Why I Spend My Summers the Way I Do
Hey people!
Today I wanted to talk about something that’s close to my heart...the beautifully challenging job I have working at New Life Camp. Something I have been asked before, and many of my co workers have as well, is the question, “Why do you continue to return to a job at a summer camp when there are so many higher paying jobs or internships you could interview for?” This is a valid question and quite honestly has a simple answer. Jesus.
When I was in middle school, I attended New Life Camp for the first time and since then it’s been a key part of many aspects of my life such as school, sports, and most importantly my spiritual growth. Growing up in a christian family has exposed me to the gospel my entire life and my amazing parents have done a great job leading me towards Jesus. But New Life Camp was one of the first places where I saw a large group of people on fire for Christ. I wanted to live with the same passion and perseverance I saw within my teachers, coaches, and summer camp counselors.
The summer before my junior year of high school (2019), I had the wonderful opportunity to join the very staff I had looked up to for many years. Throughout the nine weeks I was able to spend, training, serving, and sharing the gospel alongside these radically different and genuinely loving people, I grew so much. In any job it’s important to serve with positivity, but there’s a huge difference between positivity and love. In my experience working at camp, that difference is Christ. The way Christ worked through each one of the staff members in their different jobs was apparent and amazing. I know each camper left that summer with at least one memory of being loved by people who love Jesus. Serving on a camp staff is no easy job and quite honestly, we all would not have survived the summer if we didn’t have each other and our shared love for Christ.
So when people ask me why I still work here despite the trials and challenges, the answer is that serving and seeing evidence of how God is working in camper’s lives because of the work the staff puts in is something I can’t find anywhere else. Seeing a child’s eyes light up when they finally grasp a bible story, crying with joy during conversations with campers because they decide they want to follow Christ, or praying with a student over their life and spiritual journey before they return home are moments that are so powerful words don’t do them justice. Other jobs can offer wordly opportunities, but this job walks campers and staff towards eternal life.
When I was in middle school, I attended New Life Camp for the first time and since then it’s been a key part of many aspects of my life such as school, sports, and most importantly my spiritual growth. Growing up in a christian family has exposed me to the gospel my entire life and my amazing parents have done a great job leading me towards Jesus. But New Life Camp was one of the first places where I saw a large group of people on fire for Christ. I wanted to live with the same passion and perseverance I saw within my teachers, coaches, and summer camp counselors.
The summer before my junior year of high school (2019), I had the wonderful opportunity to join the very staff I had looked up to for many years. Throughout the nine weeks I was able to spend, training, serving, and sharing the gospel alongside these radically different and genuinely loving people, I grew so much. In any job it’s important to serve with positivity, but there’s a huge difference between positivity and love. In my experience working at camp, that difference is Christ. The way Christ worked through each one of the staff members in their different jobs was apparent and amazing. I know each camper left that summer with at least one memory of being loved by people who love Jesus. Serving on a camp staff is no easy job and quite honestly, we all would not have survived the summer if we didn’t have each other and our shared love for Christ.
So when people ask me why I still work here despite the trials and challenges, the answer is that serving and seeing evidence of how God is working in camper’s lives because of the work the staff puts in is something I can’t find anywhere else. Seeing a child’s eyes light up when they finally grasp a bible story, crying with joy during conversations with campers because they decide they want to follow Christ, or praying with a student over their life and spiritual journey before they return home are moments that are so powerful words don’t do them justice. Other jobs can offer wordly opportunities, but this job walks campers and staff towards eternal life.
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