The time went on in Jeffrey’s Bay, and I watched my teammates spend countless hours trying to meet up with the campers they bonded with. They had invested in the kids and had been changed by the kids. It blew my mind.
I didn’t have a single kid who I felt I needed to continue getting to know because I hadn’t gotten to know any of them well. I wasn’t upset about missing out. I knew I had done my part at the camp, but I didn’t actually believe it was the best use of my time.
Then one night my team had a meltdown. By this, I just mean we all got really frustrated with one another and needed to talk it out. Our ministry host, Anthea, volunteered to mediate our conversation. We were sitting upstairs in her house speaking about how we felt. When I shared, our host asked me a question I can’t remember. I answered and some sort of exchange happened.
The next things I remember clearly was her talking to me about camp. She began to talk about the very first night when everything was hard. She said something along these lines:
“You surprised me. You stepped up and handled the situation. You told the kids where they needed to stand and to wait because you were going to get them food. You told them where to go and what to do. You commanded the situation, and you did it with light. You stood out as a leader, and you loved those kids and the kitchen staff in the way you did it.”
She continued:
“Later on when everyone was sick you interrupted it to see what was going on with the boys on your team. I was impressed. Afterward, I told Clint (the head of the camp) to watch out for you. You are focused and tenacious…”
I began to cry as she told me this. It was the first time I actually felt like I did something useful at the camp. Someone needed to stand in that doorway handing out food. Someone needed to make sure things went smoothly in that moment and in the moments after that while we were handing out food. The other girls who worked in the kitchen and I were those people. God placed us in the kitchen for a reason. We were a part of building foundations at Camp Turning Point.
In retrospect, Alysa was right. I did need to stay at the camp with the other campers. I spent that day cleaning the kitchen and teaching some French and some Spanish while I cleaned. I gave three toddlers sticks and taught them to have sword fights to keep them occupied. I gave another toddler paper and markers to color with to keep her occupied. I had a Taylor Swift dance party with the rest of the team, and I had the opportunity to hang around Skopie and learn about all of her foster kids. None of that would have happened if I was preparing for the banquet.
I realize now that I may not have gotten to know any of the kids on a deep level, but I do know I was part of building foundations in the kids’ lives.
If I wasn’t in the kitchen, someone’s would have been, and some kids wouldn’t have gotten to know their leaders as well. I also got to minister to the women who were serving in the kitchen and to their children. It isn’t where I felt I was doing the best, but God placed me there for a reason. For that reason, I am glad I was about to assist His work from behind the scenes.
