I left my heart in Mineral, Washington

Raise your hand if know where Mineral, Washington is? I couldn’t give you directions to save my life, but I fell in love there.  I fell in love at a place where countless boys and girls across the world find love, camp (Pleasant Valley Christian Camp to be exact. Ran by my youth pastors). But I didn’t fall in love with “Mr. Right” like most people think they do when they go to camp, I fell in love with God and His plan for my life all over again.

I left last Sunday to be a camp counselor for a week. I was a sister/friend/mentor/etc. for nine girls all week and let me tell you, I’m exhausted. Like the exhausted where every emotion makes you cry; and my tear ducts have even dried up over the last year. My girls spanned the spectrum of middle school students and it was a hard group to juggle. But I looked at it like this, God has put a desire and a fire in my heart to serve middle school and high school students and this week was a glimpse into what my future holds.

The first struggle was figuring out how to relate to each girl in a group setting. Each of them was so beautifully unique, and had their own set of issues they were working through that I needed to hear and help. We laughed and cried and I hope that we came out on the other end for the better.

The challenge at hand seemed daunting and overwhelming, but I wasn’t alone. I am so blessed to live for a God that gives us what we need. The other counselors there were so encouraging and willing to help. I was one of the only counselors without a co-counselor and had the biggest cabin. It was so cool to know that I didn’t have a partner in crime because my youth pastors trusted me and we had more campers than anticipated, but still overwhelming at times. Then, I injured myself and needed a better pair of shoes which led to the rest of my family coming up. I needed my parents so bad at that moment. My girls were being less than cooperative and my foot hurt and it was Wednesday and I think you get the drift. My heroic sister Stephanie offered to stay with me the rest of the week as my co-counselor. God knew that I needed extra support and sent my sister.

Stephanie toughed it out for the night and my mom came up the next day to bring us extra supplies and was able to take one of our interns into town because he hurt his foot. If my wonderful mommy hadn’t been there we would have lost two staff, not just one. God was so evident at camp in everything. I watched my girls drop their walls and face issues that had been plaguing them for years. I watched people become friends who didn’t even know each other when their week at camp started; I became friends with people I hardly knew when the week started. I spent the week relying solely on God. I met young men who restored my faith in boys everywhere. Most importantly I was reaffirmed in what I felt God has been calling me to do. I left camp physically drained, but emotionally full. I will be spending the rest of my life impacting teenagers for Christ. I’m so excited and I can’t even begin to put into words for you all. God has put a fire in my belly to change the world and that fire is fueling me every day!

Things I want to do:

~ Become a youth pastor

~ Run a place for the students in my local community to feel safe

~ Open a camp for girls where they can learn that they are beautiful because that is the way God made them, not because of some dumb worldly standard

~ RELY ON GOD EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE

Some of the most beautiful people I've ever met worshipping with their whole hearts