Meet the 2022 DPF Peace Interns

The 2022 DPF Peace Intern Summer is right around the corner!

Peace Intern Training Week will begin in Indianapolis on May 21! After spending a week of intentional preparation featuring training sessions led by denominational leaders and peace/justice advocates, the Peace Interns will spend their summer serving on camp staff at in-person Church Camps throughout the country AND having weeklong remote work projects that they do alongside justice ministry partners. The Peace Intern experience will continue through the end of the first week in August.

Disciples Peace Fellowship is overjoyed to introduce Isaac Ackerman, Sophia Barnett, and Erin Gresham as our 2022 DPF Peace Interns. Keep following this space (disciplespeace.org/follow-the-interns) for updates from the Peace Interns detailing everything they are up to this summer.

In the meantime, here is a small introduction for each of them!

---

Erin Gresham
(she/her/they/them)

Erin Gresham is a student at Phillips Theological Seminary in the Master of Social Justice program (MASJ).

Erin was born and raised in Mackinaw, IL and is a lifelong member of the Disciples of Christ calling Mackinaw Christian Church as their home congregation. A former XPLOR Resident, Erin lived and served in the DFW Metroplex while a part of that program.

Erin has a great passion for social justice in many areas, but they are most passionate in Queer rights and ministry. Erin writes, "Jesus fought for justice so there can be peace for all. Peace is a promise, a promise that the storms in our life have an end, a promise that we grow, a promise that we are loved."

---

Sophia Barnett
(she/her)

Sophia Barnett is part of the ministry team at Full Gospel Christian Church in Detroit. Born and raised in Detroit, Sophia is an avid traveler and entrepreneur with a passion for economic justice.

In addition to her work at the church, Sophia is a Financial Counselor, Restaurateur, Author, Teacher, and Hair/Skin Care-Expert.

Sophia writes, "I am interested in the DPF Peace Intern Program because I understand you have to be the change you wish to seek." Her areas of interest are Socio-economic injustices and rebuilding generational wealth within the African-American community. Sophia currently lives out that mission through her non-profit the Making A Child Change Foundation, and through her financial counseling firm Wisdom Financial Management.

---

Isaac Ackerman
(he/him or they/them)

Isaac Ackerman is the Head Resident at Disciples Divinity House at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Isaac is studying in the a Master of Divinity program with a concentration in religion and economic justice.

Isaac's Hometown is Morton, IL -- the pumpkin capital of the world! A graduate of Eureka College, they spent the year after university teaching English in Korea before returning to the states to be part of the XPLOR program in North East Ohio!

In describing their hopes for the summer, Isaac writes, "I see camps and conferences as deeply prophetic spaces. I come alive when we set a time to dream and rest from our typical lives and let our imaginations begin to wonder what we could do differently in the world."

---

Takeaways from the Summer

The 2021 DPF Peace Interns

I’m not really sure what to make of my experience as a peace intern. It’s been really fun, but I don’t know how it’s going to impact me in the long run. I’m not sure what I’m going to end up taking away from it.

I’ve learned more about people. How different we all are…how similar we all are. I’ve observed how we can all sink to pettiness at times, no matter our age. And I’ve also seen how we can overcome fear and bias to bridge across difference, make connections, and form relationships. I’ve watched people hurt one another…and heal one another. I saw people work to tear others down, and I saw people build others up. Instances of inclusion and exclusion are present at all church camps. We don’t always like to acknowledge that bullying, negative peer pressure, gossip, and general social harm take place at church camp. The fact of the matter is that it does, though, it always does.

That’s because we’re human. Whenever there’s a large enough group of people, there’s always gonna be something.

But the cool thing about church camp is how that kind of stuff is responded to. Usually, there’s a kind of no tolerance policy for that kind of behavior. It’s made clear that those things are harmful and not consistent with church camp. It doesn’t fit with the atmosphere we try to craft at camps, so this kind of stuff is usually swiftly dealt with. But it’s not dealt with in a punitive manner. I noticed a real effort to support and love not only the attacked, but also the attackers. People tended to check in with both parties and try to attend to both parties needs. After all, I’ve found that the saying “hurting people hurt others” is often right on the money. Even when people were sent home, I noticed that camp staff often made a real effort to extend care to those people, even after they had left camp. Even when people did some real nasty things, there was a general vibe of “loving concern” from staff. They wanted to believe that people could get better. There was a real focus on love. Love, support, healing. (I know that sounds cheesy; bear with me.) I’ve always found that to be at the core of what church camp is, and I was pleased to see it put into practice, not just when it was easy, but when it was hard—when it would’ve been easy just to write people off. Basically, I saw the people of our church putting their money where their mouth was, and I was really glad to see it. 

So I observed people and gained wisdom. I sharpened my people skills, learned to connect with teenagers, and became a better presenter/facilitator. This is all great! I learned some things about humanity, but I also learned some stuff about myself, as well. The unexpected is expected at camp. Nothing ever goes to plan, and staff must adapt on the fly. Sometimes serious drama arises. You never really know what you’re going to face.

And after going to camp for four weeks (5 if you count online camp), I’ve faced a lot this summer! I’ve gotten lost (several times), dealt with serious issues, been the sponger for teenage tears, adapted my workshop countless times, and so much more! And I was able to handle it all! Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t so it alone; I had the support of many amazing people along the way. Still, I think my experiences as a peace intern have helped me to become more confident in myself. As I took on each challenge, and came out on the other side, I began to feel more and more reassured that I can take on the world. Now that I’m on the other side of this summer, I feel more capable. I’m more confident. I feel more like an adult! After all, if I can handle a full summer of church camp, I can probably handle a lot!

Before I go, I did want to mention the camps one more time. Each camp has become a special place to me, and I think I’ll continue to hold each one in my heart for the rest of my life. And I’m not just saying that as lip service! Church camps are just special places like that. They have an impact on you. The ones I went to certainly impacted me, and I’m so grateful for this summer and all of the life experience I was able to gain these past 10 weeks. Thank you to everyone who was with me along this journey; I’ll carry you all with me as well. <3

Peace!
-Kate 

---

Closing Retreat

The closing retreat was a lot of fun! It was so nice seeing my fellow interns, Ash and Marisa, in PERSON!

Taken after a lovely evening with Krista in her thriving garden. you wouldn't believe she only started it during the pandemic!

I also got to see our boss, Brian, for the first time in person, as well as several people we met with virtually over training week.

I got to see LEGS, people! I was finally able to figure out how tall everyone was (taller than me, as always….). I saw what kinds of shoes Marisa wore at camp (Skechers sandals), what everyone’s ankles looked like (your typical ankles), and so many other weird things you notice more after a global pandemic.

The best part was probably just being able to have down time with all these people I’d only ever interacted with via Zoom. There’s a deeper sort of bonding that takes place over impromptu in-person conversation that you just can’t get over Zoom. Maybe it’s the eye contact. Whatever it is, it’s a really special thing.

A casual scene at the Allisonville guest house. We stayed there during the retreat. and this was a pretty common sight. Brian in a chair, Marisa on the floor, and Ash and I sprawled out on the couch. This was taken when Timothy came to visit. (note that he preferred the chairs)

Brian is a selfie man. He took a lot of group selfies over the course of the retreat. I'm glad of it, though--we would've hardly had any pictures if it weren't for Brian!

I really valued getting the chance to meet with these people I had come to respect and admire over the course of summer. I was able to not only look them in the eye, but also just chat casually with them, hug them, eat with them, and just drive around to places with them. It made me very happy. 

Debriefing and snacks on the deck with Randy, our Spirituality Coach from Training Week

I had fresh fruit and coffee at Randy's! (The other interns drank iced tea.)

We didn’t really do anything spectacular while we were together, but we had fun. We went out to the Cheesecake Factory that first evening! Brian made us a lot of really tasty food. Ashlyn made us pasta one night. Krista and her husband cooked us a whole feast! Essentially, we ate well. We even made a fire and roasted s’mores one night!

Some pasta Ash made for us. She learned it from TikTok!

Some delicious breakfast tacos, courtesy of Brian.

We stayed up late talking and watching old Disney movies. We talked a lot about our various camp experiences and did a lot of reflecting. We got matching tattoos, got Starbucks, went to Trader Joes…honestly, we mostly just talked, but it was much needed talking! We all had things we wanted to share and process.

S’mores with ingredients from Trader Joe’s!

The interns decided to get matching tattoos together. It took us a while to land on a design (we're all quite different, with different tastes), but I think we landed on something that we could all be happy with. I think it's cute, but elegant. Plus it's kinda a play on DPF's logo! It's a good commemorative tattoo for our experiences as peace interns.

It was a much-needed retreat! 

This was taken at the Vespers/Campfire area right by the house. Funnily enough, Randy's son actually helped build the site!

---

There’s No Place Like Home

For two weeks, I had the opportunity to serve at my home camp - Tawakoni. This place and the people there have meant so much to me, and I loved getting to share some of that back with them.

Although, to be completely honest, I was just a little (okay, maybe more than a little) scared for these two weeks. These were the people who got me to where I am today - without their support and guidance throughout my years at camp, I wouldn’t have a passion for fighting for peace and social justice. I really wanted to make them proud. Little did I know, I had nothing to be afraid of. I was welcomed home with open arms and grateful hearts.

I also want to share a couple of experiences that really touched me and helped strengthen my faith. We had one camper who started out isolated, keeping to themselves away from the group, always wore a hoodie and long pants. Throughout the week, we witnessed something beautiful; gradually, the camper opened up to a couple others, shed a few layers, and by the end of the week was participating in the talent show. I was in awe every day seeing them open up, little by little. Moments like that remind me the magic that is created when a safe space is provided for those who need it.

There was another moment, at the very last evening worship, that describes the community that is found at camp. As we were taking communion, there were a few campers with tears in their eyes, realizing the week was about to come to a close. They were comforting each other, some kneeling to pray with each other. That support, the family, and the love felt between everyone at this place is what reminded me of how important it is to be in community together, especially after the past year.

I’d like to end with the verse that means so much to me because of it’s importance to our camp - Psalm 46:10

“Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

---

Online Staff for an In-Person Peace Camp

Online camps are difficult. They are especially difficult when you’re the only one online and everyone else is in person!

Zoom camp perks: lap cat

Peace Village camp was certainly a different experience than the other camps I went to this summer for that very reason. Now I’m going to be honest here, I wouldn’t recommend zooming into an in-person camp! If you had another option, like being physically present or having everyone on zoom, I’d say that would probably be a smoother experience for everyone involved. Being “present” only on a laptop made communicating with the campers pretty difficult. But with the extremely generous help from the staff at Peace Village Kids Camp, I think I was able to make the best of the situation! I can only hope the campers got as much out of the experience as I did.

The kids were soooo sweet! It was a younger crowd than I was used to. The campers ranged from 6-13 years old. All of my previous camps were CYF camps, so this camp was a pretty big divergence from what I was used to. I was a little nervous about giving a workshop to such young kids. And there was such a range of ages too; a 6 year old is gonna be in a vastly different place, developmentally, than a 13 year old, or even an 8 year old!

I did my best to present material that was age-appropriate. It had been a long time since I had last interacted with young children for an extended amount of time, so I really hope I was at least somewhat successful in my attempts. I got good feedback from the staff at the camp, but sometimes I’m not sure if people are just saying things to be nice, ya know? Personally, I felt like the best feedback came from the kids. I’m not sure if they really got much out of my actual workshops, but I think they at least managed to have a good time during our sessions! I really enjoyed watching them laugh and play with each other. I loved listening to the stories they told me; even if I often couldn’t actually hear the stories, the looks on their faces when they talked with me were enough of an indication that they were having fun, and that made me happy! So what if we ended up talking about dogs instead of ways we could make the world better? Learning to find joy in life is an important aspect of peace-building!

One of my favorite moments of camp was when some of the kids stayed behind after the session to give me air hugs. ~melt~ It was just TOO CUTE! Can’t quite get THAT at a high school camp!

So yes, the experience was vastly different from the in-person CYF camps I went to for most of the summer, but it was still fun and meaningful in its own way! I’m really glad I was able to have this experience. I’m also super grateful to Susan Finch, who went so far as to mail me a camp T-shirt and a camp photo! The photo was a lovely surprise! I also wanted to thank Richard Cintron, who became my makeshift IT person, as well as my in-person facilitator. Richard really helped things run more smoothly for me, and I’m very grateful! Overall, it was a fun and rewarding camp experience for me! 

---

Camp Christian

“Camp Christian does things a little differently than most church camps.”

That’s what several people told me before I set off. It’s true; Camp Christian does do stuff a little differently than most church camps.

They have this huge fundraising culture centered around “DIG” (Which is an acronym, and people told me what it meant multiple times, and I still can’t remember for the life of me. Diversified Income Gaining? Nope. Definitely not it. Just trust me when I say that it does mean something!)

There’s also a big team of staff at Camp Christian who are modestly paid to keep the camp running all summer. They clean the bathrooms, guys, ALL SUMMER. They’re true heroes.

They also have committees at Camp Christian. These committees—which are made up of campers and a few counselors—are in charge of putting together various camp activities such as banquet, talent show, and vespers. They don’t really have small groups at Camp Christian, so committees take on the planning of these activities. I happened to end up on the Consecration committee. Consecration, for those who don’t know, is like mega-vespers. It’s this giant worship service that happens on the last full night of camp. It’s also the only worship service where there’s communion. (I know. Only ONE communion??? At a DISCIPLES camp!!!) Unlike Vespers, Consecration typically lasts several hours. Technically, it doesn’t actually end until the next morning! There’s like a Consecration Part 2 the next morning that consists of a closing circle that includes prayers and a call to ministry—which about half the camps I went to did, just in case you were curious. During Consecration, people usually travel all over the camp, doing various activities at different locations. Some highlights from our Consecration were the vow of silence, counselor prayers, and writing nice things about yourself and pinning them on a big cross. I had a lot of fun working with the campers to plan Consecration! 

I know I’ve been highlighting all the differences between Camp Christian and your “typical” church camp, but Camp Christian actually did A LOT of things differently this year because of COVID. They adjusted a lot of their traditions, and the camp ended up looking a lot more like your “typical” church camp this year. I could tell it was a huge adjustment for everyone there, campers and counselors alike. The biggest adjustment was probably that they did keynotes this year instead of their usual classes. I think it went great! They had a different keynoter each day, and they were all great! (And I’m not just saying that because I was one of them lol.)

Everyone adjusted really well to all the changes in routine. I think a big part of that was because everyone there really did love the camp. All the campers I interacted with did an excellent job of trying to tackle all the changes with an open mind and a loving heart. The campers I talked with were all super respectful to boot! My cabin especially so. Cabin groups were extra important this year; the COVID protocols meant we had to spend a lot more time with each other than usual. Being a new counselor, I was a stranger to these young women, and I was also the person they had to spend like half their day with! I know it wasn’t ideal for them, but they were NEVER rude or disrespectful towards me. That meant SO MUCH to me! They were so kind and funny. And they were also very brave. As I said, I was a stranger, and it takes a lot of guts to trust a stranger. 

I was very proud of all the campers at Camp Christian. They had to do a lot of things differently this year. They had to break tradition. That’s really hard. But they did it with grace, flexibility, and love. Camp Christian may do things a little differently, but at the end of the day, church camp is church camp. That’s really all that matters.

The camp calls this large pond a lake. I disagree. It's two ponds stuck together, y'all. Not a lake. Still. It was beautiful! A lovely feature in the center of the camp!

A couple of funny church-humor signs. Made me snicker!

One of several counselor coffee spills. This one looks kinda like an art instillation.

A truly terrifying sight at the spooky themed talent show!

I bought these squishy creatures for my cabin at the dollar store, and I think it helped solidify me as a "cool" counselor lol!

I had to add my mark to the table where a past peace intern left theirs! It's the start of a whole legacy!!

---

Back Home at Camp Bedford

The iconic view from the lodge balcony AKA the back deck.

I was nervous about returning to Bedford. It had been around seven years since I was last there as a camper! But it was just perfect. Honestly perfect. It just felt right. I was so dang happy all week! The campers were wonderful; my fellow counselors were amazing; the directors and staff were fantabulous!

This is probably the best spot in camp for getting that "Alleluia! Heaven breaks though!" pic. Several of us at camp had theories about this kind of light as children ranging from "God peeking down" to "souls ascending to heaven" lol

I know Peace Interns probably aren’t supposed to say this, but my home camp really IS the best!

It’s not that other camps aren’t amazing—they are! 100% And it’s SO obvious to me that everyone LOVES their home camps. And I think that’s part of the reason that for me, there’s no place like Bedford. It’s the best camp for me. It just feels like home. At Bedford, there’s juuuust the right mixture of absurdity, hilarity, chaos, structure, love, and holy space. Camp Bedford is the perfect storm—in a good way!

I could go on and on about my home camp, so I’ll try to keep it brief.

The campers were amazing! I mean the campers are always the best part of any church camp (at least that’s been the case for me this summer), and my point is that the Bedford campers were no exception! First off; they’re hilarious! I credit this at least in part to years of careful tutelage from the counselors and staff, who are equally hilarious, and have years of experience as comedic wizards under their belts. I often found myself doubled over in laughter while at camp.

Kevin Loomin’ Large

But the campers at Bedford were more than just funny, they were also curious. They didn’t just come for fun; they came for the churchy stuff too. They really dug into the material. They asked really insightful questions and gave good thought to the questions we posed. They also had a bunch of great questions of their own! I had some excellent conversations with campers over the week ranging from “What does it mean to be a Christian today?” to “Is this world real or a simulation?” :D 

I also loved how respectful the campers were with each other. A lot of stuff gets brought up at church camp, and shockingly, not everyone agrees on everything. Sometimes it can get kinda ugly, though. I felt like it didn’t get ugly at Bedford. I mean there’s always stuff that crops up at every camp, and I felt like the things that did come up at Bedford were pretty mild. (This is only from my perspective, of course.) I just felt like there was a real intention among campers to keep things open and loving.

The Craft Cabin AKA The Craft Barn AKA The Old Lodge AKA The New Old Lodge AKA...

I was also impressed by the bravery I saw over the week. People came to myself and others with questions they were nervous to ask. They were all good, normal questions, but that doesn’t mean it’s not scary to ask them. Overall, there was a trend at the camp to ask questions when knowledge was lacking. I love to see that! I saw many instances of people of differing opinions coming together and talking openly about stuff. Many of these moments were UNSTRUCTURED and not even counselor initiated!! It made my heart soar! It was just so great to see everyone back at the camp they loved, myself included! I hope Bedford Christian Church Camp continues on for many, many years!

Some people struggle to see the river from the balcony because although it is the WHITE river, it's really more of a dirt brown color lol. So here is a 'proof of river' pic.

The camp was accidentally double-booked on the evening when the staff showed up, so we ended up staying in a nearby Holiday Inn Express for the night. We successfully took over the lobby with a pizza party and probably disturbed the guests adjacent to billy's room with our late night counselor campfire planning.

My room had a balcony that overlooked....THE INDOOR POOL. An interesting design choice.

---

And on that note, a shameless plug about the new camp renovations and a potential vacation/retreat opportunity for my readers! For those of you who don’t know, Camp Bedford recently underwent a camp-wide renovation. And let me tell you, they are FANTABULOUS!!! The cabins were SO air conditioned—it was honestly almost too much! (But that’s on us for not turning down the temperature, which you can easily do with handy dandy remotes!) The cabins are also heated now, so if you wanna get away in the fall or winter, NO PROBLEM! The new craft lodge is really nice! They kept the old fireplace, which is a beautiful limestone affair, and they’ve even set up this nice gas fireplace in it, so there can be ACTUAL FIRE!!! Cozy evening in the craft lodge, anyone?? And the COTTAGE! WOW. It is straight up LUXURIOUS in there! It’s so FANCY! It looks like it should have a glossy spread in a tiny homes magazine! SO NICE. If you want a nice weekend getaway spot, that cottage is the place! (I think it sleeps around 6, and it’s handicap accessible!) Okay, that’s the end of my plug. But seriously. If you’re looking for a nice place for your next retreat, consider Camp Bedford! Also, if you’re ever in the area and you need a place to spend the night, consider renting the cottage instead of opting for a hotel. If you’re traveling with more than a roomful of people, it could potentially be cheaper to rent the cottage. Aaaaand the money will go to a good cause; keeping my beautiful home camp up and running! 

The new and much improved cabins!" They're essentially still the same cabins, same size, look, beds, and cabin symbols, but now with walls that don't *squish* and *bend* when you push on them! Also new lighting, windows, and doors.

The new cabins also have POWERFUL air conditioners. They don't make ANY noise, and they do a great job of keeping out that "camp damp." These units are also capable of HEATING the cabins!! ooooooohhhh~

https://campbedford.com/ —the camp homepage 

https://campbedford.com/camp-facilities/cottage-in-the-woods/ —info about the cottage specifically 

https://campbedford.com/pricing/  —Pricing Info

---

Back at Camp Chandler

Camp Chandler, my home camp was one I was looking forward to a lot.

After a year away from this place, I was ready to be back and I was in a new role for the year: Peace Intern at CYF. I was counseling with some of the people who were my counselors when I was a camper, so I knew pretty much every counselor there. It was also exciting because some of my family were there so it was nice to catch up with them. 

It was interesting to find out that this year there were more boy campers than girl campers which was new to the camp because it is usually the other way around, but we were all still very excited.

Once all the campers arrived, we started with the rules and expectations for the campers which is always to be expected. Camp finally started after we had lunch. Unfortunately, it stormed so the swim time for the day had to be canceled which left a lot of campers upset because it was very hot and humid and who doesn’t love swim time.

We found time to play games and had people catch up and meet new people.

During the campers scavenger hunt, I decided to take some time for myself and find a good place to chill in my hammock until campfire. The photo above and the next few pictures are some I took as I tried to find a good spot.

As a person who loves to take photos and such, I very much neglected it this summer. Though the few photos I took I like a lot and speak a lot to where I was.

I wish I was able to take photos of the last vespers we did because it was beautiful, but I was helping with it so I was not able to so y’all will have to take my word that it was amazing. There were 21 campers there this summer, which is a good number considering last year. Each camper had a great time (as far as I know) despite the few bumps there were. All of them got along by the end of it and each grew within Christ. I look forward to going back (but to Junior camp because I love the small children lol) and glad this is where I can call home.

---

In-Person Camp Tips from Kate

Here are a few things I discovered were very important to have at camp!

1. bugspray, Bugspray, BUGSPRAY!
   Mosquitoes are obviously an inconvenience, but also TICKS! They are NO JOKE! Both camps had a horror story about a tick bite! And not old stories either. RECENT ones. *Shudders* PROTECT YOURSELF! BUGSPRAY. 
   

2.  INSULATED WATER BOTTLE
   Buy one. Now. They are LIFE CHANGING! After the first camp, I was sick and tired of drinking warm, plastic-flavored water. So I went out and got myself an insulated water bottle. I was skeptical! But OH MY GOSH! It’s AMAZING! Keeps stuff cold for HOURS! WITH ICE STILL IN IT!!!! Life. Saver. 
   

3. Solid sandals are a must (for camps that allow them!)
   I forgot my hiking boots at home. Tennis shoes are fine, but if you get those suckers wet you’ve got damp feet all day! Laaaame. Hiking boots solve that problem (if their waterproof like mine), but it’s true that they can get a bit stuffy. I relied mostly on flip flops at my camps, but they aren’t very supportive. My feet started to hurt after a while, and they’re really easy to trip in! (ask my skinned knees.) They also have a tendency to lose all cohesion with your feet in the rain. I just went out and bought some Teva’s (with solid arch support and grippy bottoms), so hopefully my feet will be camp-ready when I set out again! 
   

4. Always have some kind of towel or rag you can get dirty
   Your feet will inevitably get really dirty at some point, and you won’t have time to shower, so having something around to clean up your feet a bit is a real life saver! You also may need to clean up a spill, or in my case quickly staunch a bloody nose. 
   

5. Sunscreen
   Wear sunscreen. Just do it, people. 

Week 2: Camp Kum Ba Ya

I didn’t get lost on the way to KBY per say, but I did have some trouble getting there.

I made this mosaic as part of a craft project, and I'm pretty pleased with it!

I made it to the camp gates without issue, but once there, I found myself unable to get in! The gates were locked, and I was supposed to call to have the gates unlocked. BUT, my phone wasn’t getting service! So, I turned around to retrace my steps until I found service. There was a touristy area about 15 minutes back, and I figured I’d get there, get cell service, call the camp and inform them of the situation, and then drive back no biggie. But YES BIGGIE! Because I drove back, and still no service! So I kept driving. After about 30 minutes, I was freaking out a bit. See, I HAD BARS, but my calls weren’t going through. So I started to panic thinking my phone was broken. Around this point, I also wasn’t sure whether or not I was lost. I’ll spare you the details, but after an hour, I was a hot mess. But THEN! THANK THE LORD! SERVICE!!! I swear to GOD! I have NEVER been so relieved to see the letters “LTE” in MY LIFE!!! With a HUGE shoutout to DPF Mission Director Brian Frederick-Gray, I was able to alert the camp to my existence, and find my way back. Unfortunately, the detour meant I didn’t have time to nap that day. Tragic. 

Now here’s the REAL KICKER: turns out there was a doorbell-like apparatus on the gate, so I could’ve just gotten out of my car, walked around the gate, and someone would’ve known I was there. -_-

Once at Camp Kum Ba Ya, however, I felt immediate relief. Jamie, the director, was there to greet me, and expressed much needed sympathy for my hardship! I shortly met the other counselors and staff, and we played a hilarious game from the 80’s called “Therapy” to get to know one another. Everyone was immensely welcoming, and I was able to get a good night’s rest! 

This was the fastest moving caterpillar I've ever seen! WKDH had a whacky caterpillar too! I swear! It's an alien invasion!

I won’t lie. The first two days at KBY were a bit rough. It was excruciatingly hot, there were bugs EVERYWHERE, two separate ER trips, and a serious incident. I was pretty dang stressed those first 48-72 hours! However, by the end of the 3rd day, things began to settle. Almost all of the campers were good humored and kind. I didn’t have much trouble exercising authority, and there were camp pranks every day and funny cabin clean ups that always lifted my spirits and made me laugh! My fellow counselors were wonderfully supportive! We were all EXTREMELY busy, but we had a good check in everyday at the counselor meeting, and that was really nice. I ended up taking over crafts in the last half of the week, and that was an adventure! It’s funny—though not at all surprising—how people seem far more willing to open up and talk over crafts than in a workshop. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the lake. It was lovely! I did not swim in it, but I did walk in it once, and I enjoyed watching the water. The breeze and the sound of the tiny waves was always very soothing. It was my first time at a camp with a lake, and I’m a fan! I also wanted to give a shoutout to Sugar Bear for building the legit BEST campfires I’ve ever seen! They were MIGHTY! Someone really ought to gift him some fire tongs or something for Christmas, for a number of reasons…

Thank you for having me Camp Kum Ba Ya! I appreciated all the laughs and the good conversations! Seeing all the campers and counselors joke around and have fun was very uplifting. Thank you for the support. Thank you for the experience. Thank you for the joy!

Instead of a senior banquet, we opted to do a Beach Party At KBY! It was super fun and very well received by the campers! We had glow sticks and night swimming, plus we roasted hot dogs and s'mores! (Which was actually kinda horrible because it was over 90 degrees, and the fire was HOT!! But it tasted great!)

Here's the Counselor Photo for KBY! Thank you all for always making sure to regularly check in with me and each other!

---

My Experiences at Wakon'Da-Ho

My first two weeks were both spent at camps! I started with Camp Wakon’Da-Ho in Kentucky. I was nervous as it was my first camp of the summer. Luckily, fellow peace intern, Kate was also there which helped a lot!

So story time now, the day before I was supposed to leave, my car broke down and I had to put it in the shop. With that, I drove my mom’s car. I drive a car while my mom drives a SUV, so the change was weird for a 5 hour drive that came afterwards. Nonetheless, I made it safely to the camp without getting lost. 

Back to the camp now, once I got there, I met the directors of the camp who got someone to show me where my cabin was. I got my stuff up into the cabin and got everything set up around my bunk. Now I have to show off my t-shirt quilt of all my previous camp shirts (plus a couple).

I was super excited for all the campers to arrive the next day. Meeting all the counselors and the YLT (Youth Leadership Team) was awesome. They are all amazing people who wanted to make camp seem as normal as possible with all the COVID regulations. Campers started arriving the next morning and once most of them arrived, the official start of camp began! I will say that I did have some camp culture shock and it took me most of the week to get past it, but it was awesome seeing all the campers come together and share a great connection with each other!

There were many great talks and conversations in my small group. Here is a photo of my small group socially distancing as we meet.

There was one night at Vespers (worship) that was really moving with the entire camp. Some campers got up and shared their traumas and that they don’t want to stand alone. It was so moving that there was a place where the campers felt safe enough to talk about these things and all the counselors provided a place to talk to campers afterwards if they needed to talk. It was heavy, but every single camper that was at that camp was strong that night and they are strong every single day.

This camp was the best camp to start off my summer! I am actually getting the chance to go back to Wakon’Da-Ho for a Junior camp in July so I am very excited about that opportunity. 

---

My First Two Weeks "In the Field" as a Peace Intern

Flexibility - that’s the word I think best describes my first two official weeks as a peace intern.

Initially, I was supposed to attend one in person camp and one virtual camp. Sadly, both of those camps had to be canceled and so we had to quickly find a way for me to fill up those two weeks. While it wasn’t how I planned the summer to start, it ended up being a great couple of weeks! 

I started by working with Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea, Director of Disciples Refugee & Immigration Ministries. Prior to this experience, I was a little familiar with the state of our refugee and immigration policies, but not near as much as Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea. It was so great to hear from someone so passionate and knowledgeable on the subject, teaching me so much in the process. I had the opportunity to learn and advocate for World Refugee Day which was on June 20th! In the process of helping others advocate for refugees and asylum seekers in our country, I learned more about our laws and ways I can make a difference from right here in the middle of Kansas. 

The girls in my cabin, holding up their craft - a paper lantern where they drew something that reminds them of light

Originally, that was the project I would be working on for those two weeks, but as I mentioned above there’s been a lot of flexibility. My regional church camp had a counselor who had to drop out a few days before the camp, which left them in desperate need of another female counselor so that second week I played double duty - leading the junior camp and sneaking away during nap time to do some more work for RIM and meet with pastors interested in World Refugee Day. 

Similarly to most camps, my region is using the Creation Speaks curriculum, which talks about our creation story, how we are connected to the earth, and ways we can be God’s light. I believe that at this age, it’s especially important to make sure children know they are important, created in the image of God, and all have their unique ways of shining light into the world. One of the stories we read was Rainbow Fish - one of my childhood favorites - and learned the importance of sharing our resources with others. Finally, we left the kids thinking about what they can do out in the world to be true disciples - sharing light, and caring for all of God’s creations. 

While it was an exhausting couple of weeks, I am so thankful for all the people I had the chance to work with, and the kids at camp for having a great time with me! 

---