Who would have thought visiting a camp for a recruiting assignment would turn out to be one of the most thought-provoking and moving weeks I've ever experienced?

Two weeks ago, I traveled up to Hubbardston, Mass. to go to the Ron Burton Training Village. It's an all boy camp that targets troubled youth--about 120 guys every year. RBTV is kind of a sports/Bible/motivational camp run by the Burton family.

The camp was founded in the 80s by Ron Burton (a former Patriots player) who passed a few years ago. Some come from as far as California and Ohio, but most are from Mass. For some of the guys it was their first year, but others have been coming back to the camp for a number of years. For some high school seniors, it was their seventh year. Every morning these guys wake up and run 7 miles for 5 weeks straight.  It was pretty impressive.   I ran the first day I got there.  I consider myself to be in pretty good shape.  This run was quite a challenge.  Through the woods, up a mountain, down a straight road.  The run was pretty representative of life, if you ask me. 

The camp challenges these young men physically, mentally, and spiritually.  It challenges them to look beyond their current situation and to develop goals for the future.  I heard a few of them say "when you write a dream down it becomes a goal"...I believe they will all obtain their goals.  Hopefully, we were able to help them make one of those dreams serving in the United States Army.