This has been my first summer working at Friedenswald, after coming here as a camper for almost ten years. While I knew my way around camp and the general structure of the week, I had no idea how much work really happened behind the scenes, how tired the counselors really were, or how rewarding the job would be.
From my first day here, I knew it would be a good summer. The counselors immediately started getting to know each other–and my first moment of wonder came once we were all gathered together. Everyone was genuinely interested in meeting everyone else. No one shied away from conversation or helping others move into their rooms. The community we have built is truly unique, and it is part of the reason we can even do all that we do during the weeks of camp. It is so easy to ask for help with a difficult cabin or even just a friendly face to vent to during a challenging week. On my wrists I have bracelets made by other counselors–physical reminders of the support they show me, which I happily reciprocate. The fast-forming community that exists behind the scenes here at camp–among summer staff and those who work here year-round–is truly a source of wonder, one that I am grateful for every single day I’ve been here.
One night during that first week, I was sitting out in the lounge talking with a group of staff, when suddenly Ben and Joryn walked in, asking if anyone wanted to walk to the prairie to see the fireflies. I said yes, and a group of us began walking out. I expected to see some lights–nothing too special, just some glowing bugs. What I walked into exceeded all my expectations. The prairie was sparkling. Imagine the fake-looking effect in a 80s teen rom-com–that’s what this looked like. It felt like we had walked into a magical world–our own personal Narnia–and we were surrounded by fairies. While I have experienced many moments of awe since then, as I walk through camp, this was the first one, and the one that struck me the most strongly.
By far the most rewarding part of working at camp is the campers. I had one week during youth camps in which I was not leading a cabin, and it made me realize how much I enjoyed having my own campers. The community you get to build is remarkable, and I loved getting to bond with the kids. Their excitement is contagious, and while it is work, and it is hard and sometimes exhausting, it is wonderful. My pre-junior cabin was full of complainers, and yet they all were captivated by a millipede we found on a hike. Many of my jr. highers went canoeing with Ben and fell in love with/became inseparable from a turtle they caught. Their wonder is contagious, and often fills me with wonder as well.
This summer’s theme of wonder has opened my eyes to the wonder that surrounds me. The work that I’ve been doing, the environment in which it happens and the people who join me in it are filled with moments of joy, awe and God’s beautiful, wonderful creation.