Communication and Camp Pictures

Communication from Cross Trails Ministry
Cross Trails Ministry will primarily communicate with parents by email. Cross Trails Ministry will call parents if there are immediate health or behavioral concerns to share.

Email will come from info@crosstrails.org. Please make sure that it is not going to your spam filter.

We recommend that parents sign up for Bunk1 text alerts from Cross Trails in order to facilitate quick communication from camp. This summer, these will be used only for emergencies, arrival or departure changes, or COVID exposure notifications.

To receive text messages, set up a Bunk1 account or sign into your existing account. If you are a new camp family and have not used Bunk1, use the Invitation Code: 24CROSS and fill out all the required information. You can download the Bunk1 app or connect through our link.

You do not have to purchase anything. If you wish, you can skip the bundles and scroll to the bottom and select the “choose photo gallery access only – $0.00” selection.

Once in your Bunk1 account, go to account settings and turn on “receive SMS notifications”.  You will receive a text message saying that you have opted to receive text updates from Cross Trails Ministry.

 

Contacting Your Camper
We encourage camper families to contact their campers during their stay. However, non-emergency visits or phone calls are disruptive to the camp program. So please plan to write letters or email your camper.

In Case of Emergency

If Your Camper is at Camp Chrysalis:
In case of emergency, please call (830) 257-6340. If you call during non-business hours, leave a message. If there is a life or death emergency after 11 pm, call our Health Center at (830) 792-4868.

If Your Camper is at Ebert Ranch Camp:
In case of emergency, please call (830) 864-4669. If you call during non-business hours, leave a message. If there is a life or death emergency after 11 pm, call Megan Myers at (281) 948-5493 or the Chrysalis Health Center at (830) 792-4868.

If Your Camper is at Puerto Rico Journey:
In case of emergency, please call the Cross Trails Ministry Office at (830) 257-6340 or Rev. Katie Wegner at (210) 416-3059.

Letters & Packages
Some parents choose to write letters and postcards prior to the camp week, and leave them with the camp staff to distribute. If you would like to write to your camper from home, please mail very early. Faxes to campers will not be accepted.

Write to:

For Chrysalis Campers:

(Camper Name and Program)
Camp Chrysalis
391 Upper Turtle Creek Rd.
Kerrville, TX 78028

For Ebert Campers:

(Camper Name and Program)
Ebert Ranch Camp
30700 RR 385
Harper, TX 78631

Email
Campers can receive email! Email to campers will be printed out each morning and delivered at lunch or dinner depending on the program schedule. Please know that email is not private and may be viewed by camp staff who sort mail prior to email distribution.

We use a system to regulate our email to protect us from viruses and to help cover the cost of printing each email to pass it along to the camper. To email your camper, you’ll need to set up a Bunk1 account. You can download the Bunk1 app or connect through our link.

If you are a returning camp family, you can just sign in.
If you are a new camp family and have not used Bunk1, use the Invitation Code: 24CROSS and fill out all the required information.

To Send an Email

  • Use a credit card to purchase Bunk Note credits.
  • Send an email to your camper! Be sure to direct the email to the site or program of your camper.

To Receive Email Replies
Campers are not allowed to use a computer or cell phone to reply to emails, but campers can reply using stationery purchased through Bunk1.

  • Purchase credits through Bunk1 using the same process as you would to send Camper Email
  • Use the credits for Bunk Reply Stationery
  • Print and send this stationery with your camper to camp or include it in an email you send to them
  • Campers will hand write replies and give them to camp staff
  • Camp staff will send the reply to Bunk1 and it will be uploaded to your Bunk1 Account

If you are purchasing stationery, please let campers know you would like them to fill it out. It is not the camp’s responsibility to make sure your camper fills out the Bunk Reply.

Online Photos 
Parents will be able to view online photos of camp during the week. Photos of each day will be updated by noon for viewing the next day. Puerto Rico Journey photos may take a bit longer to upload due to internet capabilities.  To view pictures, you will need to set up a Bunk1 account. Please follow the instructions under camper email. You can view photos for free by selecting the option to view online photos only.  This option is listed at the end of the bundles section.  Each high quality photo download is $0.99. You may also purchase photo gifts at their website.

For your camper’s safety, pictures are password protected. The password will be emailed to your family email the week before your camp session. Please add info@crosstrails.org as a contact to ensure that it is not caught in your spam filter.

Photos, as well as Bunk Notes and Bunk Replies, can be viewed easily on the Bunk1 mobile app. You can also upload a photo of your camper and Bunk1’s facial recognition system can alert you every time a photo of your camper is uploaded.