This weeks blog post is from Soph Anderson. She’s one of our Day Camp counselors and this is her first full summer here at Beulah! Here’s her thoughts on what camp has looked like so far:
” It’s only week two and this job has given me highs, lows, and everything in between. From the moment they called the name of my first girl on day one I was excited to be in this position to serve the kids, the camp and most importantly a perfect God. I was first brought to Beulah Beach last summer to volunteer for a week with no idea that I would be handed a clipboard with a list of girls who were my responsibility for a whole week. In overwhelming fear, I prayed. I didn’t think I was spiritually prepared to lead them or mentally prepared to love them or even physically prepared to keep up with them. I had never even stepped foot on the Beulah grounds until the day before campers came. But as He always does, God provided, maybe not how I asked Him to, but definitely how I needed Him to. By the end of the week I shed tears at the thought of leaving those girls and knew that there was no way I could just walk from all I had experienced. And suddenly I had no hesitation to apply and devote my following summer to leading these kids closer to Jesus.
He continues to provide upon me being hired as a full-time Day Camp Counselor this summer. Something really important to me when it comes to my campers is not letting them slip through the crack. Some kids are a lot more outgoing than others, which is wonderful, but sometimes it leads to the quieter personalities being hidden in the background. Everyday I try to disperse attention and conversation with all of them so that not only do they feel seen but so that they each feel loved. In just this short time I have experienced moments of overwhelming stress because of things inside and outside of camp but just as quick as I doubt my strength, God reminds me of His. Whether it’s through a heartfelt note from a camper or something as simple as getting through a whole meal without someone needing to go to the bathroom, I take these reminders with thanks and remember why I love this.
Kids are so much smarter than we give them credit for. They are wiling to ask the hard questions because curiosity is how they learn and I absolutely love that. I love to listen to them because sometimes they just need comfort in knowing someone hears them. But more than I love listening to them, I love telling them about their God who is always listening, even when they feel most alone, scared, or sad. He wants to hear from them, and I am so blessed to get to teach them not just by instructing them but by example. My favorite way by far is showing them through worship.
I have gotten the wonderful opportunity to serve on worship and it brings me so much joy. Whether we go up there and feel like it was a mess or feel like we had the best session ever, it doesn’t matter. Because what it comes down to is Who we are worshipping and why. Getting to look at each and every kid absorbing the sounds and lyrics individually is something so special. Music is so engaging whether it’s upbeat or serious, our eyes are set on our Creator. This is only the start of what Beulah has for me. The good days will be as frequent as the bad but the rewards are constant. You may hear it a lot around here but we mean it when we say ’For the Kids, For the Kingdom’. Each day I am reminded that I shouldn’t get too comfortable. It’s less fun that way anyway.”