By ADAM STEWART

Staff writer

Campers at Southern District Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches Junior Camp in Hillsboro have a multitude of activities at their disposal, including cooking classes, sports, swimming, quilting classes, water games, and building a miniature golf course.

But the activities aren’t the best part of the camp for some campers.

“My favorite part is ‘modtime’ because you basically get to hang out in your dorm,” Tatum Nevins of Phoenix said.

Nevins, who had the longest trip to get to Junior Camp, said she likes getting to know other campers.

Several other campers agreed, saying they keep in touch with friends from camp during the rest of the year.

“I feel really excited to see them again,” third-year camper AnnaMarie Wilkin of Denver said.

Junior Camp provides opportunities to do things she doesn’t ordinarily do, she said. Wilkin and other campers made puppy chow and cotton candy in a cooking class Thursday.

“I really like cooking class because it’s so much fun,” Wilkin said.

Third-year camper Wyatt Dickinson of Newton said he will miss Junior Camp next summer.

“At least I get to go to Junior High Camp next year,” he said.

Junior Camp is for children in grades four through six, camp director Russ Claassen said. The camp is always held on Tabor College’s campus. This year the camp had 264 campers and 60 counselors. Junior Camp began Tuesday and ended Saturday.

The purpose of Junior Camp is to help children connect more with Jesus, he said, and getting them out of their normal routine helps.