Another summer of fun at Roseau River Bible Camp

The Roseau River Bible Camp was an integral part of Jessica Knelsen’s childhood, and she wants it to be a core memory for her daughters, too.

Knelsen’s eldest daughter, nine-year-old Sophia, is preparing for her third trip to Roseau River, about an hour from the United States border, and this summer’s camp couldn’t have come at a more critical time in their lives.

Last fall, Knelsen escaped an abusive four-year relationship fraught with domestic violence. Short on the necessary funds to afford an apartment, she spent three months surfing the couches of family members and close friends with her youngest, three-year-old Kacey Glowacki, while she relied on her former in-laws to help with Sophia.

It was nothing short of a blessing when Knelsen finally found an apartment that she and her daughters could settle into in December. However, now a single mother of two, financial restraints became a barrier to sending Sophia to a summer experience she’s grown fond of over the last few years.

Despite the challenges she faced, Knelsen was steadfast on making it work.

“At the end of the day, really, it all comes down to faith. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen the next day. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to send her to camp. But I always say to myself, ‘If God can take care of the birds and the bees, why would he not take care of me?’ So I knew we were going to be OK because I had faith,” Knelsen said.

“That’s when the Sunshine program came into my life, and I was like, ‘Yes, thank you, God. You are good.’”

The Sunshine Fund aided 603 children in attending one of the 31 accredited camps across Manitoba and northwestern Ontario last summer, and the organization expects that number to eclipse 700 this year.

Shortly after applying for this summer’s camp, Knelsen received an email about the financial support offered through the Sunshine Fund. It was yet another blessing for Knelsen, who was afforded an avenue to give her daughter another incredible experience on the heels of their life being turned upside down.

“I did a lot of praying, and by God’s grace, I found out about the Sunshine Program, so I applied for it,” she said. “I didn’t think I was going to get it, and they accepted it, and that’s part of the reason why she’s going to camp.”

Knelsen spent eight summers at Roseau River as a kid and credits it for being a big reason why her faith is so strong today.

“The activities were great — the horsemanship, the swimming, the archery, the riflery, that kind of stuff. But the kids, the people that you meet and their walks of life, like you’re getting people all over Manitoba,” she said.

“The connections, the worship, was amazing. It was really soul-touching, even as a kid. The emotions that you’d feel, it was pretty beautiful.”

She wants the same experience for her daughters.

Young Sophia, who’s been raised in her mother’s faith, has grown increasingly interested in learning more about her religion, too. Knelsen said she believes it is beneficial for her daughter to learn more about the story of God beyond home.

“I wanted them to get to know Christ in a fun way that I did,” Knelsen said.

“I had a lot of questions when I was a kid, and the camp, it had some really good leaders that were able to answer my questions in an age-appropriate way.”

Knelsen said her youngest will also go to bible camp when she is old enough. She’s already seen what it’s done for Sophia.

“She’s a kid, right? She loves the activities. That’s a big part of her highlights, but she does talk about the songs, and, ‘Mom, I learned this Bible verse,’ and, ‘I remembered,’ and so that’s a big part for me is just the fact that she’s memorizing the Bible,” she said.

“And then we can talk about it later, and I can kind of explain it to her in different terms, what she read and what she memorized.”

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