Awesomeness Takes the Stage >> Natalie

Hey friends!!! Let’s welcome Natalie to our Awesomeness Takes the Stage today!

This is Natalie’s first year as a Guide with us, but she has come as a camper for the past couple years! With her heart of compassion and fun loving spirit, Natalie offers great friendship to those campers coming through our gates!

Her love for punk rock, ukuleles, photography and living au naturale make up only a small part of who she is! Natalie is a natural born leader who never takes ideas as her own without first discovering what she personally believes. It’s been a good thing to see how God continues to fine tune and shape her through her role as a Guide.

Natalie can be pretty funny and has all manner of little sayings or movie quotes…

We are thankful for her willingness to come serve with us this summer and offer the campers a little bit more of Jesus, Natalie-style!

Thank you, Natalie, for being willing to serve with us this summer! May you continue to follow God’s path for your life and allow Him to have every nook and cranny of your person! He’s got good plans for you! 

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!

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!

Church at Charlotte Middle School Summer 2016

Last week was our first time welcoming the Church at Charlotte Middle Schoolers! What a great group of people!

When people pull out of the noise of their everyday lives and get alone in the quiet of nature, they give themselves the opportunity to hear the whisper of God. When that whisper is heard, when God personally connects with those seeking Him, well, that life is beautifully changed!

Two lives were eternally changed this week as they gave their heart to Jesus and many others bolstered their intentions to follow God more intentionally and personally! Being surrounded by people who display the love of Christ, who are intentional to connect and encourage makes a huge difference in the camp experience!

We completely enjoyed our time with you, CAC! We hope to welcome you again! Until then,  go be alien ambassadors!! (Dakota, Maple misses you!)

spelunkrophobia | aka today’s nonsense

Good mooooo-rning! A little nonsense for your Monday! I've made an executive decision to skip Memorize it Monday mostly because I'm tired which results in some apathy! We'll blame it on the wretched time change that I kinda love–more sunshine!

On another note, Whisper Mountain is bouncing with excitement with high school seniors from Florida on their class trip! If you had a week jam packed with adventure, such as zip-lining and spelunking, you'd be bouncing with excitement too. Unless you're like me and you're currently gasping for breath just thinking about spelunking (inhale, exhale, open spaces–you're in wide open spaces–woo-sawwww). 

Which camp are you in | claustrophobic or spelunker?

from the peanut gallery [summer staff randomness]

A fun part of capturing the weeks of summer with my camera is catching our goofball staff in their randomness! Enjoy a few from the week with some peanut gallery commentary!

>>>Cuddle moments: a sure sign the staff get along really well!

>>>Photo bombing the camera card means I get to post them, right?

>>>I really enjoy listening to the band!

>>>Tip: when bored, stuff weeds in your ear! [dirty + weird=my boy]

>>>Working on facilities crew=dress & stand the same at all times!

>>>Tip: when hot at high ropes, open up the pits and let the breeze in!

>>>Did he see the lens pointed his direction or is something wrong?

>>>……..idk

>>>Ever ridden the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World? The boat drifts under a bridge with a hairy pirate leg dangling down and the cave resounds with the stuck-in-the-head song, Yo ho, Yo ho, a pirates life for me!

That wraps up our first peanut gallery column! Tune in some other time whenever my mood strikes! Until then, go make somebody smile! It’s contagious!

Summer Staff, I love you! 😉

Do you like to invade?

The time has come to rally our Whisper Mountain Prayer Invaders! For the love of blowpops what's a Prayer Invader? Glad you asked! PI's are people who believe in the power of prayer and are committed to fighting the spiritual battle raging on for the souls of young people.

So, do you like to invade? Not personal space, silly! In the darkness keeping people from life in Christ? Would you like to receive weekly emails throughout summer to pray more specifically for each week's needs and groups? Do let me know to add you to the list by emailing me at cassi(at)whispermountain(dot)org.

Seriously, if you haven't discovered the power of prayer, I encourage you to start now! Your world will be rocked…in such good ways!

Awesomeness Takes the Stage // Chelsea

I always joke that Chelsea is my Selah all grown up! They are very similar…sweetness and shining smiles being strong suits! In her second summer with us, Chelsea:

{photo by Charley}

// consistently offers a contagious smile to everyone //

// isn't afraid to hold a hand and plunge into life with others //

// is on the brink of a teaching career //

// graces the stage with the Bros on Ice band //

// clings to Jesus while embracing her life adventure (with a smile) //

// connects intentionally with people regularly :: inspiring //

// refreshes those she spends any amount of time with //

Cassi: What is your favorite verse?

Chelsea: Well, I go in phases, but right now it's Ephesians 6:19-21 "Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."

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

Chelsea: I really felt like God used me a lot last summer and when I had the chance to do it this summer too, I was like yes, I want to be used again!

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

Chelsea: (squinting her eyes in happiness like she always does) A TEACHerrr!

Cassi: Is there anything the WM friends can be praying for you about?

Chelsea: that I continue to make God my #1 priority so I can glorify God in all I do, especially this next semester with all the busyness and all.

If anyone has a tenderness to God's Spirit, it's Chelsea Starr! She takes seriously her call as a Christian to disciple and battle in prayer for many who are in need of God's miracle working power! She dedicates mass amounts of energy and time and heart pouring into others, offering wisdom or simply a listening ear! She's also very accident prone which makes me laugh (in a loving way!)…so much like my Selah! Truly, I haven't met anyone that doesn't like to be with her! She's the refreshment I believe God wants us all to offer to those in our world! I'm encouraged and inspired by this girl!

May we be intentional to give off the aroma joy to someone today! Everyday life can really stink!

Whisper Mountain Dork Ball

Because there's a dork in all of us, that's why! We had a great time dancing the night away as a staff last night! My feet are hurting still this morning, but being a dork was completely worth it! These people, I just love them! The laughing, the comradery, the spiritual strength…this summer is ama-zing!

Embrace your inner dork today! You'll have more fun!

(find a few more pics on our WM Group Page!)

looking gor-geous

Fertilizing, fixing up, digging out, and transplanting the camp property has been some of our work these past warm days! There's no twisting my arm to get me to ignore the mounds of office work for a little bit of dirt work! God certainly has the place looking gor-geous, but how fun to add in our own splash of preference here or there!

:: hedge of forsythia's

:: Janet Magnolia and poplars

:: burning bush hedge

:: blue spruce

:: maples

Most of these transplants we've made started out as free little *sticks* from the Arbor Day Foundation. They don't look like anything more than sticks when they arrive in the mail, but once planted it's only a matter of time before the *tree* in them comes out! 

I wonder if you are waiting for the *tree* to come out in something in your life. If so, don't give up on the waiting. Life will bloom there. The quiet beauty will astound.