Wait, hold up...less than 3 weeks left? Crazy!

(Many of our interns hanging out and celebrating Patrick's birthday!!!)

So, everyone knew it would happen this way. Summer would start. All of the interns would get really involved in our jobs, building relationships with new summer staff, work crew, and assigned team. And, then all of a sudden we would realize that the summer season has flown by. Well I'm at this point right now, the period of recognizing that there's only one and a half weeks of summer left, and just two and a half weeks left of my internship.


The third session has been incredible so far. My five summer staff cooks are all-stars and I feel incredibly privileged each day I get to work with them. They work hard every day, get things done fast, and are excited to be here to work, learn, and grow. God's doing some exciting things in all of their lives, and I'm honored to be able to participate in this stage of their journeys.


So far we have had eight full camp weeks completed. That's well over 3,000 high school campers who have come onto the property and heard the gospel message of Christ. Of these students, many have stood up at the end of each week to proclaim that they are making changes in their life and want to begin a new walk with Christ. How exciting it is to work in a place of eternal significance!

While summer has certainly been amazing thus far, I am now at a point where it is easy to be anxious about things coming up in the future. Would you be able to join me in prayer for these concerns that have been on my mind and heart recently?

1. Where will I work when I am done here at STC on August 14th? Well, I've currently applied at a couple of YL camps for full time food service jobs and actually have an interview at one camp early next week. Pray for God's guidance and for my peace and confidence as I interview.




2. What about having a vehicle? Currently I still do not own a car since my previous car's transmission died while driving down here last August. Looking for another car is stressful, as this is a big investment. Please pray for the right options to become available and let me know if you know of any good, reliable cars that may be available to me for less than 3,000 dollars.




3. Will I be able to spend time with family and friends before starting a new job somewhere? I'm hoping I will have at least a couple of weeks (if not more) in between my internship and whatever job I obtain to go home to Michigan and spend time with my family. I miss them all a bunch and would love to see them before starting the next phase of my journey. Also, there are so many good friends back in MI that I want to see and catch up with too!




4. What about the great people I have lived and worked with at SharpTop? With many of the interns going in different directions, it is sad to think about this community we have called home for 12 months never being the same again. While we are excited for each others' individual journeys ahead, we all hope to stay connected somehow (phone, Internet, random road trips) in the future. I truly believe these friendships I have made here will last a lifetime!
   

Thanks for reading and praying for me as I finish strong and prepare for this upcoming time of transition.

Blessings!

One Month to Go!

It seems crazy to say...only one month remaining during our year long internship here at SharpTop Cove. Definitely mixed emotions come along with the reality of the change ahead. Excited for whatever God has in store for me next. But, I'm going to miss this experience and the people I've been able to share it with over the last year.

We've got one more session of summer staff, work crew, and assigned team staff starting this weekend. We'll be working with them for the next three weeks as we all serve the next groups of high school campers that come through SharpTop. Then, there will be one more week left as we wrap up things here at camp.

No matter what's next, I'm excited for what will be happening here over the next month. I want to enjoy the remaining time I have with my fellow interns and staff. I want to serve the summer staff and work crew in the kitchen well. I don't want to miss out on what God is doing in the lives of the hundreds of campers who will be visiting this property each week. May He give the rest of the interns and myself the strength, and energy to live out the next four weeks to the fullest.

Hello Session Two!

Well the first three weeks of our summer camping season have come and gone already. Our first session assigned team, summer staff, and work crew left early Sunday morning and our new session two folks arrived that same weekend. We had quite the welcome with a fierce thunderstorm rolling through camp Saturday night. The power was out for a bit and there was some minor tree damage around camp. Thankfully no one was hurt and things are starting to transition to the normal summer feel.

Pray for our energy as we continue to spend long hours this week as we train our new summer staff and work crew through their first week. Also, pray for new relationships with these people to begin and grow (right now I'm just trying to remember all the names!) . Finally, pray that no matter how long are days get and how much work has to get done, that we always stay centered on Christ as we serve in this place.

Blessings!

The busy summer season...

Hey everyone! It's week two here at SharpTop Cove and things are busy, but going really well. I get the opportunity to lead five summer staff in the kitchen as we prepare and serve breakfast and lunch for over 600 people each day. There's a lot of work that goes into all of that preparation, but it is such a blessing to be leading this group. Despite a variety of personalities, our group is becoming closer together each day and I feel like we have really tried to center ourselves each day on the Lord.

When I'm not hanging out at the kitchen each day, I have been trying to engage in the other elements of camp, such as club, tableau, opera, etc. Also, I have been able to brush up on my frisbee golf game with some of the other interns. While there's a lot of improving left to do, I really have enjoyed the friendly competion and time we have been able to share with each other throwing the disc.

With the first session at about the halfway point, I ask you to keep us all in your prayers here at SharpTop Cove.

• Pray for the group of campers from last week who committed their lives to Christ and strengthened their relationship with Him. Pray for their transition back to home and for their relationships with their Young Life leaders, family, and friends.


• Pray for the lives of the campers here this week as they continue to hear the gospel and learn what it means to trust.


• Pray for the next eight weeks of campers who are anticipating their arrival to SharpTop Cove.


• Pray for the community of work crew, summer staff, assigned team, and SharpTop staff to be energized in our work as we finish out the session over the next week and a half.

Thanks y'all!

Counting down to Sunday...

5 days. That's it! Only five days until the first group of buses roll in to SharpTop Cove for the first week of summer camp. Excitement is in the air here at camp as we anticipate ten weeks straight of high school students from all over the southeastern United States coming to have "the best week of their life!"

In preparation for all these buses to come in, we had about 200 volunteers last week join our staff to work on various projects in landscaping, construction, cleaning, etc. to get camp to a condition of excellence before Sunday. This week the work continues for our staff as we finish the projects that were started last week and continue training for our roles as interns this summer.

It really is amazing how many people are involved in making a camp like this run smoothly during the summer time. There is a total of 19 interns here this summer: 4 in ropes, 4 in the kitchen (one of the four will also help in maintenance too), 2 in retail, 2 health officers, 1 lifeguard, 1 sound tech, 1 videographer, 1 bikes wrangler, 1 guest services host, 1 housekeeper, and 1 office intern. All of us will be interacting in one way or another with work crew, summer staff, and assigned team staff as we set up high school students to encounter Jesus Christ.

So, just a few more days remain before all the pieces are in place. Be praying for our staff as we prepare for these groups to arrive at our property. Pray for leaders as they get ready to spend a week with kids they have been building relationships with over the past few weeks, months, or years. And, finally be praying for kids as they arrive at Sharptop, begin to let their walls down, and engage leaders' challenge to trust and pursue Jesus.

Feeling like Summertime!

Just got back from a week long family vacation at Myrtle Beach, SC. It was really nice to see the family and be able to relax and read in the sunny weather outside at the pool and beach. Also, when we returned to Georgia for Mother's Day weekend we all visited the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. It was a lot of fun and I was especially happy for my sister Kelli to enjoy all the sights of the sea-animals.

Another highlight of course was being able to spend mother's day with my mom! I was so thankful that she was able to see where I've lived for the last nine months and spend the week with me and the family. They all headed back to MI on Monday and are eagerly anticipating the warmer weather they felt in the South to work its way up North.

Well, the warmer weather down here in GA, is certainly feeling like summer. Our camp is gearing up for the busy season ahead. Our summer intern class is arriving this week. Next week is our work week where over 200 volunteers are expected to come and help us with a variety of projects around camp to make this gorgeous place even more beautiful before the first bus of campers arrive on May 29. Just a couple days before the kids arrive a group our work crew, summer staff, and assigned team staff will get here and train for the first session of camping.

It certainly is busy, but we are all excited for what's ahead. Be praying for kids who are contemplating being here this summer. Pray that they will say "yes!" commit to spending "the best week of their lives" here at SharpTop Cove!

Blessings!

April Summer...

Well, it's about eighty degrees outside and sunny in mid-April. Definitely love weather like this, especially after hearing about reports of snow on the ground a couple of days ago back home in Michigan. Everything is continuing to go well here in GA. Just over a week ago, our intern group and a few others from SharpTop and WindyGap went to an Atlanta Braves baseball game followed by an Avett Brothers concert, both at Turner Field. Even though the braves lost to the Phillies, it was a fun day. Definitely loved catching up with a few of the WindyGap interns as well.

Camp life is going pretty well lately. Anticipation is high for the summer. Last week we had assigned team training for all of the Field Staff who will be running the three sessions of camp this summer here at SharpTop. It was great to meet so many people I will see in a month or two. I can't wait to get to know them all better.

In the mean time, I'm excited to head home in a couple days to see my family for Easter weekend. It's been just over four months since I've seen them last, so I'm really looking forward to hanging out with them and some good friends back home for a few days. Then, hopefully I'll be joining the family again a few days later for a family vacation in SC. Definitely things to look forward to before the busyness of the summer.

Thanks again for your prayers here and may we all focus on the sacrifice and resurrection of our Lord Jesus this week!