The Summer of my Life

"Attention SkyRanch!! Attention SkyRanch!!"

I heard this every Sunday for 9 weeks out of the whole summer, ultimately my favorite part about Sundays at SkyRanch. All across camp you could hear all of the summer staffers screaming the count down until the black and white arm opened to let campers on site. It was the start of a new week of camp.

This summer I grew attached to well over 100 campers each week. These campers ranged from age 5 to age 11. On site there were 5-17 year old's.

My job title was, photographer. I didn't realize going into it how much I would learn and how much I would grow as a person as well as a Christian. I also grew as a photographer. SkyRanch ultimately taught me everything I know about taking pictures.

I didn't believe that I would meet people who would be my forever friends. I didn't think that I would grow in my social skills, as far as being able to have normal conversations with people that I had just met.

To say this summer was the summer of my lifetime would be an understatement. I have some pretty amazing summers in my life, including Peru, California twice, and summers spent with my family. But this summer brought me closer to God and gave me an opportunity to share my story and grow close to kids and other College Students, who otherwise I would have never met. My love for sharing God's word, even during a pandemic, even during 100+ degree heat, grew more and more each day. Yes, staying up till midnight every night and waking up at 7 AM everyday grew exhausting, but at the end of the summer I wouldn't have rather spent it doing anything else.

A lot of people this summer told me how great of a counselor I would make and that I should do that next summer. After a lot of prayer and talking to others about this past summer, I came to a realization: I absolutely love being on support staff and the Lord is not done molding me as a photographer.

SkyRanch, you taught me so much, things that I am still learning, from the people you put in my life. Thank you for summer 2020! I cant wait to grow even more with you in summer 2021, as a photographer.