The Retreat at Silver Springs

Hello again DPF party people! Week one of camp is in the books and oh my goodness let me tell you all it was an unbelievably incredible first week. I truly don’t think I could have asked for a more welcoming, fun, and spirit-filled camp for my first week than the CYF crew at the Retreat at Silver Springs in the Florida region. 

From the moment I stepped on the camp grounds, I knew I was entering sacred space. Walking around the camp, trying to get myself oriented and moved in, I could immediately sense God’s presence. It had been 5 years since I had been at a weeklong camp, and even after all that time away, the power of God's presence caught right back up with me. Every night, I wrote down one way I experienced God’s presence during that day: my daily God moment. It became a way to anchor my bursting connection with God throughout the week, and to remind me of all the ways God not only works in and through me, but those around me as well. I could feel the Holy Spirit wash over me as I was pounded by rain in my canoe, hear God’s voice through the laughter of the youth playing 500 in the pool, hear Jesus’s voice through the youth wanting to continue conversations about Christian queer inclusion, and realize that God really does know me by name while singing during worship. Getting to help the youth in my small group craft thoughtful prayers for our worship, or create skits to help make the daily scripture more accessible and relatable showed me the power I have to be a faith mentor. Hearing the undeniable wisdom these youth have about their faith, about the open nature of the table, about the ways they connect with God showed me how they can be my faith mentors too. God was moving, breathing, and living through that holy ground!

Not being at camp for so long, I think I forgot about what makes camp such an important, life giving, and sacred space. My week at the Retreat was the reminder I needed of exactly why camp defined my younger years and guided my early relationship with God. I could see the kids literally coming more alive and more into themselves as the week progressed. Camp was always the place where I felt most comfortable, most safe, most welcomed to be my true self and to show a more vulnerable side of myself. Seeing the youth at the Retreat open up over the course of the week reminded me of the importance of having my own space in my young life to truly explore who I was and show sides of myself I usually kept hidden. This week was a necessary reminder for me of the quintessential magic of camp. I think I needed camp just as much as camp needed me this week, and thank God for that!

The week was also filled with so much fun! I had so much fun becoming a part of their camp community, and oh boy did the Retreat welcome me with unapologetic and open arms. I cannot even count the amount of times I almost collapsed from laughing so hard with my campers and fellow counselors. I got to participate in the last night talent show, play some pickup basketball and get humbled by high school boys, cotton-eye-joe my little heart out at the all camp dance, canoe down the silver spring river in the pouring rain, remix the daily scripture to the tune of Baby by Justin Bieber, embrace my inner mermaid with the girls in the pool, and get absolutely SOAKED during the all camp water balloon fight. It was rare over my time at the Retreat for anyone to see me without a radiant and genuine smile stretched all across my face. My week at camp was an embodiment of endless joy!

While all of these other incredible elements of camp made my week so amazing, having the chance to lead my workshops with the youth was the undeniable highlight. The youth were so open and excited to participate in my workshops. I had the pleasure of sharing 3 workshops with this camp; one centered around Queer justice and Christianity, one centered around Christian Nationalism, and one centered around finding our safe places. They were all amazing experiences for me to try out the justice work the Peace Internship challenges me to engage in, but my queer justice and Christianity workshop was where I felt the most impact and change working through my time with the campers. I got to do that particular workshop with each and every camper at the Retreat at Silver Springs. Having conversations about what it means to be queer and what LGBTQIA+ identity means opened up the minds of some campers to new perspectives. Hearing how Christian motivated anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation had impacted the lives of campers in Florida made the topic of my workshop all the more real. Getting to go through the first Genesis creation story and explore a new interpretation that lends to a Christian call to radical inclusion of our genderqueer siblings was so incredible to witness. Campers wanted to talk more about it with me after our workshop time finished. They wanted to tell me how they were going to share this inclusive scriptural lens with their queer friends and family members because they were simply so excited to have a new way of looking at the Bible that was affirming and radically inclusive. They wanted to share this different interpretation with their family and have conversations about queer identity through a Christian lens outside of camp. I could see them getting excited about the realization that their call to queer inclusion could be something God was calling them to as well. It was such a beautiful and wonderful experience to walk that path of justice and inclusion with these campers and to show them how we as Christians are called to include and love our queer siblings through my workshop.

I feel like before this week, I only knew the tip of the iceberg regarding the transformative nature of the Peace Intern program, but the experiences and conversations I had with the youth through my workshop truly showed me how critical this program is to empower youth to be change makers. 

While I can’t share my entire workshop with you over a blog post, I invite you all to listen to the song I use to close my groups in prayer each session so you too can feel a fraction of the way the spirit is moving in and through the youth at the Retreat. The song is called Plowshare Prayer, and it is by a non-binary artist named Spencer LaJoye. 


Thank you all for your continued prayers, and for being willing to come on this journey with me and read about the ways I am being called to bring God’s Kindom of justice, peace, and inclusion to the holy grounds of camp.

Blessings and see you next week,
Ella Johnson

How is faith like boxing?

“How is faith like boxing?”

It’s not a trick question, there is an answer.

When I started leading this workshop with the youth at my first camp of the summer they said, "Because of the fighting. Because you have to fight for the Lord."

I asked if that was the only way.

They paused before shrugging.

So I wondered what another name for God was. Someone said "breath" and then I asked again "How is faith like boxing?"

They stared and I chuckled. Then I placed them them in the proper stances for boxing (Did I mention that I study kickboxing?). The proper stance is the opposite leg of your dominant hand in front, with that same arm raised to your face for protection. The other hand is by your chin with the fingers balled slowly and sealed with your thumb over the fist. (Always put your thumb on the outside) The back leg pivots on the balls of your feet. That's where the power comes from, the technique.

Once they were all set I took my place in front of them. Asking "When you throw a punch what do you do?" There are pauses as they worked through a few air punches. I answer "You breathe.” And then I ask the originial question again, so how is faith like boxing?"

"Breathing?" They question.

“Yes!” I respond. Your faith is like boxing in the way that it relies on you. Expanding and decompressing as you will it. Faith is like boxing in the way that it can be carried with you and wielded by you to harm, protect, heal, and empower. With every throw you release an intention. Faith is like boxing in that way — what you put out is the intention. It's where the power comes from the technique. 

I promised my group of youth that I would shout them out for helping me work out this mini worksop. So thank you to the small groups at Camp Walter Scott. If the revolution is not communal we did or are doing something wrong.

The Family Business: Spreading Jesus' Love and Welcome

2025 DPF Peace Interns Ruthie, Chrys, and Ella in front of “the Chalice Wall” at the Guest House at Allisonville Christian Church during Peace Intern Training Week.

My name is Ruthie Weeks, I’m a 50th anniversary Disciples Peace Fellowship Peace Intern, and camp sort of runs in my family.

Both of my grandfathers are Disciples ministers, and both of them have a legacy of working and serving at camp. Bob Raiford, my Pa, has served and had adventures at countless camps, from being a lifeguard after college at Camp Caroline, to getting a tick out of a little boy’s ear at Camp Kum-Ba-Ya, to directing Camp Balaam at Camp Christian. Gary Weeks, my Grandpa, spent many years serving as the Camp

Administrator at Central Christian Camp in Guthrie, Oklahoma, making camp accessible to all through Make Promises Happen. The church camp trend continued when my dad, Michael Weeks, also became a Disciples minister. My mom, Michelle Weeks, met and got to know my dad when he became the Executive Director at Camp Christian and by a twist of fate, they directed a camp together. They got married and had me, and I was lucky enough to live at Camp Christian until I was seven! Living at camp allowed me to experience the most beautiful early childhood, through mornings relaxing underneath the leaves of my favorite tree, afternoons enjoying the paddle boats on the lake, and evenings in the pool. I absolutely loved everything about camp and could not wait until I was old enough to actually attend.

My family moved to Virginia, but that did not stop my love for camp. The summer we moved, I attended Craig Springs, and grew to love it there, spending at least one week each summer up on the mountain. Camp is an integral part of my connection to God. At camp, Christian community is in its most perfect form, where everyone feels comfortable to be authentically themselves, making friends with people from all walks of life. We spend time in nature, we sing silly songs, we play, and we worship. Time spent at camp is always the best of the year, and something I am constantly missing and looking forward to.

This past fall, my Grandpa passed away. My family and those who loved him gathered to celebrate his life, and I heard many stories of the impact he had at Central Christian Camp. We looked at old pictures, and I even found a newspaper article that featured Make Promises Happen and my Grandpa. While I had always been aware of the Disciples Peace Fellowship, I began to truly consider serving as a Peace Intern for the first time. Camp is so important to me, as it was to the people before me, and the people before them. I felt a strong call to spend my summer living out Jesus’ vision through advocating for peace and justice, sharing this vision with the next generation.

My time as a Peace Intern began with a fabulous training week, where I had the privilege of getting to meet so many people doing incredible work for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). I loved growing closer with Ella Johnson and Chrys Beckley, the two other Peace Interns for this summer, Rev. Brian Frederick-Gray, the DPF Mission Director, and Rev. Sarah Zuniga, our Peace Intern Chaplain. I am now at Camp Christian in Gordon, Georgia, where my personal camp journey started, and this full circle moment means the world to me. I will then travel all over the country, visiting camps, attending mission trips, and meeting at General Assembly.

Everywhere I go, I will seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.

What's going on

2025 Peace Intern Chrys, Ella, and Ruthie having lunch with DHM President Chris Dorsey and Children’s Worship, Wonder, and Welcome Director (and former Peace Intern!) Laura Phillips

~Picket lines and picket signs,
Don't punish me with brutality
Talk to me~

Hi. My name is Chrys. I’m a Peace and justice intern for 2025, and I have written and rewritten that line for several days. I’m a writer at heart, a poet originally, so you would think catchy open lines were natural to me, but they aren’t. I tend to write the body of poems first, the punches, as one of my poetry slam friends calls them, “I’m not the descendant of the witches you couldn't burn, I'm the answered prayers of the ones you did.” or “what is black in America if not the constant fight to be seen, to laugh, to dance”. To write for me is to explain the beautiful tension of being black in America. And that often needs more words to encompass the epic that is tragic, beautiful, sorrowful, hopeful, joyous, and so on and so on. But during training week we learned spiritual practices to take with us as we embark on this long journey. One of them was writing haikus. It was introduced to us as, “The beautiful thing about haikus is that you have to strip back everything to just the core of what you have to say. And sometimes that means people won’t get it all” So that was a long introduction to say this. 

Hi, my name is Chrys. I’m a peace and justice intern for 2025. My workshop is about reconciliation. It's called “How to plan a block party.”  Reconciliation ministry to me is just a double score word for inviting the people we have excluded back to the table. Here are some Haiku prayers I wrote for and from the block.

Peace be still go far 
Through night,restless storm 
Peace be still go far 

~~~

I’m sorry your first swim 
Was with death,and freedom floats 
Swim in still waters 

~~~

Divine lives outside 
Where breathe is green, bodies morph 
Divinity Shines 

~~~~

Live gently on the earth
With loving mother,father
Love their earth gently 

~~~~

From fallen bodies 
Grounds be sanctified for peace 
Walk humbly through 

~~~~

More than human world 
Mother tree breathe on us for
those more  than human

Introductions and Training Week Reflections from Ella Johnson

2025 DPF Peace Interns (Ella, Chrys, and Ruthie) with Peace Intern Chaplain Rev. Sarah Zuniga and DPF Mission Director Rev. Brian Frederick-Gray

Hello beloved Disciples Peace Fellowship community! What an amazing and incredible week it has been doing all things Peace Intern training in Indianapolis. Throughout all of my waiting, dreaming, and preparing to be a Peace Intern, I still was not fully ready for the truly transformative nature of this program.

I cannot begin to tell you all what a blessing and honor it is to participate in this program, and how thankful I am to be entrusted to carry out the 50 year legacy of DPF. I was so excited when I got the phone call from Brian congratulating me on being accepted as one of the 2025 Peace Interns. I knew that this was a ministry God was waiting and ready for me to be a part of. Before I get into the amazing-ness that was training week, I want to tell you all about my journey to becoming a Peace Intern.

I went to camp every summer I could growing up. My family joined Heart of the Rockies Christian Church in Fort Collins and the larger Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination when I was in elementary school, and I built up the courage to start attending camp in 7th grade. From that first summer camp onwards, I would count down the days until I could be at camp again. Camp was the place in my life where I felt most deeply connected to my faith. It was the place where I felt safest to be myself and show my full self to the world. It was the space where I was challenged to dig deeper in my faith and truly explore my relationship with God. It was my favorite week of the summer. It was sacred community; holy ground.

When I was in high school, Daniel Lyvers, a former Peace Intern and overall AMAZING human being, was my youth minister. Before meeting Daniel, I had no idea what the Peace Intern program was. I had an irreplaceable relationship with camp, but didn’t know about the ways DPF was creating opportunities to explore and create peace and justice in camps through the Peace Interns. Daniel introduced me to the Peace Intern program by sharing his own story and experiences, and from that moment forward, I quite literally counted down the summers until I was old enough to apply and participate in the program. This is an opportunity I have been called to for a long time, and one I knew God had in store for me.

My junior year of high school, my summer camp had our first Peace Intern, Courtney Sells. Interacting and building relationships with Courtney over the course of the week once again reminded me of the beautiful ways we work to bring God’s Kindom to the here and now through lives of peace and justice. I remember so vividly the workshop Courtney led with my camp that summer. She was educating us about the LGBTQIA+ community by leading an LGBTQ 101 workshop. That workshop was the first concrete time I had heard queerness and queer identity discussed in such an open and positive way in a church setting, and was foundational and life-giving for me as a young queer Christian trying to figure out the relationship between my faith and queerness. Seeing Courtney so fearlessly talk about inclusion and love of the LGBTQIA+ community, and how we are called to frame this inclusion and love through our Christian faith and following of Christ exemplified for the first time that my Christian and queer identities could not only co-exist, but also grow in and through each other. I have been a passionate advocate for LGBTQIA+ inclusion  for a long time and I frame this advocacy through my faith, and Courtney’s workshop was a much needed personal introduction into the peace and justice work of queer inclusion.

My experiences at camp growing up, with Courtney, with Daniel, and with so many other mentors and faith, peace, and justice in my young adult life led me to this summer, this moment, being able to do THE work as a Peace Intern!

I found the spirit working in and around me in so many ways this past week through our training. During training week, I built foundations for deep, vulnerable, goofy, loving relationships with my fellow Peace Interns Chrys and Ruthie. We shared sacred time laughing until there was literally no more breath left in our lungs, challenging each other to ask hard questions of ourselves and our presenters, sitting around the kitchen table sharing meals, singing together while cleaning up our dinners, and every other moment in between. I know that the camps, groups, and churches Ruthie and Chrys serve are incredibly lucky to have the 2 of them, and I am blessed to have 2 more partners in ministry with whom I can be my full self, ask my hard questions, and grow in my faith.

I did not realize how disconnected I felt from the national church before training week, and am so grateful for the chance to be reconnected with the larger bodies of my denomination through this work.  All of the partners we had the privilege of sharing time with gave me so much hope and excitement for the future of our denomination and gave me a sense of connection to the larger church I didn’t fully realize I was missing. So thank you to each and every one of our presenters and partners for making this summer so incredible after only 1 week in!

Training reminded me of my need to be immersed so deeply again in the deep rooted justice work my faith and following of Jesus calls me to. Hearing from all our presenters, engaging in deep conversations with Brian and my fellow Peace Interns, and just being challenged to explore my own faith identity and convictions on a deeper level help me once again see that the social justice work Jesus fought for in his ministry and the Kindom of peace and justice God seeks to bring to this world is an integral part of my work on this earth. I cannot be a Christian in the way God calls me to be without engaging in this life giving work, and I am so thankful to the training week experience for reminding me of the pertinence of that conviction.

I cannot WAIT to check in with you all again as I begin my summer ministry of sharing this good news with camps, groups, and congregations! My first stop is the Retreat at Silver Springs, a DOC camp in the Florida Region, where I will be doing my Peace Intern thing at their CYF camp and conference.

Blessings,
Ella Johnson

Meet the 2025 DPF Peace Interns!

Disciples Peace Fellowship is excited to welcome Ella Johnson, Chrys Beckley, and Ruthie Weeks as 2025 DPF Peace Interns!

Ella Johnson (she/her)

Ella is a recent graduate of Texas Christian University with degrees in Religion and Political Science. In the Fall of 2024 Ella lived in Washington DC while working for the Baptist Joint Commission for Religious Liberty as part of the “Christian Against Christian Nationalism” Campaign. From Fort Collins, Colorado Ella is a member of Heart of the Rockies Christian Church (a congregation with deep roots with the Peace Intern Program). Ella was a HELM Scholar, a former moderator for the General Youth Council, and has served two summers with Be The Neighbor.
Fun Fact(s): Ella is half Canadian, strongly dislikes pretty much any condiment, and is absolutely obsessed with the book “The Book of Longings.”

Chrys Beckley (she/they)

Chrys is a Master of Divinity student at Lexington Theological Seminary who is currently serving as the Associate Pastor at First Christian Church in Rogers, Arkansas. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Chrys is a graduate of Rust College in Mississippi, having earned a degree in Print Journalism with a minor in African American Studies. Chrys is a published poet who shares that “poetry is my first love and my most comfortable form of expression. A former Be The Neighbor Intern, in describing their call to ministry during their Peace Intern interview Chrys, “When it comes to ministry, I want to be where the youth are.”
Fun Fact: Chrys worked at Starbucks for three years and declared, “I can make a mean Latte in under 30-seconds!”

Ruthie Weeks (she/her)

Ruthie is a senior at Chapman University who will graduate this May with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and Documentary Filmmaking, with a minor in Peace and Justice Studies. A HELM Scholar and a Phillips University Legacy Scholar, Ruthie served two years as Moderator of Disciples on Campus at Chapman. Born in Gordon, Georgia (where she literally lived at Camp Christian in Georgia as a child), Ruthie grew up in Mechanicsville, Virginia where she was active at Regional Church Camps at Craig Springs and also served on the General Youth Council as a High Schooler.
Fun Fact(s): Ruthie loves tap dancing, going to concerts, drinking Dr. Pepper, and having a good cup of coffee!

Life in the "real world”

One of my favorite closing retreat activities was discussing ‘fishbowl’ questions. We did this all throughout Closing Retreat at all sorts of locations — around the dinner table, in a couple of Indianapolis coffee shops, and of course all settled into our ‘spots’ on the Allisonville guest house couch.

One particular question that struck me came when Ella, Allison, Brian, and I were driving around Indy, the question of what the ‘real world’ looks like - post Peace Intern Summer. In that moment, I struggled to imagine that the world could look much different than how I’d always known it.

While I knew that I had just spent a summer away from my normal life, and instead connected almost exclusively with nature and the teenage culture, I was still the same me I was before. Even if I had been through this extremely life changing experience and my worldview was turned upside down at least once or twice, I hadn’t really changed. Seriously, there was nothing new or different about me now than there was in May! As I sat with those thoughts, I began to realize that I was not trying to convince anyone but myself.

When I entered our closing retreat, I was prepared for all of the fun things we would get to do. From matching tattoos and TopGolf to the State Fair and dinner at Cracker Barrel, there was no shortage of fun moments to be excited about. What I did not entirely expect was the emotional roller coaster the week would send me on. As Allison, Ella, and I closed this chapter of our stories together, we cried and hugged and laughed and did it all some more. My Peace Intern summer added two beautiful and amazing souls into my heart and my family with Allison and Ella. I truly could not be more grateful for their love and friendship in my life. When we all went our separate ways, I knew that in no way was this our ‘goodbye’, but just a ‘see ya later’.

I moved into college a few weeks later and began to get questions about my summer. People that had been following my journey were so excited to hear all about the fun adventures and silly stories I had from my summer. Others heard briefly what I did and usually became interested in how I got to spend my entire summer traveling and sharing about social justice with some super cool people!

All of this to say, I was non-stop talking about my time as a Peace Intern. When I wasn’t talking about my summer, I was waiting for someone else to bring it up so I could talk about it. My brain was non-stop thinking about the experience I just had, my newest friends, and the goofy memories from camps.

Now, not much has changed. I still think about my summer each and every day. I talk about my summer, in one shape or another, every single day. I still take any chance I get to bring up my funny stories, life-changing moments, or new friends I made along the way. And I plan on keeping it that way.

What I realized is that this summer did change me. It changed my perspective of the world and the ways in which I interact with my own concepts of justice, faith, and peace. Further, this amazing experience challenged me to get out of my comfort zone in ways I could not have imagined before. It challenged me to look at people and my relationships with them in new ways - ways that are more nuanced and comprehensive, but also more loving and forgiving. Most importantly this summer showed me that I have a future in my career. Not solely because of the extraordinary experiences and connections I made, but due so much to the future the church has.

The youth that I got to engage with through each camp I went to showed me hope for the next generation of the church and the next generation of peacemakers. I had the privilege to watch multiple youth find their voices in their sexuality, in their gender, and in their faith. All speaking up for themselves and what they know to be right, the Love of God is for All to rejoice in. I am honored to be changed by this next generation of our church, and I cannot wait to see what other amazing changes they have in store for us.

Closing Retreat and a Prayer for the Future Peace Interns

If you asked me in the spring how I felt about accepting my position as a Peace Intern, I would tell you that I was scared and uncertain. I would tell you that I had no idea what was to come. I would tell you that I didn’t know if this summer would be quite as good as any of those I’d had in the past. 

If you asked me now, I would tell you that it was one of the best decisions of my life. I would tell you that this was the best summer of my life and that it has blessed me beyond measure. 

I can’t sum up all of the conversations, emotions and experiences of Peace Intern Closing Retreat. This blog post would become closer to the length of a short novel if I tried. But I can tell you that everything that transpired over that week affirmed and reaffirmed my call to ministry, especially as I got to be in the same space as Brian, Sarah, Maggie, and Allison again. It was a week that nurtured my spirit and brought me closer to people who now feel like my family. 

Here are some photos from our time together! 

Finally reunited with Allison and Maggie!

Wearing our matching Allisonville Christian Church Shirts at Sunday service.

Trying our hand at TopGolf!

Hanging out with Fiyori!!

We got to go to the Indy State Fair! It was AMAZING!!!

I love these two so much.

Indeed it is. (Thanks for hanging out with us at the State Fair Isaac!)

We got matching tattoos. The three doves represent each of us!

We got to hang out a lot with Sarah’s cat Charles.

This is my very last blog post as a Peace Intern. I’m sad that this chapter of my life is closing, but I’m endlessly grateful for everything I learned and everyone I met. I want to say a prayer for the next three Peace Interns. As Brian told us on our last day of Closing Retreats, the Peace Interns selected every year are an answer to a prayer. Before I even knew about this program, before I applied, before anyone at DPF knew my name, the previous Peace Interns were praying for me. It is my hope that this prayer reaches the hearts and minds of next summer’s Peace Interns, so that they may have a summer as beautiful as I did. Will you pray with me? 

Gracious and Loving God, 

Thank you for your creation of this beautiful world. Thank you for creating the people who founded Disciples Peace Fellowship, and for all of the Peace Interns who have come before me. Thank you for leading me to DPF, to Maggie and Allison, to every person I’ve met and shared your holy love with this summer. I ask that you be with the future Peace Interns as they find out about DPF or as they are considering it already. I pray that you help them to discern their path forward and that they can be prepared in mind, body and spirit for the joy and challenges their Peace Intern Summer has in store for them. They are each wonderfully and beautifully made–help them to be certain of that as they take on this honorable role of leadership for the church. 
It is in your many names I pray, 
Amen 

Airports Galore: Ella's Final Ratings

Wow, y’all. It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these. I’m committed to giving complete and honest ratings of all the airports I’ve been to this summer, so I’m going to do my best to remember all of the ones I’ve been in since Washington, D.C. Flying out of D.C. was kind of rough, but that was due to everyone deciding to fly United that day apparently. The bag tagging machine ran out of paper. It was a whole thing. But I made it out alive!

Flying out of D.C., sporting the usual thumbs-up.

Next up: DFW International Airport. Listen, I do NOT understand why people dislike this airport! I actually had a very pleasant experience both times I was there. Restaurants were conveniently located, security was a breeze, and people (TSA included) were really nice! I rate DFW an 8/10. Sorry, Mom and Dad. It was great. Also, pretty soon after landing I got to go to Buc-ee’s for the first time!!!

Me having a blast with the Buc-ee’s statue. 

I have to be honest. I have no recollection of the Houston airport. It was a very short connection. I think I’ll rate it a neutral 5/10. 

The El Paso International Airport was easy to navigate and filled with awesome art. It reminded me of my mom, who grew up in El Paso, and I felt at home even though I’d never been there before. Landing there was absolutely terrifying, but that was more of an airplane issue than an airport issue. I felt calm once I was off the plane and walking to baggage claim, and it almost felt like being in the Eugene airport again even though it bore literally no resemblance. Overall, I rate this airport a 7.5/10. 

Here’s the thing about the Phoenix airport: I completely forgot to rate it the last time I was there, but I’m pretty sure it was my connecting airport to Kansas City at the very beginning of the summer. This was an oversight on my part, but I’m making up for it with a stellar review! I probably experienced the lowest level of stress in this airport. It’s just so easy to navigate, isn’t too crowded most of the time, and has fantastic restaurants! I ate at a place called Los Taquitos–if I recall correctly, I had carne asada tacos–and they were delicious! This was also the airport where I had my longest layover, and while that may feel like a nightmare for some, it was the perfect time to relax and finish writing one of my blog posts. The Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport gets the highest review possible: 10/10.

They really were some great tacos.

And finally, the last place I flew into: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. I’ve had decent experiences with this airport in the past, and this time was almost as good except for a slight mishap with luggage and having to wait anxiously for an hour for my guitar to come through at baggage claim (Southwest Airlines was the only airline that didn’t let me check my guitar for the gate this summer). Aside from that, this airport made me feel nostalgic about other times I’d been there, namely my junior year HELM fall retreat and the time I visited my friend Lucy, who lives in Seattle. I was glad to be in a familiar place for my final camp destination, especially with all of the exhaustion I was feeling from an incredibly long travel day. I rate it an 8.5/10. 

With that, my airport ratings for the summer come to a close! It has been amazing getting to travel to so many different places this summer. My favorite part of going to so many airports was texting the other interns, Sarah, and Brian when I was arriving or leaving, as well as receiving messages from Maggie and Allison when they were traveling on the same day as me. It was wonderful to be supported by my DPF family even when we were many miles apart. I rate this summer a 100,000/10, but what I experienced can’t truly be quantified by numbers. I can say now that this was the best summer of my life. 

Peace Intern Movie Moments

As I began my Peace Intern summer, I imagined that all of the camps I would be visiting would feel like camps straight out of a movie. One thing about me is that one of my favorite movies of all time is The Parent Trap, starring Lindsey Lohan. I even printed out a picture from the movie to keep alongside my photos of beloved friends and family this summer. My love for this iconic summer camp movie has inspired me to watch as many summer camp movies as I could. With that being said, these movie tropes did raise my hopes pretty high for what camps would be like this summer. I traveled from camp to camp in search of my iconic Parent Trap experience (minus the hope of finding my long lost twin), waiting for the cinematic week of my dreams.

I had moments throughout my summer that felt like I was living my most fantastic movie moments. From walking on the tarmac to fly out of Asheville (DPF makes dreams come true!) to getting lost in the fields of Illinois only to find a little slice of Heaven within Camp Walter Scott, there were plenty of times my summer felt as though my most wild summer camp dreams were coming true before my eyes. Still, I wanted my picturesque Parent Trap daydream to come true.

Before dropping me off at the airport, my mom told me she suspected that my week at Crystal Conference Center in north-western Michigan may be just that. I loved her hope but I didn’t want to get too attached to the idea since it may not even come true. When I pulled onto South Shore Drive, I was met with the warm Michigan breeze coming off of Crystal Lake and I grinned thinking my mom was definitely onto something. By the end of my first night staying at the camp with the rest of the counseling staff, I called my mom and received her ‘I told you so’ speech that was much deserved in this case.

So, in honor of Crystal Conference Center’s cinematic week of camp, here are some of my favorite moments (in no particular order) of the summer in comparison to iconic summer camp movies and TV shows.

  1. Camp Olympics → Disney Channel Games

At both Camp Christian and Camp Walter Scott, campers were invited to be involved with a unique kind of olympic games, camp olympics! As campers and counselors alike rushed around to win medals via broom and scooter ‘curling’ or gymnastics routines straight from the mat, I was reminded of childhood memories of watching my favorite Disney Channel stars competing in the most heated games of the summer. While there were no real winners or losers, the games we played along the way will always hold a place in my heart.

2. Walking on the Tarmac → Parent Trap Arrival Scene

DPF made dreams come true when I was able to walk on the tarmac to get aboard my plane in Asheville, North Carolina. Since seeing Parent Trap for the first time, I have wished for the time that I could walk on or off of my plane the same way that Hallie, or uh Annie, does to greet her dad. While I didn’t have the huge yellow duffel to complete the look, I’m sure that my 40 pound backpack did add to the overall cinematic experience.

3. Camp Talent Shows → Camp Rock

As the summer progressed, one of my favorite moments of the week became watching camp talent shows. They always consisted of campers showing up to show off their best and sometimes most strange talents. No matter the talent, I was sure to be entertained on talent show night. My last talent show of the summer was at Camp Crystal, where this Camp Rock dream was completed. As the acts finished up, the room transformed into the most exciting camp dance I experienced all summer. The dancing and singing that was happening on stage became a part of the crowd as the entire room was filled with song, dance, and lots of laughter.

4. Working on an urban garden → Hannah Montana Movie Arrival

As I arrived at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport, I expected to be spending my week in a completely metro setting. This quickly was proven to be wrong as on our first day of being there, we visited two different urban gardens. It was in that metropolitan area that I did the most weed pulling, uprooting, and replanting than I have anywhere else. On top of my lack of prior experience, I showed feeling (and most likely looking) like Hannah Montana being unexpectedly dropped off at a farm due to my state of end summer exhaustion and confusion. What started out as a shock from Texas culture and the heat of gardening in the Texas heat though, turned into one of the most unique and exciting weeks of my summer.

5. Prank Wars → Parent Trap Camp Prank scene

As I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed on the first day of camp at Crystal, I couldn’t help but giggle at this immediate correlation between Crystal pranks and the pranks pulled by campers at Camp Walden in the Parent Trap. Who doesn’t love having your patio furniture on the roof for morning coffee?

6. Crystal Lake → Friday the 13th

Everytime I told friends that I was heading to Camp Crystal on Crystal Lake in Michigan, people looked terrified. They would laugh nervously before throwing in the classic, “You know that is where Jason Voorhees is from right?!?!?” While the similarities in detail are pretty tremendous, there is no killer loose in the woods or around the water. While you may have to watch out for Micheal Dirkson’s wild pranks, the only thing I feared at Camp Crystal were the erratic bicycle riders.

Camp Gwinwood: A New Place to Call Home

When I arrived at Camp Gwinwood, it was hard to believe that it was my last camp of the summer. I had fallen into a rhythm of arriving in a totally new airport, staying with a stranger, going to camp for a week, and doing it all over again. I almost couldn’t imagine what life was like outside of going to camp. At the same time, I was unbelievably tired and ready to be done after my final week. I came to camp with a bittersweet feeling, with uncertainties about what would come next once Friday rolled around and it was time to head back home. But I also knew the second I arrived at the campground in Lacey, Washington that it was the perfect place to be for my last camp as a Peace Intern. 

I knew this for a couple different reasons. The first was that I was close to my home in Corvallis, Oregon. Being back in the Pacific Northwest gave me a sense of calm and familiarity that I’d been missing. The conifer trees that made the camp feel secluded from the rest of the world loomed high above ground. The air was cool enough that I could wear a sweatshirt–a welcome change from the heat and humidity of the many weeks prior. The lake at the edge of camp was a clear and dazzling blue, and just to sit near the dock and look out at the water brought a sense of pure peace. Being at the Gwinwood campground reminded me of countless other places in the PNW where my heart felt at home. The second reason was that my dad, Matt Gordon, was coming to counsel camp. Gwinwood staff was in need of more male counselors and he knew the director, Annie Grogan, so he stepped in! And what a blessing it was that I was going to see him after nearly two months of being away from my family. 

The beautiful trees and cabins of Camp Gwinwood.

Annie was the one who picked me up from the airport, let me stay in her apartment, and took me to camp on the day before campers arrived. I had a great time talking with her in the car. She had wisdom to share with me about growing up and finding my path in life. It’s comforting to be told by an adult that I can always change my mind about what I want to do and that all of my experiences will be valuable even when they’re unexpected. This summer I’ve made a big shift in what I might want to do, and while it’s exciting, it’s also scary. Annie wished me the best in my ministry, whatever that may look like. I was happy to spend this time in the car with her before we got to camp, especially after experiencing one of my more stressful travel days. 

On the evening we arrived at camp, I met the other counselors who I’d be spending the week with. I met Sarah Almanza, who I shared a cabin with along with the CYF girls. Sarah immediately asked me about my summer and how I was feeling as I unpacked, and was just so incredibly kind. I deeply enjoyed the conversations I was able to have with her throughout the week. I met Colin and Karla, who I got to talk and play music with at Campfire and Vespers each night. They’d been playing music at camp for years and had big books of songs to share. I was grateful for their wisdom. I met Doug Collins, who is a friend of my friend Sarah Zuniga and my pastor Zane Ridings. It was so cool to meet Doug! From the very first moment we interacted, I could feel the love and passion he felt for church camp and I was excited to work with him. We were assigned to lead a Chi Rho group during the week (our group name was the Silver Snakes, which I think is pretty awesome). Doug was also a longtime player of music at camp. That first night before any campers showed up, I got together with Karla, Colin and Doug and we played through as many camp songs as we could to prepare ourselves for the various musical moments the week would provide. It was a great way to familiarize myself with new camp songs (surprise–I hadn’t learned them all, even after being at four other camps!) and get to know the people I’d be playing with. 

My incredible dad and I!

Lovely view of the lake...

...and kayaking with campers during Waterfront Time!

Annie was the one who picked me up from the airport, let me stay in her apartment, and took me to camp on the day before campers arrived. I had a great time talking with her in the car. She had wisdom to share with me about growing up and finding my path in life. It’s comforting to be told by an adult that I can always change my mind about what I want to do and that all of my experiences will be valuable even when they’re unexpected. This summer I’ve made a big shift in what I might want to do, and while it’s exciting, it’s also scary. Annie wished me the best in my ministry, whatever that may look like. I was happy to spend this time in the car with her before we got to camp, especially after experiencing one of my more stressful travel days. 

On the evening we arrived at camp, I met the other counselors who I’d be spending the week with. I met Sarah Almanza, who I shared a cabin with along with the CYF girls. Sarah immediately asked me about my summer and how I was feeling as I unpacked, and was just so incredibly kind. I deeply enjoyed the conversations I was able to have with her throughout the week. I met Colin and Karla, who I got to talk and play music with at Campfire and Vespers each night. They’d been playing music at camp for years and had big books of songs to share. I was grateful for their wisdom. I met Doug Collins, who is a friend of my friend Sarah Zuniga and my pastor Zane Ridings. It was so cool to meet Doug! From the very first moment we interacted, I could feel the love and passion he felt for church camp and I was excited to work with him. We were assigned to lead a Chi Rho group during the week (our group name was the Silver Snakes, which I think is pretty awesome). Doug was also a longtime player of music at camp. That first night before any campers showed up, I got together with Karla, Colin and Doug and we played through as many camp songs as we could to prepare ourselves for the various musical moments the week would provide. It was a great way to familiarize myself with new camp songs (surprise–I hadn’t learned them all, even after being at four other camps!) and get to know the people I’d be playing with. 

Music on the first night.

The campers arrived the next morning and we got right into camp’s busy schedule. Something unique compared to most of my camps this summer was that Camp Gwinwood was all ages. The youngest camper was five and the eldest was eighteen. This made for a delightful dynamic between campers: they were able to find community in their age groups, small groups, AND across three different age groups. Older campers could be mentors for younger campers, and sometimes the olders learned from the youngers too. And Gwinwood was a place where everyone could safely be themself. Here, away from the outside world of school and difficult family dynamics, these kids could express themselves however they wanted to. That’s what I think is so important about camp, and why our church camps need to be kept alive: they are safe and brave spaces for young people to express who they are in a myriad of ways. This is the kind of space and the kind of world that God dreams of. 

One of the coolest activities at camp was the Gwinwood Olympics, a series of team-building games in which campers were divided into groups to compete against each other. I thought the  best thing about these Olympics was that each group was mixed in age. The youngest of campers worked with the oldest to work for the gold. The games were truly based on teamwork, not on which group was the fastest. I watched the campers on my team strategize, play, and laugh together and was blown away by their cooperation and kindness. I’ve probably said this several times in one way or another, but I’ll say it again: if these kinds of young people were in charge of the world, it would be full of more love, more joy, more peace. 

Teams assemble for the Gwinwood Olympics.

To prepare for the Olympics, the kids made flags that represented who they are. We got to make them too–see if you can spot my dad and I!

Leading a small group with Doug was some of the most fun I had at Gwinwood. The youth in our group were rambunctious yet thoughtful. Even though it was sometimes difficult to wrangle them for our small group meetings, they always had an everlasting energy that got me through the day, especially when I felt like most of my own energy was dwindling. It was a joy to spend time with them, whether we were discussing the keynote of the day, working on an art project, or simply goofing off. Some of the campers started asking me to sit by them at meals and dubbed me one of the “cool” counselors (which is probably the highest compliment a sixth grader can give you). We fell into a rhythm so normal that it felt strange and abrupt to leave on Friday. I cherish all my time spent with my small group and I am so excited for their journeys as they grow up. Silver Snakes are the best!!

Doug sewed us a Silver Snakes flag. So we were clearly the best group.

My dad pointed out that by the middle of the week, every adult had become the child version of themselves. They had all become silly and totally unafraid of judgment from others. I felt that happening to me as the week went on. It was nice to experience the world as if I was a young camper, even though I was also in a position of authority. Despite the “real world” worries that were starting to crop up for me again, I was able to let go of anything other than the present moment. I was able just to be. I eventually realized it felt like I’d been coming to Camp Gwinwood for many years. Maybe it was the familiar PNW landscape, or how many connections I found there, or just how welcome the kids made me feel–but whatever the reason, it felt like a place I could return to in the future. I’m lucky to live so close that it feels like a real possibility to counsel there in the future. 

Along with getting to do my workshop a few final times during the week, I was given the opportunity to lead a keynote for the kids and juniors. I’d prepared a keynote based on Philemon 8-17. I had plenty of experience speaking in front of kids, but I had very little experience with talking to them about scripture. I was nervous about whether what I prepared would make sense or be something they could interact with me about, but it went well! We talked about overcoming our judgements of others and accepting them into the family of God no matter who they are. The kids were receptive to the topic and had great contributions to make, and it kind of felt like I was giving a children’s moment in church. I was able to spend time with the younger campers outside of my small group and see the ways they were already thinking about establishing peace in the world. 

Each night, we gathered at the campfire to sing songs of fun and worship. Part of this time was spent with the kids, juniors, Chi Rho and CYF, and another part was just Chi Rho and CYF. I watched groups of campers do skits and tell jokes, lead songs out of a camp songbook, and read the words of institution for communion. I loved watching them all take the lead, especially when it was the youth from my small group. Interwoven with all of these parts of the campfire time were the songs we sang. Doug, Colin, Karla and I played classic camp songs to get everybody hyped up, and then ended the night with the slower and more meditative songs. I loved harmonizing with our little music group–it was some of the most sacred time spent at Gwinwood.

Singing with Doug and Colin before campfire started–I believe in this picture we’re singing “Take it Easy” by the Eagles.

Like almost every other camp I’d experienced before this one, we sang the Goodnight Song before sending campers off to bed. If you don’t know this song, it’s one that many church camps sing before bed, whether it’s as a whole group or in cabins (Maggie and Allison can confirm this as well). Here are the words: 

Lay down, my sweet sister
Lay down and take your rest 
I’m gonna lay your head upon the savior’s breast 
I love you, but Jesus loves you best
I bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight. 

When sung as a whole group, there are three verses. The verses go “sisters”, “brothers”, then “everybody.” I got used to singing this song all summer, and each time it felt special. At Tall Oaks in Kansas, the girls sang it while sitting together on the couches in the lodge. At Camp Wakon’Da-Ho in Kentucky, we sang it while holding hands in a big circle. At CYLS in Texas, I would hear girls singing it to each other while getting ready for bed. Even during Training Week, Allison and Maggie and I sang it one night as we were walking around the house and turning off the lights. Here at Camp Gwinwood, we were back in a big circle holding hands. And on the very last night of camp, we got in this circle for the last time. As we began to sing, I realized it was my last time singing this song at a camp for my entire Peace Intern Summer. I started to cry. By the time we got to the “everybody” verse, I was a complete sobbing mess. Church camp had brought me instant community wherever I went. It had become a new place to call home. Now, even if temporarily, I was leaving that home. After the song ended, many of the Chi Rho campers came up to me and hugged me. It was as if we’d known each other for many years. One young girl looked me right in the eye and said: 

“Come back next year, okay?”

I’ll do my very best to come back. I have no doubt that I’ll find myself back at some, if not all, of the camps I was blessed to travel to this summer. There’s no place like home. Thanks to everyone who read my blog posts this summer and to everyone who has supported me on this journey. I love you, but Jesus loves you best!

The counselors of Camp Gwinwood.

Creation and Community at CYLS: A Meditation on Gratitude

I’m going to start this post the opposite way I usually do, by starting at the end of the week.

On the last night of camp at Christian Youth Leadership Seminar in Brownwood, Texas, I was invited to go swimming with the other adults after lights out. I debated it for a minute, as I would be getting up the next morning for a long day of travel, but I eventually decided to go. All of the pool lights and lights from surrounding buildings were turned off. There was laughter and banter as we got in the pool and tried to adjust to the darkness, and this was soon joined by murmurs of wonder as we began to look up at the stars. 

This is probably said a lot, but there is something about the stars in Texas that is remarkably different from anywhere else. And especially at a place like Lake Brownwood Christian Retreat, there’s very little light pollution. I could see so many amazing constellations and even witnessed a shooting star streaking across the sky. I floated on my back for about a minute, the chatter of those around me momentarily muffled by the immersion of my ears in the water. All I could see were stars, in all of their infinite glory. As I let my feet touch the pool’s floor and joined the group again, I couldn’t help but marvel at how lucky I was to be a part of the very same galaxy as the people of CYLS. What a joy it was to feel enveloped by God’s creation that night, to feel so small in relation to the stars yet so loved by the community I was witnessing it with. This moment felt representative of my entire week at camp, a week filled with wonder and gratitude. 

I arrived at the campground on a Sunday afternoon, tired from travel but happy to be back at camp. I was struck by the beauty and serenity that was around me as soon as I stepped out of the car. The campground was quiet yet full of life, with the constant trill of cicadas filling the air and a slight breeze that would pierce the humidity every so often. I was able to glimpse the lake through the trees at certain points and it was a clear and brilliant blue. I could hear the wind moving through the water and creating a gentle rushing. As I walked to the cabin with all of my things and paid attention to these sights and sounds around me, I felt utterly at peace. 

The first picture I took at Lake Brownwood Christian Retreat! 

My first evening in Brownwood was one in which unexpected connections arose. I met Becca and Scott Hardin-Nieri, the parents of my friend Liv who is in HELM with me. The plan for the night was to go to dinner with all of the adults and RYMC members. The Hardin-Nieris offered to give me a ride to town for this dinner, and we learned on the way that Becca went to college with my dad! When we got to the restaurant I met Bobby Hawley, a man who would be at camp for a couple days. I soon learned that he had counseled camp for my parents at one time. It was wild to be in the same room as someone who remembered my parents as teenagers, someone whom they looked up to all the way into their adulthood. As I sat at dinner and talked with Becca, Scott, and Bobby, I felt a surge of uncontainable emotions. To be given the gift of these instant connections with the new people in a new space felt overwhelming in the best way possible. The best way I was able to voice these feelings was: “I feel like I’m going to cry!” My tears didn’t come until later in the week, but I went to bed later that night with my heart warmed anew. 

Bobby and me. 

On the first official morning of camp, I went down to the area where the vespers service happened the previous night. It’s right on the edge of the lake, with water lapping up onto rocks just below the seating area and a cross that has clearly been there for many years. I made a habit of going there every morning before breakfast, just to be alone with the sound of the water and the morning birds. I even tried to sleep in one morning, but couldn’t ignore the call of the vespers area! There was a sacred solitude I found there, a moment of silence and appreciation for nature that healed a lot of the worries I came to camp with. Sometimes I played my guitar, sometimes I wrote letters to people I missed, and sometimes I just prayed. The space was one I could truly sit in for hours if given the chance. It was just one example among the wonders of creation I got to see during the week. Others included the lake where worship took place on the second night of camp, the expansive sunsets above the campground every night, the deer that wandered into camp during our evening of silent meditation, and of course, the stars. I found that one word resurfaced again and again at the sight of wonders like these: grateful. 

The outdoor vespers area. 

Becca and Scott were our keynoters for the week. They both influenced the way I consciously thought about gratitude throughout each day, in and outside of their keynotes. Scott talked to us on one of the days about “awe moments”, or moments in which we were overcome with wonder. He provided the example of being in nature and seeing something so beautiful that it couldn’t be captured in words. This is one of the ways to connect with God–through an awe moment. I felt that this perfectly described my gratitude as a result of witnessing creation at CYLS. Scott also talked about how it is our calling as Christians to care for creation because we love it so much. It was inspiring for me to think about the ways gratitude can be used as a spark for action and advocacy. 
Becca facilitated an amazing week-long project where all campers and adults wrote words and phrases on leaves cut out of fabric. The words reflected what had come up for us during Scott’s keynotes in the mornings, and they were all compiled and glued onto long strips of fabric painted with tree trunks. By the end of the week, the trunks were adorned by leaves and resembled colorful trees. The long strips of fabric were eventually cut into stoles and gifted to every single person at the final worship service. Watching each person receive their stole made me tear up. The installation of the stoles was a mark of each person’s dedication to leadership and ministry, whatever that happened to look like for each individual. I felt immense gratitude for all of these leaders and the great things they were bringing to the world. Receiving my own stole was emotional as well. I’m still discerning a call to ministry; it felt like a sign that I was on the right path. 

The strip of fabric where leaves were glued, eventually to be turned into stoles. 

Me wearing my stole! 

Rev. Katherine Wright and I after receiving our stoles. 

I turned 22 about halfway through my week in Brownwood! The Hardin-Nieris took me to lunch at Whataburger (my first time there…I’m sensing a theme this summer) and we shared what we were grateful for as part of our meal together. We shared about parts of camp, about parts of our lives outside of camp, and about each other. I felt so loved by Becca and Scott as I listened to them name their gratitudes for me and share stories of past camp and life experience. It was my very first birthday away from home, but it was perfect. Since that afternoon in town, I’ve made an effort to be more intentional with my gratitude. I name it whenever big emotions start to wash over me (which is often). I name it when I’m finding it hard to be positive. And I name it when I am filled with the giddy happiness that church camp often brings. 

Experiencing Whataburger with Becca and Scott. 

There are so many things I was grateful for at CYLS. I don’t think I can name them all in one blog post, but here are the ones that shine the brightest in this moment: 

  • I am grateful for the youth who attended camp. They are passionate leaders, expert communicators, and brilliant humans overall. I was able to spend a little extra time with the RYMC members before camp began. I loved seeing their excitement in organizing and leading CYLS, something that showed through the detailed planning they had done in prior months. I actually had the pleasure of being with one of the RYMC youth during my Be The Neighbor week prior to CYLS, as his church was a part of that week’s mission trip. We found that we had many things in common: interest in future ministry, a passion for working with young people, and even the same birthday! He was wise beyond his years and a delight to talk to, and he often affirmed me and his fellow youth with kind words. I hope he knows what an impact he has made on his camp community. 

  • I met many more amazing young people throughout the week, whether they were attending my workshop, sitting with me at breakfast, or playing card games with me in the cabin! It was powerful to hear about the hopes and fears they had for the future and what kind of a difference they wanted to make as leaders. It was a blessing to sit in on some of their workshops about identifying their spiritual gifts. I hope they know of the powers they carry within them to positively impact others. They certainly impacted me. 

Youth and adults on the first night of worship. 

  • I am grateful for the workshop leaders and for the opportunity to lead my own workshop. The youth had a few required workshops to attend and were also required to choose from a variety of workshops that all met at the same time. Whenever I wasn’t teaching, I attended workshops led by other adults. It was an honor to learn alongside the young leaders who signed up for these–I am still a young leader myself, even with the 5 or 6 year age gap between me and most of them! I learned more about theological studies than I’d previously known, learned about some seminaries and the future options they present, and was reminded of my gifts as a leader. 

  • I was able to teach my workshop on two separate days. I’ve continued to teach about the apartheid and genocide against Palestinians, facilitating a discussion and doing an art project. I continue to feel proud of the young people taking part in such a difficult conversation and contributing their art and writing. Both times leading my workshop at CYLS gave me insight into how these young people were feeling about the injustices of the world and how they wanted to make a difference. I thank them for giving me their time and attention.

  • I am grateful for the music we were all able to share. I had the great blessing of singing with the camp music director, Steph Hord, on two nights of worship. I loved all of the songs Steph brought to camp and I especially loved listening to the youth hum and sing these songs throughout each day, between workshops and meals and everything else. It felt as if we were in perpetual worship, even outside of that nightly hour intended for it. On the last night of camp, right before we received our stoles, I led everyone in singing “Here I Am, Lord.” But Steph made an intentional lyrical change so that all singular pronouns were changed to collective pronouns. Here’s how the end of the chorus was sung: 

We will go, Lord,
If you lead us 
We will hold your people in our hearts. 

And so on. This lyric change and the earnest way with which it was sung by the camp was moving.
I looked out at the young leaders before me and knew deeply that they would continue to be led by God in all they did. 

Singing with Steph. 

  • To return to the pool and the stars: around midnight, it was time to get out of the water. I reflected on all of my gratitudes from the week. I craned my neck to look at the stars again before going back to my cabin and was compelled to whisper a simple, Thank you. I directed these words towards creation, towards the CYLS community, and towards the God who created both. 

  • Reader, I’m grateful for you. May you continue to witness and appreciate the wonders of creation, relationships, and learning in your everyday life. And may that gratitude propel you towards the change you wish to create in this world. 

Sunset on the lake.