Introducing the 2026 Summer Staff of Camp Friedenswald! We have been impressed so far by their curiosity, enthusiasm, and openness to wonder.
For this post, we asked each summer staffer to share a moment of awe that they have recently experienced. You’ll notice from their answers that they experienced a wide variety of awe from many places around the globe! We look forward to seeing how the summer staff experience wonder and awe at Camp Friedenswald this summer.
Anton Alstrom / Goshen IN / 8th Street Mennonite Church
“Music is always inspiring to me — in this past year, I got to sing Jacob Collier’s “World, O World” with a group of around 60 singers. I had chills the whole time!”
Ally Barkman / Goshen IN / Unitarian Universalist Church of Muncie
“I have had so many moments of awe this past year, it is hard to choose one. I think one of my top moments was in Puerto Rico during the Festival de San Sebastian. All over the streets of Viejo San Juan, there were small groups of people playing instruments, singing, and dancing in the alleys. It was full of joy, celebration, and community that I continued to feel and experience throughout my time there.”
Alina Bergstresser / Goshen IN / Faith Mennonite Church
“I was in Ecuador for SST! One moment of awe that I experienced was when our bus drove by the Cotapaxi mountain on one of our trips. It was totally amazing and just one specific moment where I was amazed by the beautiful mountains in Ecuador. It felt so comforting to be surrounded by the peaceful mountains everywhere I went. I was inspired to think of their groundedness and calm when I found myself in times of uncertainty when I didn’t have control.”
Marta Bergstresser / Goshen IN / Faith Mennonite Church
“Singing World O World by Jacob Collier in a mass choir”
Ethan Blount / Bluffton OH / First Mennonite Church of Bluffton
“The beauty of differences between classmates being disregarded and everyone coming together for our final weeks.”
Mila Bontrager / Goshen IN
“Going to New York and seeing the top of the Empire State Building at night! Also getting to play in an orchestra at a church in New York was beautiful.”
Gabo Brenneman-Ochoa / Goshen IN / Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship
“This past year I took a walk during the middle of a huge snowstorm in the woods near my house. Everything was so quiet and I was so amazed with the stillness and the peaceful easy feeling it brought me.”
Lara Claassen / Elkhart IN / Hively Avenue Mennonite Church
“I started keeping a gratitude journal at the beginning of the year and I’ve noticed how I have a lot more moments of awe than I did before — I did my practicum at a nature school in a forest at the foot of a mountain and every day on my way to work I was awe-struck by the beauty of the trees/mosses in the PNW! I’ve also been super into ravens recently (there were a lot in the forest).”
Kaleigh Coffman / Bluffton OH / First Mennonite Church of Bluffton
“One thing that made me stop in a moment of awe this past year was seeing spots of light glimmering in a creek in my hometown during the spring.”
Josiah Eisenhour / Goshen IN / 8th Street Mennonite Church
“One moment of awe was when I was taking a hike with my family and we came into a clearing that was full of sunlight. It was so peaceful that I just stood in place for a second and took it all in”
Evelyn Gary / Hillsdale MI
“Drawing one of my camper’s portraits”
Ben Hartzler / Bluffton OH / First Mennonite Church of Bluffton
“While visiting Iceland this past August I think one moment of wonder was getting to hike up Mulaglijufur canyon and getting to see how large a path the water had really created.”
Carson Kauffman / Indianapolis IN / First Mennonite Church of Indianapolis
“One awe moment I had in the past year was my family and I’s trip to Montana last summer, where we went hiking in Glacier National Park and saw many cool animals like black bears, mountain goats, and mountain sheep.”
Tristan Keener / Silver Spring MD
“I was walking past the field while on my way to class, and I saw two students holding very long and skinny ropes to a giant balloon in the sky. I think it was a weather balloon for a class. I could also spot another one at an unknown location in the distance.”
Emma Larimer / Fort Wayne IN / Maplewood Mennonite Church
“I was walking out of an exam on campus and was super tired and hot and then when I went outside it was raining softly. I love the smell of rain and everything was so green with spring coming and it was a nice warm rain. It made me smile and then I walked back to my apartment in the rain without my umbrella because I liked the feel of the rain hitting my skin and the smell of rain in the air. It made my day so much better.”
Emerson Landis / Goshen IN
“I was out on a bike ride on the Pumpkin Vine on one of the first nice days of spring. It was almost silent with only the sounds of birds around me. I chose to stop and just take in my surroundings.”
Graciela Leahy / Columbus OH / Columbus Mennonite Church
“I saw Liberation on Broadway and have been in awe ever since.”
Lucas Lehman / Huntington IN / Unitarian Universalist Church of Muncie
“Seeing the Grand Canyon”
Brock Liechty / Lima OH
“My friend passed away recently and me and his girlfriend were coming home from dinner. There was an owl flying around down the street on the way to her house and when we got to her house we looked up and that owl was sitting on a lamp post right above us, but flew off into the night shortly after us noticing. Turns out my friend was always really interested in owls and she believes it was him watching over her. It made me stop and think for a moment and whether it was him or not, it gave her some comfort, so that was a good thing to see.”
Clarissa Martinez / Anderson IN
“Climbing Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador. I arrived at the lake that sits on top of the mountain and felt such an accomplishment and I was filled with so much joy. Definitely one of my best moments.”
Toby Mast / Goshen IN / Assembly Mennonite Church
“One moment of awe I remember from the past year is seeing the sunset in the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee on my school’s senior trip. I love being in the mountains and everywhere you looked there was so much beauty in nature.”
Maggie Maurer / Pigeon MI / Pigeon River Mennonite Church
“Watching the Artemis II crew circle the moon.”
Gregory Miller / Huntington IN / Huntington Mennonite Fellowship
“During my last month in Florida, an alligator started chasing me. I ran as fast as I could, but it kept getting closer and closer. But the alligator was blind, so when I jumped behind a tree, it just kept running. As I watched it run past me, the only thing I could feel was an overwhelming sense of awe at how fast it was.”
Greta Miller / Goshen IN / Southside Fellowship
“Spring. The way everything looks dead until all of a sudden everything is in bloom and there is color everywhere. I love it.”
Peter Moser / Goshen IN / Southside Fellowship
“I walked within three feet of a timberdoodle and he didn’t flush- just moved out of the way. I got down really low and just watched him through the grass. I could see the details in his feathers with my naked eye.”
Claire Reichenbach / Warsaw IN / Eighth Street Mennonite Church
“Over the last few weeks, I’ve been able to study/travel in Guatemala, and we have gone on two hikes, one on a volcano, and one near a volcano, where I just found myself embraced by nature and in awe of the world around us. These moments allowed reflection and gratitude to fill my being.”
Jonah Reichenbach / Warsaw IN / Eighth Street Mennonite Church
“Over winter I spent some time in France. One thing that was truly amazing was seeing a huge stork swooping into its nest, which was on top of the gable of a half-timbered home in Alsace. It was incredible to see it glide down, and the wingspan of the bird was impressive. I was staring at it for a few minutes before I had to keep on moving.”
Elizabeth Ripperger / Lancaster PA / Blossom Hill Mennonite Church
“Watching sunrises during morning practices”
Jacob Shenk / Goshen IN / Berkey Ave Mennonite Fellowship
“I was playing sand volleyball with friends just the other night, and it was a really nice evening. I noticed one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen while I was playing, the cool breeze on my skin, and laughter with friends. It was really something special.”
Not pictured
Eli Simones / Cincinnati OH / Columbus Mennonite Church
“Seeing the San Juan de Gaztelugatxe near Bilbao Spain.”
Ava Sommer / Columbus / Grace Mennonite Church
“A super cool nature sighting recently was I went to Canada and I saw Niagra Falls.”
Andrew Swartz / Wilmore KY / Wilmore United Methodist
“Watching the waves of Lake Michigan hit the cliff sides during a backpacking trip in the UP.”
Claire Troyer / Huntington IN / Huntington Church of the Brethren
“Standing on a mountain in Ecuador and seeing the town below!”
Joryn Yoder / Goshen IN / Faith Mennonite Church
“I had a moment of awe while driving in the country in Canada near sunset. I could see the sky for so far and there were so many colors.”