Written by Holland Chapek and Tiane Davis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harding University\u2019s Camp Tahkodah has been a spiritual growth experience for many people who have grown up in the Searcy, Arkansas, area. The camp, owned and operated by the University, runs on faith, fun and friendship. For many years now, kids starting at the age of 8 have been able to experience Camp Tahkodah and learn about God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been at Camp Tahkodah for [over 20] years now, so I definitely like to think it has had one of the biggest impacts in shaping who I am as a person,\u201d junior Jordan Ashmore, who has been a counselor at Camp Tahkodah for four years, said. \u201cI have gotten to grow up around some of the best Christian mentors \u2014 including adult staff and counselors \u2014 out there who have poured themselves into me for years.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ashmore said the camp has helped him grow in many aspects of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was taught the basics from a young age, and as I got older, I was taught what it takes to be not only a good person but also a good Christian,\u201d Ashmore said. \u201cI got to have deeper conversations with my counselors about how to incorporate my faith into my daily life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The camp, founded in 1931, has become a great place for people to grow and an opportunity to spread the word of God. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCamp just meant the world to me, and it was my favorite part of the year,\u201d junior Layne Pace, who has been a Tahkodah camper and counselor, said. \u201cIt was the place where I met the Lord and became the woman I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pace said that the roles of both camper and counselor hold significance and taught her in different ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs I went from camper to counselor, I began to gain a new perspective,\u201d Pace said. \u201cI started to see Camp Tahkodah as a mission field and a beautiful opportunity to be an example [in] kids\u2019 lives who are just learning who Jesus really is. To have the opportunity to serve them is so cool and beautiful. I get to have the opportunity to have young girls look up to me, like I still look up to my counselors today, because of how they changed my life. Tahkodah is a great way to get to experience God personally and also share him with other campers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The camp is located in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, which allows for a quiet campsite to enjoy daily Bible classes and activities. Tahkodah still stands with the same mission of faith that it started with when becoming a part of the University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOne of my favorite things about Tahkodah is its ability to remain constant,\u201d Ashmore said. \u201cThat\u2019s also one of my favorite things about Jesus: Jesus is timeless. He does not change with time. Camp Tahkodah has a similar quality. We like to use the word \u2018disconnect\u2019 out there because there are no phones. We get to unplug from the problems and distractions of the world and focus on our relationship with Jesus and our relationship with others.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Camp Tahkodah\u2019s \u201cno phones\u201d rule is something that a lot of its campers look forward to every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m excited to go back this year and get back into not having my phone, and being around people and just being present,\u201d freshman Nora Vaughn, who has attended Camp Tahkodah for nearly ten years and will be a counselor this summer, said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of freedom at Tahkodah to spend time with people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Camp Tahkodah has also been a place where campers can meet Harding students and get plugged into the University at a young age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy favorite thing about camp Tahkodah is 100% the people,\u201d Vaughn said. \u201cIf I didn\u2019t have Camp Tahkodah in my life or the people from Camp Tahkodah, I wouldn\u2019t be here. That\u2019s the reason I came to Harding; that\u2019s the reason I devoted myself to God.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Camp Tahkodah was not open for summer 2020, but they hope to have the cabins back open by this summer in 2021 to continue their mission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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