From 2015-2017, I worked at Camp Luther of Nebraska. I was a counselor for two summers and a member of program staff for my last summer. My summers at camp were challenging and rewarding. While I was a counselor, I was in charge of 8-15 girls between the ages of 6 and 14 every week. I led them in activities like swimming, hiking, and challenge course. I was also in charge of leading bible studies and devotions for my campers. Through these experiences, I feel as though I learned more from my campers than they learned from me. I got to see faith through a child’s eyes. I learned how to build relationships in a short amount of time and stay connected. I fostered Spiritual growth in my campers and introduced many of them to a saving faith through Jesus Christ. I learned how to work with peers and adults in authority and how to lead and guide peers. I made friendships and connections to last a lifetime. I also grew immensely in my faith during my time here. I plan to take the skills and experiences I’ve learned with me into my classroom.
Another ministry at Camp Luther is their special needs ministry. His Kids camp is for people with developmental, physical, and intellectual disabilities from age 12 and up. His Kids is a ministry and passion that is close to my heart. Through this camp, I learned how to meet the needs of various people at various different levels. I got to tell the love of Jesus to even more people and watch their faces light up. I got to dance and sing and worship with fearless hearts and loving spirits.
I also got to do quite a bit of music leading at camp. I played guitar and sang nearly every night for three summers. Through this ministry, I got to worship and lead and I learned so much. I love leading music and being in front of others while praising God. I got to be in charge of music camp during the summer of 2016, and it was a great reminder of why I want to teach music! Teaching campers new music, watching them make sense of it, and seeing them use it as a worship tool is so incredible! Praise God for the gift of music!
