Talk about the good life.

So here I sit in the corner of a Starbucks, struggling to accept that my first summer at Camp of the Hills has come to an end. Wow, was camp incredible. I don't know if I've ever been so transformed in my time there than anywhere else. How could just one month do that to me?

I knew God wanted me at Camp of the Hills for some reason, but I still came into second half worried out of my mind. I feared that I wouldn't be good with the campers given I lacked experience with kids. I was worried all the counselors had already grouped up and I'd make zero friends. I was so concerned that I wouldn't be able to share my faith and say the right things at the right time. My worries consumed me and consequently, I came in convinced I'd have a less than average time at camp. God proved me so wrong.

I met so many amazing kids. Whether it was between elementary to high school week, every camper carried a story that changed my perspective on life. And to be honest, I thought I wasn't the type to immediately empathize with people but I found myself wanting to get to know the campers. Their personalities and upbringings were so diverse! I found it awesome that we could all come from different walks of life and be at camp spending fun time together. I had a camper last week who vowed to smash her face into any cake dessert we had for dinner. She had me on the ground crying she was so funny. My campers have given me so many funny memories.

But as there is a time to laugh, there is a time to cry. I also shared moments of pain with my campers, and I could feel how heavy their loads were. I saw how some buried their burdens deeper than others, but I felt personally convicted to remain at their side and at their disposal. Now, this part of being a counselor was a little bizarre for me because I'm normally not the most compassionate person. But I think God planted something in me, and I began to realize how imperative it is to value any person who comes to you in confidence. So even though all the fun times were awesome, God revealed so much more to me in times of sadness.

Looking back, I am so thankful I came to Camp of the Hills! Not only did I get to meet hundreds of extraordinary campers but my fellow counselors changed my life as well. I met so many inspiring people who were a blessing to work alongside. During the times I was physically exhausted, they were there. During the times I was mentally exhausted, they were there encouraging me every step of the way. I cannot fully express how grateful I am to have met such uplifting, awesome, energetic, sidesplittingly hilarious people! And if you're a counselor reading this, you rock!

So to wrap this novel up, I just want to say it's been a great summer at Camp of the Hills. For a lot of reasons. And y'all best believe I'm coming back for 2013.