Last year I graduated from Wisconsin Academy and while I was there, my friends told me all about Camp Wakonda: how much fun it was to work with the kids and how special camp was to them. I hadn’t really thought about working at camp before, but after hearing from them and thinking about it I decided that I really wanted to. I had gone to camp as a camper and I had always loved it, and camp had always helped me get closer to God.
Image: Matthew and girlfriend Dana on right, all getting ready to leave with the Camp Wakonda Crew to Gillette, Wyoming.
I decided that I really wanted to try and work at camp this summer and that I wanted to be a lifeguard. Getting everything figured out was really hard at times, but as things fell into place I was really surprised at how it all worked out and how it seemed that God was leading me to work at camp. Currently I go to Walla Walla University and since they’re really far away and they get out of school really late I ran into several problems.
When I first applied for camp I realized that getting to camp late was going to be a bit of a problem but then it turned out that I wasn’t going to miss any of the camp weeks. The bigger problem that I had was that I was going to miss getting certified as a lifeguard at camp. So, I needed to find a place that would certify me before I went to camp, but that was very hard to find. I was running out of time at school and really worrying about how I was going to get certified in time for camp.
Image: Matthew with his Camp Staff Award at the end of the summer. He earned the "Baxter's Boss" award, for having removed the snapping turtle (who we call Baxter) from the swimming area.
Then I found out that there is a lifeguard certification class that was offered by Walla Walla. This class came at the perfect timing and I was able to take it and get certified. Another thing that worked out was a job after camp. After camp I was planning to be home for a month before school starts, and I needed to find another job. Most places don’t want to hire people for a month but I found a job that works out very well for me. Throughout this process it has seemed like God was leading me to work at camp and has just provided ways for me to get here.
I am so thankful that I got this opportunity because now I have been able to work at camp and it has been such a great experience. I like working with the kids and families and seeing them all have so much fun. I enjoy running the camp games at night and playing with the kids and seeing them run around and get really excited. I have really enjoyed working at camp this summer because it is a satisfying experience and it has been fun working with the kids and helping them have fun while growing closer to God. Camp was such a fun experience for me as a camper and I am glad that I could help make it a fun experience for others too.
Image: slip n' slide was a fun feature during camp game time this past summer, due to Matthew's initiative leading out in planning the games.
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