Although I'm a returning staff, this was my first time at staff training. I, along with ten other Lookout Staff, drove up to Camp Wesley Woods for lifeguard and Wilderness First Aid training, soon to be followed by the rest of the Lookout staff for conference wide training. The bus ride, as well as the rest of the week was jam-packed with introductions, small talk and awkward laughs as we all tried our hardest to put our best food forward for our new camp family. The training was hard, but satisfying--life-guarding is no joke. If you have ever wondered how capable lifeguards are of protecting you or your children's life, fear no more, because that training was intense and in-depth. You are in good hands.
By far the easiest part of this section of training was experiencing camp with the staff of all the other Holston Conference camps. There are five in total, all of which have hand picked staff that astounded me by their talents and their love for Christ. One night in particular we had what we call, "Council House". Everyone gathers around the fire and brings little bits of their camp to each other. We heard stories from Wesley Woods, worship songs from Dickinson, skits from Camp in the Community and booming campfire cheers from Lookout. What I was not expecting, however, was the song of praise that a few staff from each camp put together to share. The soulful sound in these voices mixed with words that touched me deeply, gives me chills now just thinking about it. "People from every nation and tongue from generation to generation, we worship you for who you are. You are good." In this moment, I looked around the campfire at all the faces from not only around the conference but from around the world, and felt those words so deeply that tears welled in my eyes. God was there in Council House that night and I knew then that he would be with us at all of our camps throughout the summer.
Our time at Wesley Woods ended, but staff training for us has really just begun. We are now headed back to Lookout to continue our training. We have so much more to learn about how to be disciples of Christ, while giving our campers the time of their lives. It's pretty safe to say that I have the best job in the world. I'm so excited to see what this summer has in store for me, my peers and your kids. Thank you for entrusting them with us.
See you soon,
Sophie -- "Aquafts" Director