Summer Staff Spotlight: Interview with Shaelynn + Faith
Our names are Shaelynn + Faith and this summer we are serving as Team Leaders at Camp Bethany.
Shaelynn’s Interview
What are you excited about this summer?
This summer I am excited about the people, whether it be the leaders or the campers. This includes team leading with Faith, which I have a strong connection with and we feed off of each other's energy which better benefits the team leading group as well as our campers.
As a returning staff member, I've continued to grow more excited about seeing all the returning faces of the campers as well as all the new excited faces and new personalities that I get to engage with and help grow.
What do you like about the job you do?
There are so many different aspects of this job that I look forward to everyday, whether it is engaging with the kids in fun games, or even the large group meetings in the gym which always provide entertainment. However, the relationships I have with the other staff and the campers is always one of my favourite parts about the job. Even on the hard days, there isn’t a moment where I feel alone, I know I can always count on the staff to lend a hand, or even just make me laugh. Even the relationships I have with the campers, where they see me in the hallway and run up for hugs and high-fives is something I continue to look forward to going into our finals weeks at camp.
Why does the work you do matter?
I’ve always grown up around a church. My parents brought me to Sunday school and sent me to Camp Crossroads, which is another Christian camp, but I've been a part of Bethany for about 6 years. It has always been important for me to be apart of the church community, whether it be attending the Jr. and Sr. youth groups here at Bethany Church or helping out in the nursery on Sundays, and being apart of Camp Bethany has given me another outlet to help spread the word of God.
In what ways has God worked through the campers this summer?
God has worked in so many beautiful ways throughout the summer where I have seen/experienced it most is within the campers in out J.A.M (Jesus and Me) sessions where I’ve had campers come up to me at the beginning of the week and tell me they don’t go to church or are not involved in the Christian family. And then by Friday seeing the kids engage in the discussions and asking more questions about God and seeing the progress of a relationship that a camper is beginning to have with God is truly magical. As I continue to work with the older kids I also start to have those conversations where they are wanting to be more engaged in the church, and asking about youth or sunday school programs and seeing it happen over the years where I’ve had someone as a camper last year, but has returned this year as a volunteer and is now in the position to be the conversation started with another camper.
Faith’s Interview
What are you excited about this summer?
This summer I am super excited to be team leading with Shaelynn all summer, and connecting with my co-workers, as well as connecting with each and every single camper in my group each week. To start, when Martin first told Shaelynn and I during training that we would be working together all summer, we both escalated with excitement super quickly. I’ve known Shaelynn for roughly 3-4 years now, and we both balance each other out super well, and know when to be there for each other when the other needs it most, and to end off, connecting with each and every single one of my campers in my group each week, as well as my co-workers is super important to me. It creates a healthy work environment, special bonds, and memories that you will forever be linked to Bethany Community church.
What do you like about the job you do?
To begin, there are many different things that I LOVE about being a summer day camp team leader, and that this paragraph would be 10 full essays by the time that I was done. To keep it short, there are 2 main things that I love about this job. The first thing I LOVE about this job is being able to be myself fully with my campers and co-workers, and allowing my personality to radiate wherever I am at camp. The second thing I LOVE about the job that I do specifically is that at work, there is never a dull moment no matter what. Even if you’re having a tougher day than normal (which unfortunately you’re going to have), there’s always those people that are going to be there for you no matter what you are going through. In this case I’d like to mention Shaelynn, Hunter Jeffery, Cam Weekes, and Sammy Friesen.
Why does the work you do matter?
The work I do matters because it allows my own imagination and creativity to expand, and I am able to learn from all campers, and gain certain skills that I maybe wouldn’t acquire from some place else. As well, the work that I do matters because I am able to lead and teach children through God, and what he would do with us.
In what ways has God worked through the campers this summer?
It is super incredible to see how God has worked through the campers this summer. Since God created each and every single one of us individually, it is incredible to see how he has also made each and every single one of the campers at Bethany personalities different. Another thing that I have noticed is that while we were on our nature walks during week 2 and 6 of summer camp, God’s creation was absolutely breathtaking, and the kids really opened up to me about how God made everything that they were seeing.