How to Level Up with MYNA (Spring Camp 2022)

MYNA is well known for the camps that bring people together, compatriots united in the pursuit of becoming better Muslims. Recently, the spring camp of 2022 took place, and once again, the camps were a hit. Campers told their parents about all the friends they made, things they did, the usual stuff. However, both behind and on the scenes, the Spring Camp Committee members worked tirelessly to make sure the camp came to fruition and things ran smoothly. What was the entire experience like, from their point of view?

Adam Belayadi, who served on the committee for the Pacific camp, kept it real. “Spring camp was very different than what I’m used to...Everything is going fast so you have to be on top of everything,” he commented. As compared to the winter camps, where the camp lasts for a memory-filled week where you get to become close to a tight community, the spring camp lasts for a minuscule amount of time. It’s extremely difficult for a person to fit so much in about a day, which Adam managed to contribute to. It even helped his growth as a person. He added, “I never knew being a leader could be so hard!” The camps had a lot of indoor and outdoor activities. Some of the activities included archery and other sports. There was also a lot of chanting, such as MYNA’s famous “Everywhere We Go” chant. There was such a variety that at times, it would be hard to communicate with the campers easily if they weren’t a fan of the activity. The camp really was a great place for people to have up-front experience with planning, executing, and building while cultivating leadership skills to show off later in life.

When all was said and done, camp went pretty well.

All said and done, the campers had lots of fun at MYNA. A camper who chose to remain anonymous in the interview was from the South Central region. She stated, “I was really nervous about camp and being away from my family. Like, where do I find comfort in this place?” She went on to talk about how she still ended up having a great time at the camp. She added that the one criticism she had about the spring camp was that it was quite short, which led to me recommending the week-long winter camp. Click here for a recap of our most recent winter camp!

As for personal growth, the wonderful people running the camp had a survey which evaluated the spiritual growth and overall enjoyment at the spring camp. From before to after the camp, there was a 10 percent increase in people believing they could turn to Allah and the Qur’an. Additionally, there was a 5 percent increase in belief that religious beliefs were very important, 8 percent increase in making prayer a top priority, and a 10 percent increase of people believing that they could turn to the Qur’an and Sunnah to solve problems within their own lives. This displays how campers were changed in such a short amount of time to be able to turn to religion in times of need. As for the comfort they felt at the camp and similar topics, over 94 percent were satisfied with their counselor, while 90 percent liked the food and 88 percent enjoyed the free time. Overall, the camp stimulated a lot of personal and spiritual growth while also providing a comfortable environment to learn and grow in.

In conclusion, the people who ran the camp came out of it with work experience as a smarter, harder-working person than they were heading into the camp. As for campers, it can make them start to feel comfortable away from home and loved ones, a skill that must be developed as they grow up. Of course, there were also Islamic lessons taught through lovely speakers who put their time aside to educate the youth, a noble deed to do. This is exactly how the MYNA experience makes a person grow.