Awesomeness Takes the Stage >> Sam

Hey guys! Do you know Sam?!

If not, today’s your day to meet her as she’s the star on our Awesomeness Takes the Stage!

The things we love about Sam: Soccer Star (at CIU), outgoing personality making a person feel comfy with her, tender on the inside, fun on the out, hard working team player, and just down right enjoyable to hang with! Oh, and she loves Jesus!

She’s a friend you’d want to have in the tough times, but also that friend you’d wanna go have a carefree day with. She, like many before her, started her time with Whisper Mountain as a camper and has been a great first-time Guide for us!

She speaks her mind, but doesn’t allow differences to come between. She is a people girl after all! And Tegan loves her, which is saying a lot!! (nice photobomb from Kinsley!)

Her moods/exhaustion/struggles don’t hinder her from what needs to get done and in the end she’s always laughing! We like how God is shaping this girl for His glory and all the ways we’ve seen her grow this summer!

Sam, you may be tough on the outside, but we like how you’ve let your heart out while serving with us this summer! You’re beautiful! Thank you for being here!

Awesomeness Takes the Stage >> CJ

You won’t find two alike of this guy! He’s one unique feller! And we kinda like him! Meet CJ on the Awesomeness Takes the Stage today!

He came as a camper several years ago and we couldn’t be more thankful he chose to serve with us as a Guide this summer! There are many faces to CJ. In short, he’s a coffee snob goofball who doesn’t wash his hair and who loves Jesus and wants others to know Him too!

He’s got quite a way of bringing people in and making them feel comfy and ready to laugh. He’s quite comfortable making people uncomfortable — which has its pros and cons! He pushes the mainstream ideas outside the box to make a person really consider his/her belief system. His ideas aren’t always agreed with, but that doesn’t keep him from spurring great discussions!

We’ve all been baffled by him many times over, but then again, it’s just CJ!!! While he is a true goofball, he knows when to get serious. When he sinks into the eternal and deep stuff, people seem to listen a little more. He has shared Jesus with words, craziness and with the love he willingly and openly shares with the people around him! His leadership is very appreciated, as is his heart to serve and proclaim Christ!

Thank you, CJ, for giving your summer to be part of our team! We wouldn’t be as strong without you, we wouldn’t laugh nearly as often, and Seth wouldn’t know what to do without all those cuddles (HAHAHAA)!

Awesomeness Takes the Stage | Kinsley

Kinsley shared with us in her testimony that she has not always been happy about being a camp kid. Having to be at camp for every school break, all summer long, and a lot of weekends is tough! While her friends were off vacationing or doing nothing at home, she was often at camp serving or watching us serve! She continued to share in her story that God really grabbed her heart two years ago and last fall she felt the urge to apply to be a GIT (Guide In Training)! She wasn’t sure she wanted to do that, but wanting to follow God meant more to her, so she applied! We put her through the ringer, but she made the cut!

The community of love and friendship she has been swallowed by (among the summer staff) has been life changing for her over the past couple years! It’s a beautiful thing to behold!

Kinsley makes people feel welcome because she doesn’t have a problem being real! And she’ll likely find everything you say to be pretty hilarious!! Clumsy, goofy, filled with laughter — she’s a trip to hang with!

But she’s also on point when it comes to aiming to follow Jesus and live a life reflective of him. Her humility, desire to grow, willingness to do hard things and remain teachable are some of the qualities helping her to be shapable as a leader!

When life has been hard, Kinsley has chosen to hide herself in Christ. When people haven’t understood her or have misunderstood her, she has shown great humility in continuing to be Christlike. When she falls from where she’s striving to be, she is tenderhearted and yearns for God to have His way.

Kinsley has a heart for people and her willingness to get outside her comfort zone to reach them has been a gift to witness. We are pumped to have her part of our summer team!!

Thanks for serving with us Kinsley!

DISCLAIMER: This is all from a mother’s point of view, but you would find all this to be true of her too if you know her even a little!

 

One lie we tell ourselves

We are stronger when we are together. We tell ourselves that’s not the truth, we fight hard to make that not true, but it is. When we finally give in to the reality that we aren’t fully our best without others, we finally start becoming all we were meant to be!

Needing others doesn’t mean we are weak, it means we are operating as God intended — in community! Community is just what the Whisper Mountain Summer Staff have been building!

Learning to trust and being trustworthy, braving below the surface level, connecting with others where they are, leading and being willing to be lead — this is the stuff of community!

Whether the leap into community feels like the scariest thing on earth or the easiest, don’t stop building into others and allowing others to build into you.

The rewards are worth the effort. You’ll be the best you yet!