2,300 miles from Clear Creek Baptist Bible College, Camp Joy is nestled into the Mammoth Mountain area of Northern California.

Camp Joy came about after churches in the area realized that instead of traveling hundreds of miles to their associational campgrounds, the local denominations could share a campground. More than 30 years later, children and students continue to attend Camp Joy in the summer.

Clear Creek students Matt and Robin Fisher are from Bishop, California and used to take their youth group to Camp Joy. For summer 2018, they took five Clear Creek students back with them on a mission trip to be counselors and lead breakout sessions for teen camp, an experience that counts as class credit for the students.

For three of the students it was their first time on a plane and even first time out of state on a mission trip. Senior Cody Simpkins, who went to Camp Joy in 2017 as a counselor and speaker for Camp Joy, enjoyed the opportunity to take these students on a trip of many firsts.

“Going halfway across the country was unique for them,” said Simpkins.

Simpkins and sophomore Jacob Blair were counselors for a cabin of young men.

“We did class time every morning and quiet time every night,” said Simpkins. “There was a two-day period where each person from Clear Creek did a breakout session and that was a more in-depth session in the word of God.”

Robin Fisher’s breakout sessions were a special time for her as she was able to take what she has learned as a student and share it with youth close to her heart.

“I taught two breakout sessions,” said Robin Fisher. “The first one was spiritual disciplines and then the second one I talked about the parable of the lost coin and our value to Christ.”

For the Fishers, the experience was also a family ministry—they brought their three children with them.

“We like taking our kids and having them be involved in ministry with us,” said Robin Fisher.

“It shows them they are a part of our ministry, they are not only a ministry we have in our lives … but to have them join in ministry with us is important.”

The Fishers’ 9-year-old daughter, Ruby, took the trip seriously.

“…Ruby shared her faith with a man on the airplane on our way home because she realized that was a job of hers because she was on mission with us,” said Robin Fisher. “They weren’t just sitting idly by; they were on mission with us.”