Awesomeness Takes the Stage >> Erin

The final 2016 Summer Staffer is on the Awesomeness Takes the Stage today! Welcome Erin, if you will!

(Just to clarify the picture above — Erin was eating one of those delicious cookie stick things at the Dork Ball we have to kick off the summer! Sooooo, there’s that.)

As I feel like I have written throughout our whole Awesomeness Takes the Stage posts this summer, Erin was first a camper!

Holy smokes we have gotten to see Erin grow up! For around eight or so years, she has somehow been a part of Whisper Mountain! Being a local to Robbinsville, she has spent a lot of time with us through school or local community events, as a summer camper, and as a volunteer whenever we had need!

Seeing Erin go from sort of quiet and in the background to Lead Guide has been nothing short of God’s gracious and beautiful work in her life. He has clearly become her greatest joy in life which has made her confident to do what He keeps calling her to.

Seeing her exchange the brokenness in her life for the yolk of God’s peace and healing has been inspiring! He is shaping her into a virtuous woman who willingly carries the burdens of others so they too can know God’s freeing peace and ocean of love.

Watching her lead worship, teach and connect with campers makes us feel like proud parents in awe of the woman she is becoming. We couldn’t be more thankful for her being a part of our Whisper Mountain family for so long or more excited to see her growing as a strong leader for God’s glory!

Thank you Erin for serving with us this summer and being willing to be stretched through your role as Lead Guide! You have led well! We love you!

Whisper Mountain + Moving Mountains

Winter is the time for planning and preparing at Whisper Mountain.

The guys do their thing outside when the weather isn't too miserable–the building, maintenance and improvement of the property, buildings and equipment. The girls do their thing inside–the million little details necessary to effectively run the ministry.

But we all come together to pray, brainstorm, throw out ideas, pray, reject/receive ideas, pray until we feel sure of God's direction for the upcoming summer. The process at times feels grueling, frustrating, and uncertain, but in the end becomes exciting, inspiring and energizing. Once the direction is established we move forward to fill in the details of how to pull off the message effectively with the campers. 

As we finalize our Summer 2014 theme, would you be willing to pray for God's clear leading among our team and the divine inspiration on how to effectively reach the campers coming to us this summer? Your prayers go a long way to ensure eternal success for the work we do!

While I'm on the subject of prayer, as a staff we pray daily for the needs people send our way. We have opened a direct line for sending prayer requests to us. If you would like a team of people praying for you, send your requests (and praises) to pray@whispermountain.org. We would feel privileged to bend our knees on your behalf! Thanks in advance for your prayers for us!

Have an awesome day!

seven years

His dream has been a reality for seven years now!

Yesterday came and went as any other Sunday does. We didn't have a grand celebration or even a conversation about it. But my thoughts were drawn to the beginning. To the place where God began to put cement to the journey.

Seven years of pouring out in ways we never anticipated; seven years of God bringing unexpected people along the trail to serve, grow and pray with us; seven years of deep personal growth; seven years of investing in campers, seeing life change and being in awe of God. The words fall short as I try to commemorate the mile stone of another year Proclaiming Jesus through the camp ministry of Whisper Mountain.

We are grateful to those of you who have helped make these seven years possible. We are grateful for God's faithfulness every.step.of.the.way. There's no God like ours!

don’t you love it when a plan comes together?

Lots of excitement filling the grounds as we welcomed our first group yesterday! With any first group, we've got a few kinks to work out of our programming, but I'd say all in all things are going quite smoothly! The campers are having a great time, the weather is beautiful, our staff is pumped, our goal is in focus! Don't you love it when a plan comes together?

As I was bouncing down the road in one of the carts yesterday, I looked over at my mom and saw the weariness I felt reflected in her face. I said, "Everything we work our tails off for all year is underway today." We both took a long sigh and laughed a weary chuckle because all we wanted to do was crawl back in our beds and sleep! Alas, sleep shall wait a good ten weeks…there's more work to be done! We are just thankful to share the work with such a strong summer staff team!

Thanks to those of you praying for us! We await evidence of God's great work this week! 

Where’s My Rocker?

Even the foggy lense can't hide the excitement of folks returning to Whisper Mountain for the summer! Reinforcements have arrived for Ramsey and his all out battle to keep on top of the grounds work around camp. Hectic and exhausting work, in spring especially! 

We find ourselves dreaming of a little more front porch sitting these days. But alas, summer for the folks at Whisper Mountain means full throttle. While you do some front porch sitting this weekend–and you should!–would you pray for us to accomplish the final details and to find a spec of rest before the nonstop begins? We appreciate your gift of prayer! (you've no idea!!)

Happy Weekending to you!

whys and whats

Either you landed in this space accidentally, Google sent you, you were on the Whisper Mountain website or you are a regular around here. As a reader, I would guess you have an interest in this whole camp ministry gig. But why?

I'm not asking because I don't want you around. Not at all. I'm asking because our team is beginning a journey of refining our goals and focusing our efforts more strategically. I'm curious to know why you care, what draws you in, what keeps you coming around our parts. Knowing the whys and whats will help me better understand your point of view. Which will allow me to be more effective in communicating!

If you've got a few extra moments, would you mind leaving a quick comment letting me know what brings you around? I (we) sure appreciate it!

Let's go be awesome today!

a little action outside the office

The sun was calling me out, I had some "wait for the uploading" time to burn, and there was a little action outside the office. So I grabbed my camera and went skipping out the door. Yes. skipping. and smiling. and carrying a camera. totally talented!

I caught my man being manly with a chainsaw and some sticks! (look at those muscles. no, don't. nevermind.)

(And then he saw the camera and pulled out the typical Shaun pose. oiy.) He's cleaning up some dead stuff along the road that makes things look really…dead. Something I never realized before coming to Whisper Mountain is that a forest takes a lot of work to keep up! There are always fallen trees and branches and such. Full time work to keep this property looking smashing! Which brings me to Maintenance Chief!

Chief Ramsinator was driving his rig around…donuts in the dirt…I think that's all he was doing! No. Just kidding. He was doing something with engines and stuff that goes in the gas for winter or something. (clearly I'm not with the maintenance department!) This guy has much to keep up with! I just leave it to him!

(When he sees the camera come out it's either duck lips or coolness poise! I picked the cool pose! He'd kill me otherwise. jk.lol.hi –hop in. That's what he'd say if you could be here. in the moment. anyways…) I'm glad he's smart enough to know that working at Whisper Mountain is where it's at! Smart little lad is he! Or maybe Whisper Mountain is smart for keeping him around! hmn. You decide!

Boss Man wasn't around. Something about a board meeting to prep for or the fridge epidemic that's hit camp…no really. Our big freezer and our little fridge in the office went down. What? Hope it's not contagious. We can't stand to lose the pop machine too! (yes. I say pop. lay off!)

I'm super glad you popped in today! It gives me the chance to offer well wishes that all in your life stacks up real nice for you today! Seriously though, life can be tough so hang in there. Light is always around the bend of the shadow!

May His light shine upon you!

just…amazing!

Whisper Mountain recently held, for our third year, a Christmas dinner for our local church’s deacons! Since I am now a deacon’s wife (eek!), Patti worked hard to keep me a little more on the receiving end rather than the work end of things! She did a lovely job with decorating the place, didn’t she?

Aside from the usual help of the other full-time staff, she pulled in some great help both locally and not so locally! We thank the youth for their willingess in serving each guest with class and style! And Leann Peery & Delores Eland for their help in the preparing of food, seeing to last minute decorating details, and general moral support!
Prime Rib Dinner and delicate desserts filled the tables (and our bellies!).

And of course the fellowship was the point of it all! These people, servants in the community and lovers of God and others, were the gems of the evening. How we, as a ministry and as individuals, have enjoyed being part of this community of believers!

Deacons, thank you for choosing Whisper Mountain as your place of celebration this season!

what made the trip

A camp group from this past summer invited the Whisper Mountain family to join them at their home church for a weekend retreat they were putting on. A few summer staff and the full time staff were able to drive down to Hilton Head to spend the weekend with the teens and their leaders!

   :: It wasn't the beauty of the church, rocking youth band or fun-loving teens.

   :: It wasn't time spent playing in sand and water.

   ::  It wasn't the sound of the water spilling upon the expansive beachfront.

   :: It wasn't the quieting such beauty brings.

   :: It wasn't the comfortable home and its intriguing wildlife.

What made our trip to Hilton Head memorable was the love & friendship from the hearts of God's people. Each of us were blessed by the open arms of the Workman family and their church body. It's the stuff life is made of!Whisper Mountain loves you Hilton Head!

I had to

I know I said yesterday that I may not share in this space because we are at the 3CA conference, but I had to!The day has been quite blustery, but where the day lacked in warmth, the speakers and people gathered here made up for it!  After I slid into my first morning class, breathless and late, then got over the "Oh, stink, Tegan's clothes are here with us, not there with him" bit I was able to fully embrace all that God is doing through the teaching and worship and connection. The thing about a conference like this is that there is so much deep, good, intriguing information being poured out, it takes some settling in our brains before we can really get what we heard!  After some settling takes place, know that there will be some sharing in this place because I don't want to hoard the blessings all to myself!

Then there was the opening session last night:

  My heart engaged in the worship in ways it has been craving and I didn't even realize! The band led us in sincere and engaging worship that was refreshing and powerful, God's church joining together in song!

Then, our speaker was introduced!  None other than Jeff Foxworthy!

After giving us the gift of laughter (and we were rollin'!), he got serious for a few minutes and shared what God was doing in and around him.    I couldn't help but be impressed by his humility and down-to-earthness! His willingness to use his platform to bring God glory is refreshing, as his tenderness toward God! We also enjoyed hearing from his wife Gregg who shared her experience of finding God as a teenager at a camp.What's beautiful about this whole gig is that God's purposes are accomplished through such a vast assortment of people, in such a vast assortment of places but with a single unity of faith in Him! It blows my mind! But delights my heart!  Yeah…we are having a kickin' time at conference!