healing, Hope, and the Slow Work of God
By Tony Vrooman, Director of Communications
As another summer at Camp Ondessonk draws to a close, I find myself, as both a father and an employee of Camp Ondessonk, overwhelmed with gratitude. Gratitude for the laughter echoing through the Campgrounds, for the friendships that have taken root around campfires, and for the healing that happens quietly beneath the surface.
In a world that feels increasingly fast, loud, and anxious, Camp Ondessonk offers something rare: space. Space to unplug, breathe, and rediscover what it means to be fully human.
Jonathan Haidt, in his recent book The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, lays bare the reality that too many parents and educators are seeing firsthand:
“When you take away the play-based childhood and replace it with a phone-based childhood, you get an explosion of mental illness.”
Haidt notes that from 2010 to 2015, we began to see massive spikes in anxiety, depression, and self-harm, especially among teens, coinciding with the rise of smartphones and social media. Childhood was rewritten, subtly but profoundly, and our young people are bearing the weight of it.
But here in the woods of Southern Illinois, the story is different.
At Camp Ondessonk, kids climb actual rocks, not social ladders. They hike trails instead of scrolling timelines. They build cabins of community, not filtered Instagram personas. And most importantly, they are seen, truly seen, by counselors, by friends, by nature, and by God.
Here, we are returning to what Haidt calls a “play-based childhood,” rooted in exploration, real-world connection, and shared experience. And the effects are visible. You see it in the confident posture of a first-time camper who conquered their fear and saddled up for their first horseback trail ride. You hear it in the laughter at meals, in the quiet conversations on a sunlit trail, in the spontaneous Camp songs belted out on the trail to the Grotto.
And yet, this kind of transformation doesn’t happen overnight.
My friend and coworker Nolan Hurst shared that Camp Ondessonk embodies what Jesuit priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin once called the “Slow Work of God.” While this phrase isn’t directly attributed to Saint Noël Chabanel, his life as a North American Martyr echoes its message profoundly.
Chabanel was a gifted teacher in France who answered the call to serve in New France, the modern-day Canadian territory. But the work was hard. The language was foreign, the customs were uncomfortable, and the results were discouraging. Still, he stayed. He made a vow of stability, committing himself to his mission, even in the absence of signs of success. His perseverance and quiet faithfulness in the face of inner struggle ultimately led to martyrdom.
Chabanel’s story teaches us something essential: that transformation, whether in a missionary’s soul or a camper’s heart, takes time. It takes humility. It takes trust in the slow unfolding of God’s work.
And that is exactly what Camp does. Every summer, in ways big and small, Camp Ondessonk helps shape young people who are resilient, grounded, and faithful. Not through instant gratification, but through patient formation, through joy, challenge, and community. It is a sacred, slow work.
As a father, I’m deeply grateful that my children have been part of this place. As a camping professional, I’m honored to help share its story. And as a believer, I’m hopeful, because I know that even in an anxious world, there are places like Camp Ondessonk still choosing love over fear, presence over performance, and faith over immediacy.
As we pack away memories, store gear, and close the books on another summer, let’s not forget the work God is doing here. It may be slow. It may be quiet. But it is good.
And it is exactly what this generation needs.
Click here to learn more about Camp Ondessonk Summer Camp Programs.
