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!

Awesomeness Takes the Stage >> Seth

You may not know it yet, but Seth is PRETTY awesome — welcome him to the Awesomeness Takes the Stage today, will ya?!?!

Like so many staff before him, Seth was first a camper.

Watching him grow from camper to Lead Guide has been a pretty awesome thing to see. Seth’s leadership, this summer especially, has been a gift to Whisper Mountain, but also to those under him, whether they realize it or not! The humility he leads with, the sponge-like desire to continue to develop and grow, the willingness to do the hard thing if it’s the right thing are just a few of the ways we’ve seen him flourish.

Of course, every leader gets his face smeared in the mess of the thing he’s leading at some point along the way! While that can feel discouraging in the moment, in the long run, it’s just a few more rough edges shaved off the solid character being built! Seth has the proven character to show for it!

God has been leading, growing and prepping Seth for mission or pastoral ministry! His focus to follow God in this is quite frankly a refreshing thing to see! Leaders really are being raised to proclaim Christ to this generation. Doesn’t it sometimes feel too lost?! This right here, friends, is just one among many that God is calling forth to change the world for His glory! The reality that God is still actively working and moving through His people should be making us shout with joy and confidence in Him!

Seth, thank you for the years you’ve spent at Whisper Mountain Camp! It has been our pleasure to know you and be a very small part of your journey! May God continue to bless you and keep you as you continue to follow and Proclaim Him! We love you!

 

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!

Church at Charlotte In Tents | Summer 2016

Early this summer we welcomed the Church at Charlotte middle schoolers, but this past extended weekend we welcomed the Church at Charlotte high schoolers for a different sort of stay!

On a week long camping trip, we were just one of a few stops they were making. They began with us and will end at Niagra Falls! Awesome right?! We saw first time camping people adjusting (some better than others) and seasoned ones soaking it up! Part of the goal while at Whisper Mountain was for them to experience walking like Jesus walked. They stayed on the opposite side of the “normal” camp. If you’ve never walked our roads, you can’t quite appreciate the reality of walking from one side of our property to the other (where the bathhouse is!).

Aside from the walking, a good dose of heat, and a rain situation, they seemed to enjoy the time they had on the high and low ropes courses.

I (Cassi) admire the leaders for taking these teens outside their normal comfort. We too easily get stuck inside the posh life we experience (if you are reading this on a computer or handheld device, that’s you!!). Sometimes getting outside of that, experiencing a little inconvenience and less than ideal can make us grow in such unexpected ways. Hearing the conversations and observing them even briefly made me take a look at what I’ve been taking for granted, made me slow down and find the bare boned simplicity within today. As a result, I find myself thanking God more!

Thank you, Seth and Nikki and CAC teens, for stopping in at Whisper Mountain, for all you’re doing to lead these teens, and for the beautiful reminder to me to simply walk with God! May He bless you as you follow Him!

5 Stones Middle School | Summer 2016

We simply didn’t get enough of Five Stones Church last week with the high schoolers so they went ahead and sent over their middle schoolers this week!

The first half of the week was the girls! The second half of the week was the boys! What?! Wild and crazy, and we hope and pray, Christ filled!

While the activities remained mostly the same for both halves of the week (yes, two weeks of camp smooshed into one!), their content was able to be specially catered for the beauties and the warriors and how to become that with Jesus at the center!

We were thrilled that half of the BeYOUtiful in Christ ministry was able to join us for the girls portion of the week! (You should check them out if you’re interested in custom events for girls!)

After more than twenty years in youth ministry, their youth pastor, Daryl Sutherland, is moving into the outreach position within their church (something that he’s been actively doing even as a youth pastor!) We are thankful his last youth camp was with us and we pray God’s blessing as he transitions into this new role of ministry!

Thank you 5 Stones Middle Schoolers for coming to camp at Whisper Mountain! We’ve enjoyed you this week!

(see their instagram file of pictures here!)

Five Stones Church — High School | Summer 2016

Last week we enjoyed Five Stone Church’s High School crowd at Whisper Mountain! These Charlotte teens brought excitement and friendship along with them!

They run their week a little different than the other groups through the summer, so although their schedule feels a little more fast and furious, they enjoyed the best of camp before week’s end!

We saw a couple teens give their lives to Jesus (you’re hottin’ and hollerin’ right?!!!) and many more find breakthrough in places they felt captive! Jesus makes us new, He frees us and changes everything for the better! These High Schoolers experienced Him in some personal ways this week!

Their leaders love them well, make all things fun and help lead the way to deeper walks with Him!

Five Stones High Schoolers, thank you for coming and spending a week with us! May you continue to chase after all things Jesus!

(Find the instagram file for #summitatwm2016 here! High school and middle school weeks are both included!)

Relevance Community at Camp Summer 2016

Last week we enjoyed the company of Relevance Community — a mission work team from Florida! They have come for the past few years to make a difference serving in our Robbinsville community! The nursing home loves them as they sing and talk with the residents; the elderly in need of yard work help or minor outdoor house improvements can’t thank them enough; those unable to climb stairs any longer appreciate the ramps that have been built for them; those at our local thrift store appreciate the added hands making their work lighter; those all around town appreciate the bright light that comes to town when Relevance shows up!

We also got to celebrate the lives of 5 fantastic people throughout the week! We are used to 1 or 2 parties in a camp week — but 5?!!! That was fun!

This year we added in a small sliver of the camp life at the end of their work week! They enjoyed tubing at Deep Creek and team building on the low ropes course!

Their attitudes are some of the best I’ve seen in the teen world. Something about serving others develops such a joy and contentment in life! Inspiring for all of us watching!

Relevance, thank you for spending a week with us this summer! Keep serving Jesus and loving each other well! 

See more of their pictures from the week in their WM hashtag folder on Instagram!

Dolly wasn’t there!

The Whisper Mountain Staff adventured to Dollywood for a day of roller coaster riding fun! Rather than waiting for the end of summer for our “celebration/thank you/let’s play” staff event we found a pocket of time last week! I gathered a few pictures from everyone’s instagrams to give you a peek into our day! (somehow quite a few guys never made the pics so just imagine them trying to suppress their little girl screams on the wild eagle roller coaster!)

After all the walking around and adrenalin exhaustion, we caught a show to end our day. The Gazillion Bubbles Show! Have you ever heard of a bubble artist? Me either! It was amazing! I was very impressed and I couldn’t stop smiling! Such fun!

When we work as hard as we do, play becomes appreciated! I’m thankful for this group of people we work with and for the gift of play we found at Dollywood! If you’ve never been and you are in the Pigeon Forge, TN area sometime, it’s worth a stop! Might as well stroll a short ways through the forest and visit us at WM after!

May your Monday be an un-Monday!

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! 

Awesomeness Takes the Stage // Kaleigh

Kaleigh came with a work team last year and we were thrilled she wanted to come as a Guide this summer! Kaleigh drips with sweetness and fun! She:// has the perfect balance of beautiful and sweet… //

// …dorky and fun //

// is quite humble which means her gifts and talents are constantly being discovered! //

// is a member of the bros on ice band //

// is a professional photo bomber //

// is big hearted and compassionate //

// makes a stranger into a friend //

// pursues peace in all things //

Cassi: What is your favorite verse?

Kaleigh: Acts 20:22-24 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.^"

Cassi: Why did you want to be a Guide this summer?

Kaleigh: I was looking to do a couple things this summer, but God seemed to close the door. I was part of a prayer group at school and there were several people that night sharing how they wished they could be a camp counselor but they couldn't find a position available. When I got home that night, Shaun called to see if I'd be interested in being a Guide at Whisper Mountain. The door seemed open to come here.

Cassi: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Kaleigh: My main goal is to work with orphans or cancer kids.

Cassi: Do you have have anything you'd like the WM friends to pray for?

Kaleigh: Just knowing what to do with my life and all the college decisions I need to make

Kaleigh can be quiet and observing or right there in the midst of the craziness. I have been blessed by her sweet and gentle spirit, her desire to please God in all things, her constant smile, and her silliness! I'm thankful God opened the door for her to serve with us this summer. Her connection with the teens is consistently strong. I have gotten to see God use her in many ways as she continually and patiently submits to Him! Beautiful and inspiring…Kaleigh in a nutshell!

May you find ways to be a blessing to someone today!