Summer camp has a way of bringing people together. In Alaska, many short-term teams come from the Lower 48, as we call it, to be camp counselors. Is God calling you to impact a life this way?  Do you feel overwhelmed or unqualified to be a camp counselor?  Before you decide, listen to one young woman’s story.  She spent a week volunteering at a bible camp in a remote village and was amazed to see God work to open up her cabin and unite them over a not-so-common experience. 

“I think my favorite thing from camp was when we did the sauna. It was the changing point for my cabin at camp. We all went in slightly uncomfortable, but we ended up leaving as sisters. Up until this point, all the girls were mostly quiet during cabin devotions and cabin time, and I thought that no one was ever going to open up no matter how hard my co-counselor or I tried. I wasn't sure how much I should push because I wasn't sure how much would be acceptable. 

At the sauna, the girls finally opened up, and it was all because my co-counselor decided to splash some water on the girls when they least expected it. From then on it was like a whole new group of girls. We were laughing and playing and throwing pitchers of water all over one another while both in the sauna and in the slew. Just like teenage girls back here in the lower forty-eight, we bonded over a game and by just having fun. 

I think this experience, along with many other things at camp taught me that although we come from very different worlds, we are still the same and God's gospel can reach us anywhere we are because we are all still his children no matter where we come from.” 

As Christian workers, we can quickly wish that the people we are witnessing to will bond over an open Bible or a shared message from the pastor.  Or we think that we have to have some fantastic skill to impress them.  However, especially in a culture built on actions, barriers must be broken with love and vulnerability. With the sauna experience, the girls were able to laugh and see the joy in one another in a silly way, which led to more openness in the more serious times of camp later on.

Join us in praying for God to bring us the needed counselors this summer.  Maybe you will be one of them? Learn more by exploring our opportunities.