An Identity Rooted in Mutual Love

Mountain Friends Camp is a place that has had open arms for me from age 11, to my current age of 24, and I know that it will still be a place for me to return to and learn from until I’m 90! The sweet branches of the MFC community reach far and wide in my life. This past year, I visited a dear friend in Sweden, whom I met my very first year of camp. I always run into old camp friends (of all ages!) when I attend IMYM, and I am reminded of the echo of MFC joy that lives in me every time I sing around a campfire, go for a hike with a friend, or smell a ponderosa pine. MFC was not the first place I learned of the Quaker Testimonies, but it was the first place I felt like I had the everyday encouragement and opportunity to put them into practice.

If we suppose that learning Quaker values is akin to learning a new language, then attending Mountain Friends Camp is like going to an immersion camp. It is a rare and special experience to be immersed in a community of shared values. At MFC we start sessions creating norms as an entire camp. We go through each Quaker testimony, Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship, and discuss how each one can relate to everyday ways of treating each other. For simplicity, someone might volunteer “Only take what you need” and for community someone might say “Be inviting to new friends”. We start off camp by empowering each other to create the community we want to foster.

Going to camp for the first time was a milestone of independence and interdependence. It was a lesson early on of the kind of community in which I thrive and how a community can care for itself and the world. I have kept that lesson with me as I chose my college, my jobs, and the cities I have lived in. As I grew out of being a camper I have been proud to grow into roles of responsibility and leadership at MFC. Whether as a camper, a counselor-in-training, a counselor, support staff, volunteer, donor, or parent, every person makes the community a place that feels like home.

Mountain Friends Camp is a safe place to be a Quaker and a safe place to not be a Quaker. MFC was essential in forming my identity as a Quaker not only through the values implemented in camp but also the sense of freedom and autonomy to come to my own conclusions about what being Quaker meant to me.

The lessons I learned at camp and the simple everyday implementations of the quaker testimonies are something that I have carried with me through my life. My mom has liked to comment on how when me and my brothers returned from MFC we were always so good about doing our dishes because at camp after every meal we wash our dishes and oftentimes help do the kitchen’s dishes too. Through camp, I developed a deep love for the outdoors, long-term friendships, and intergenerational connections. These experiences helped me see the true importance of performing acts of service for others.

I believe that investing in communities like MFC is essential for supporting Quaker youth. As an adolescent, it is vital to have a space created by and for your peers—a place where you can build a long-lasting identity rooted in mutual love. D

Nicola Gacy grew up attending Boulder Friends Meeting in Colorado and now lives in Minnesota. She loves to craft, learn new instruments, and go on bike rides around the many lakes in Minneapolis. She currently works as a caregiver and nanny.