When a Ropes Course Can Help Build Cultural Bridges
by the Rev. John Hill
I was the new director of Cathedral Ridge for all of two weeks in May of 2023 when I discovered a hole early in our summer camp schedule. As I was hurriedly staffing up for the entire summer of programs for children and families, I realized that no plans had been laid for one particular program stretch. I had to come up with something, and fast. Summer is notably short in the high country (Cathedral Ridge sits about 30 miles north of Pike’s Peak), and foregoing so many days of a quality camp experience did not sit well with me. I had been a camp director previously in another diocese, so having a full program was important.
An idea came from my previous position as rector at St. Philip and St. James, Denver. The parish in suburban southwest Denver had welcomed members of the area’s Sudanese community seeking a new church home. Over time, St. PJ’s (as it is familiarly known) fully incorporated the families from the war-torn nation of Sudan into worship, Sunday school, and leadership. Why not, I thought, invite them to enjoy a Colorado mountain-top experience at the diocesan camp and retreat center?
The response was positive and enthusiastic. Within weeks of assuming the role of camp director, my staff and I helped to welcome 10 Sudanese adults and 15 of their children, ranging in age from 4 months to 11 years. They arrived at Cathedral Ridge on June 29 and were joined for four days of camp activities by one of our Cathedral Ridge board members, Erica Pomerenk, along with her husband and children.
Typical camp activities occupied the kids and their parents during those summer days. Some had never been hiking before. Archery and the ropes course challenged youth and adults alike. An informal soccer game on the camp’s open field clearly suited many participants, as “football” is a huge sport for the Sudanese. Stretching out on a hammock was also popular. And who doesn’t like s’mores around a campfire?
Although these children are growing up in Denver, spending nights in the woods was scary for some. Their parents were more familiar with outdoor living, admittedly in less comfortable circumstances. Many endured years of conflict and displacement in their home country as the Khartoum government carried out two decades of war against its Christian and animist minorities. One of the camp participants, David Deng, now a husband and father, fled from the terror as one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan.” He escaped on foot along with thousands of Nuer and Dinka children orphaned by the war and left to fend for themselves. David resettled in the U.S. in July 2001.
“The kids were happy,” David told me of his camp experience at Cathedral Ridge. He added his wife, Aker, and daughter, Deng Thiong, “loved it.”
We were fortunate to have Erika and her family join us for this unique time. Their daughter Beatrice especially liked the ropes course and says she looks forward to seeing her Sudanese friends again at Family Camp in 2024.
I know that keeping a supportive community alive is critical for these Sudanese folks in a new country and working in new jobs. During their camp experience, the parents were able to set aside time for sharing and connecting. The families participated in worship services while at camp, including Morning Prayer. They led their own music, using drums and other instruments, and then shared the meaning with the rest of us. Maintaining a faith connection has been a lifeline for many who were also once active in The Episcopal Church in South Sudan.
Plans are now underway for a second year of a similar camp experience at Cathedral Ridge. With more time to prepare, we will be offering a multi-cultural week where Episcopalians from Sudanese and Latino backgrounds can come together. Cathedral Ridge wrote off the costs of the program in 2023. However, grant funding is being pursued to underwrite a week in 2024, and families will be asked to provide a modest buy-in of $50.
I’m told David Deng hopes he can return to Cathedral Ridge with his family again. However, he is hesitant, but not because he didn’t enjoy his experience. Tragically, after surviving the trauma as one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan,” David was the victim of a shooting when he relocated to the U.S. He is now confined to a wheelchair. Although some rooms at Cathedral Ridge can accommodate folks with disabilities, David was not completely at ease with the shower arrangements. Among the many structural improvements on schedule for Cathedral Ridge are improved accommodations for persons with disabilities.
I am confident Cathedral Ridge is headed for growth and making such improvements in the coming years. As we reach new and diverse people, we want to build a robust camp and retreat center for the Episcopal Church in Colorado that will meet the needs of all.
THE REV. JOHN HILL is the Vicar & Executive Director of Cathedral Ridge.
For more about the experiences of the Lost Boys of Sudan and Sudanese Christians, see:
God Grew Tired of Us: a Memoir, by John Bul Dau, 2007.
The Tenth Parallel: Dispatches from the Fault Line between Christianity and Islam, by Eliza Griswold, 2010.
The Episcopal Church of South Sudan, https://southsudan.anglican.org/
Nancy Kinney contributed to this article.
