Interfaith Camp Successful Again At Elk Shoals By Fawn Roark The third annual interfaith camp was held at Elk Shoals United Methodist Camp last week where 16 Christians, Jews and Muslims met together to learn about one another and to learn how to trust others of different faiths or beliefs. The trust fall was a group activity that helped to teach the children how to trust one another. This group of boys spent time together last week at Elk Shoals United Methodist Camp learning about one another and how to trust each other. Photos by Fawn Roark Boys from Ashe County, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Israel, Africa, Charlotte, Greensboro, who all live in North Carolina now came to participate in the camp that group officials said went very well. The children participated in all kinds of activities at the camp and learned a lot about other cultures and how to understand one another. “We have just had our third successful year and now we are looking forward to our first girls’ camp that is coming up. The purpose of this camp is to teach these children how to trust each other and how to promote peace and understanding of each other,” Director Pete Parish of Elk Shoals United Methodist Camp explained. The first camp was the subject of a documentary that won the Vision Award at the RiverRun International Film Festival and will soon be shown on television networks including Showtime and possibly others. The film will be shown at the Ashe Civic Center on Sept. 20th tentatively scheduled for 2 p.m. Parish decided to do that first camp following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th and how tensions followed between Christians, Jews and Muslims. The film shows the 32 boys, ages 9 to 13, arriving with doubts about each other and getting past their fears through activities and time spent together at the camp. Each of the camp leaders seemed very pleased with the camp this year as well. “I feel like they are accomplishing big things here. I think I feel like in these times what they are doing is wonderful because it helps our future,” Marsha Moore, who will also be helping with the girl’s camp, explained. “Learning about other people’ religions and respecting them without criticism or hating them. I feel very comfortable with this because I know this is creating a web of awareness and that helps ensure my future.” Local camp counselor Tom Dentino said he and his son have attended the camp twice and both times they each have learned a lot. “These children walking away from this camp ready for the future because they know how to deal with diversity and how to embrace it. All of them walk away knowing about Muslims, Jews and Christians. It’s not a mystery to them and they understand others now. I feel good about it. There is no segregation here. You can’t tell who is who by looking about because they all spend time together with each other.” Counselor Mansour Alqahtanu also only had good things to say of the camp experience. “This is a very good opportunity because they can all come together and learn to understand each other. We cannot have peace unless we accept one another’s differences,” Alqahtanu explained. “All religions accept diversity. No religion says be in our religion or you have no right in this world. This is a very good place here. It is good to be away from the city and the noise. I have enjoyed it.” Counselor Jeremy Block said he also enjoyed the experience and thought it was a very good project. “It has been a good week. It is really nice to see people so open-minded. It is easy to get in that mindset here where everyone is so accepting when they are surrounded by a group like this. The things that are going here are great – it’s just the kids working together and learning more about themselves, their own religion and other religions. These kids are having fun and the whole camp is great. It’s great exposure for the kids and it a very cool thing.” For more information about the camp, call Elk Shoals at 336-877-4607. • “I liked this camp. It’s really fun here. Next year I want to come back. I think it will be even more fun next year even though it’s very great now.” Matthew Rupard, 11, Jefferson   • “I learned a lot of things at this camp. You learn that some hard tasks are not so hard after you try it. All hard courses - you need a friend and no one gets hurt on dangerous courses if you do it right. You need friends to do most of the ropes course.” Jared Abramwit, 9, Charlotte   • “At the camp, I learned that people of different religions and faiths are no different than me and can be trusted. I came here with prejudices and I learned here that other people who seem different are really the same as us.” Brandon Weil, 13, Charlotte   • “I learned two things. When you are afraid, instead of giving up go ahead and try. The first day I came here I thought other people would be mean to me, but I found out that everyone was really nice. I learned that you have to trust in people. We also learned a lot about other people’s religions instead of just one.” Gasser Elsayed, 11, High Point   • “I learned to appreciate family. We should appreciate them now while they are still here because one day they will be gone. It was fairly exciting, the camp was, but I missed my mother.” Izak Gainer, 11, Matthews   • “When I came to camp, I had fun. I learned that you have to make friends and respect them. I also learned that this camp is good and great.” Abdelrahman Ali, 10, Greensboro   • “You don’t judge a person just because you don’t know them.” Aaron Snyder, Charlotte   • “The camp was really fun. My favorite part was the trust fall. I learned that friendship is very important and you need them to go on in life. You have to have friends to make it through life. I also learned about other religions.” Yusef Benallal, 10, High Point   • “I learned about religion and trusting in people.” Rasak Tijani, 12, Greensboro   • “I learned that you don’t have to be the same to have fun. I liked this camp and I hope I come again. I had lots of fun and learned true trust.” Deen Clark, 10, Kernersville   • “I learned to have a lot of trust in your friends.” Thomas Dintino, 10,   • “I learned that you have got to trust people. You get scared, but you have to do it. Here we also learned about the trees, animals and stuff instead of playing video games or watching television. It was good. I liked this camp because there are a whole lot of activities like the wall. You get to climb the wall with a rope. It’s fun.” Omar Hussien, 11, Greensboro   • “I learned that you can still have fun at camp, even if it rains – just not as much.” John Wooten, 12, Lansing   • “The camp was fun and I learned that it is important to be trustful and to trust one another.” Aowd Ali, Greensboro   • I stayed at this camp two years ago and even though I learned the culture and prayers of other religions last time, I still had a lot more to learn this time.” Kareem Clark, Greensboro, 14, Jr Counselor