It's been a completely different experience than I went in here thinking it was going to be. Different community, different setting, different camp. It's not bad at all, I have actually learned a lot about myself, my walk with the Lord and my interactions with others. I've learned a lot about my love language living in community like this and how I respond to others as well. I'm not talking about relationship status love language, I will let you know that I am very happy with it just being me and God for a while... until he decided to change that but right now I am so very content with that fact and being a free bird so to speak. But living in a tight community of other interns and friends it's been hard but good at the same time. I've realized that the way I opperate and give and respond to love and attention is completely different than a lot of people. Due to the nature that my job brings I spent a lot of time by myself weather it was in my office or in camp or in town. Not compalining at all, it was just the way my schedule worked but I did learn to love it and appreciate the office way more than I thought I would. A lot of things that happen in the office that as a camper or even a leader you wouldn't really think about how it happens... it just does. I guess that's the magic of Young Life. For instance here are a couple things that I did on a weekly basis that I never thought about before:
- dividing the camp into teams for pool olympics is actually really fun
- volleyball brackets are actually done the day before with housing assignments
- housing is the biggest puzzle in the entire world
- rooming assignments are prepared for leaders to fill out on the bus while they are coming down the drive way. (thinking about this now, i do remember filling something out when i took girls to camp)
- carboard for cardboard testimonies are not just one peice of cardboard because no cardboard that we get at a camp is blank on both sides. Myself and my SS girl have taped together about 270 peices for leaders stories to be shared on.. and we have about 30 more to go before the summer is over.
- it never occured to me that you can't have 2 buses on the drive way at the same time. They also can't arrive at the same time. Day 1 is my Air Traffic Contoler day and it's almost a coreographed dance in how I get the buses in and out of camp.
- my mail just always showed up... I never thought about the fact that someone is going through piles and piles of letters and packages everyday (including Saturday) and sorting it among ~400+ people everyday. I also didn't know that WC could get (or write) so much mail!
- Schedules.... in the south they laminate all their schedules... after they are minimized and folded. 126. Every week
That is just a few things but it was definatley an interesting summer.
I met a lot of great people too and it was good to see how another camp does things and expand my thinking and to stay open minded. As much as I will always love WFR I began to understand how dangerous it was that I had let myself become so attached to one place. I was resistant at first and probably still a little bit but it was good to get out, get away and to see new things around Young Life and understanding what it is that we do really well.
I was able to meet a really good group of people that I know I will stay in contact with for a long time. Some we clicked together better and faster than others but I love and respect them all and know there is a reason God wanted us to work together this summer. Not only the people who are on staff with me right now but the people and leaders who came through STC I think were just as important. We a lot of the Arkansas groups come through who some I already knew, some I just met but because we were from the same place it was really fun to connect with them and know that these were the people I was going home to. Moving to Arkansas couldn't have been a better decision. I am so excited to go home to Conway (me and my roommate just put our deposit down on our apt!!! so pumped to live with her!) and be living in community with thoes people and know that I now know not only people there but feel connected to people in Fayetteville, Heber Springs, Little Rock and North Little Rock. I love so much how Arkansas kind of melds itself into one giant area. I lived there for 2 weeks but the state isn't that big and I already feel at home there.
All in all I am excited for what's to come and how I am taking my time at Sharptop home with me.
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