In June, I went to training camp in Gainesville, Georgia to prepare for my upcoming World Race trip. This was an incredible ten days where I met my squad, grew closer to Jesus, and learned more about the next year of my life (for more details about my training camp experience, click here). Then, I spent two weeks at home before going to work at Laity Lodge Youth Camp, the place where I found Jesus as a kid. Now, LLYC, specifically Singing Hills, was different than training camp- I had a bed, actual bathrooms and showers, and there were elementary school kids running around everywhere- but Jesus was just as present at Singing Hills as He was at training camp (and air conditioning was just as absent). I learned a great deal about myself, others, and Jesus at training camp and prepared my heart for this journey but God used my summer camp to teach me even more. Throughout my four weeks as a counselor, four lessons seemed to echo in my mind. Amidst the swim times, ziplining, staff poker nights (thanks Ethan), dance parties, and the star gazing adventures (shout out again to Ethan Oliver for his knowledge and his telescope), Jesus was teaching me how to live on the World Race and more importantly, how to live as a Christ follower.
Lesson #1: It is not about me
At camp, we talked about this a lot. Many days, I simply don’t want to get dunked for the 18th time during swim time or participate in another RoundUp game that involves covering my face in shaving cream while my camper throws cereal at me (been there, done that). But, we are called to serve Jesus and share His love and as counselor, that often looks like those things. It looks like spending time with campers even when I am tired and want to talk to other adults. It means that if I can show a camper how important he or she is to God, then sure, I can get pied in the face again or take my campers swimming for the third time that day even though I want to stay as far away from the water as possible. Following Jesus requires that we die to ourselves and to selfish desires to serve Him. Now, there are far greater sacrifices in this life than working at a summer camp and giving your summer to kids but I think the mentality is what is important. I need to live with the mindset of doing all that I do to glorify God, not for myself. The World Race is not about me or my teammates, it is about the people we get to serve. It is about the ministry hosts who allow us to be a part of what they are doing in their communities. Greatest of all, it is about Jesus and doing whatever it takes to show His love to everyone we encounter.
Lesson #2: Think big picture
Sometimes things are not a big deal. However, sometimes it seems like nothing is going right that day and the thing that finally pushes one over the edge is ridiculous (like a camper eating only 2 green beans instead of 3). Now, all of a sudden, I am frustrated over something that really doesn’t matter. I have never met someone who’s salvation was hinged on one green bean. In these moments, Jesus is there to remind me and everyone else at camp that the campers are there to learn about Him and to experience His love and that is what truly matters. That is the big picture. Sometimes the little things that may frustrate us or annoy us are really not that important and if a camper has the time of his or her life while having a few slightly annoying moments, that is alright with me. The saying “don’t sweat the small stuff” comes to mind here and I think it is true. Everything isn’t always going to work out perfectly but if everyone keeps the big picture in mind, sharing the love of Jesus, then everything gets easier and a little less frustrating. On the World Race, things are going to be unpredictable. I can’t even fathom how many little things are going to go wrong in the next year of my life but if my team, and really all of Y squad just focuses on the big picture, we will be able to share the love of Jesus through any obstacle that falls in our path.
Lesson #3: Lean on your community
At Singing Hills the past four weeks, I was blessed to have the chance to work with an incredible staff that loved the Lord and one another. My Selah co-counselors (shout out to Hannah, Grace, Jordan, and Mary Beth) were wonderful partners in our cabin of soon-to-be 6th grade girls and I don’t know what I would have done without them. Everyone on girls and guys staff was wonderful to work alongside and while there were a few pranks back and forth, we also cleaned for each other, gave each other encouraging notes, and helped watch each other’s cabins so that everyone could attend the girls and guys staff hangouts. We were led by a Central Staff that was always there to talk or offer advice and helped keep camp running so we could focus on our kids. Lastly, we had our camp director, Beck Marlar and his family who served us and all the campers and families so well. We were a community that became like a family. We supported one another and whenever our co-counselor had a hard day, we would offer to watch the cabin so they could take a nap or suggest that they go spend a few minutes in the air-conditioned staff lounge. On the World Race, that community will be my squad. We have already come to know and love each other and I can only imagine how that community will continue to develop over the next year. Vulnerability is hard for me but God is easing me into this idea of leaning on my community by giving such amazing people to work with over the past month. I know that on the Race, I will have to lean on my community. I won’t be able to do everything on my own, nor does He want me to try.
Lesson #4: Go All In
This is a bit of a poker pun (shout out to Ethan Oliver again) but I find it to be fitting. Similar to lesson #1, God calls us to go all in with our campers because it is not about us. They are only at camp for 2 weeks and we want to make the best of those 2 weeks and not miss any opportunities to show them Jesus. This means giving my full energy for every activity but it also requires me to go all in emotionally. We have to be there for campers to be able to ask hard questions that they may not be able to ask anywhere else. Even when we don’t have all the answers, God calls us to listen and to trust that He will give us the words to say. On the World Race, my team and I will have to go all in with our ministry hosts and with the people we are called to serve. By going all in with God’s people, we are going all in with God and bringing ourselves closer to Him. So many incredible things can happen when we give ourselves fully to the Lord and His incredible work. It is definitely not easy but it is something to strive for. Spending 11 months going all in seems impossible but I know that God will give us rest and encouragement along the way.
This summer consisted of two very different camps but the love of Jesus was clear in both places. One thing that I constantly remind campers, mostly because I wasn’t sure about it myself as a kid, is that God is the same at camp as He is at home. God is the same at LLYC in Leakey, Texas, at training camp in Gainesville, Georgia, and everywhere across the globe. I cannot wait to encounter him all over the world in the next year.
