The first batch of Summer Staffers arrived in the Peaceful Woods this week! The 2026 Summer Leadership Staff dove right in to a week full of planning, organizing, and team-building in preparation for the summer ahead.
Read on to learn more about each member of the team!
Joryn Yoder, Summer Program Assistant
Joryn is from Goshen, IN, and her home congregation is Faith Mennonite Church. Joryn is currently studying Elementary Education, Music, and Theater at Goshen College.
Joryn’s first year as a summer camper was in 2014, but they have been coming to camp for much longer. Here is a picture of Joryn outside the dining hall during a visit with their homeschool co-op!
This summer, Joryn is most looking forward to seeing all of the familiar faces of campers and welcoming new ones into the camp community. According to Joryn, the most awesome place at camp is at the end of the dock looking out across the lake because you can see so much sky, water and woods. “It is the perfect place to notice things in the natural world and inside yourself.”
Peter Moser, Waterfront Director
Peter is from Goshen, IN and his home church is Southside Fellowship. He is currently studying biology and secondary education at Goshen College. Peter’s first time at Friedenswald was in 2014 – here’s picture proof (in the red shirt)!
This summer, Peter is most looking forward to swimming in Lake Shavehead. According to him, the most awesome place at camp is “7 feet above Lake Shavehead, with the diving board 3 feet behind you!”
Claire Reichenbach, Activities Coordinator
Claire is from Warsaw, IN, and grew up at 8th St Mennonite Church. She is currently studying chemistry with a pre-medicine concentration at Eastern Mennonite University. Claire began coming to Camp Friedenswald the summer after she was born and has not missed a summer since then!
Claire is most looking forward to meeting the campers and playing a lot of games/sports in addition to helping organize activities. In her opinion, the most awesome place at Camp is anywhere in the early morning, especially the lake. She thinks early morning is the most awesome because “it is quiet, and one can see all the animals and campers begin to wake up and fill the Peaceful Woods with their sounds of joy and liveliness.”
Lucas Lehman, Worship Leader
Lucas is from Huntington, IN, and attends the Unitarian Universalist Church of Muncie. He is currently studying Computer Science at Ball State University.
Lucas’ first time at Camp Friedenswald was for Family Camp in 2009. Here is a picture!
This summer, Lucas is excited to meet the rest of the summer staffers and for the first campfire of the summer during high school week. According to him, the most awesome place at camp is Alan Hill – “it’s the best place to watch the sunset and the prairie.”
Ben Hartzler, Nature Leader
Ben is from Bluffton, OH, and his home church is First Mennonite Church of Bluffton. He is currently studying mechanical engineering at Ohio Northern University. Ben has been coming to camp since he was two years old!
This summer, Ben is looking forward to getting to be outside and teaching all of the campers about what is at camp and how they can relate to it and help it. In his opinion, the most awesome place at camp is the old dock. “It is a great place to sit and collect your thoughts and/or watch a sunrise/sunset.”
Please join us in welcoming these five wonderful individuals! We are excited to see how their multitude of gifts help facilitate what we anticipate to be an awesome summer at Camp Friedenswald.