How I got to Kairos?
Since my first summer at Illahee, I always said I would own camp. I started going to Camp Illahee the summer of 2003, when I was going into 4th grade. I went to the August 2-week session for 4 years (2003, 2004, 2005, 2007) before moving up to the July 4-week session (2008, 2009, 2010), where I received my 5-year pinetree pin in 2008. After my first summer at Illahee, I knew I wanted to be a counselor, so I continued on with my Illahee years and became a JC (2011). In 2012, I resisted the typical "spend your summer before college at home" and was a counselor for 6 weeks, and received my second-year staff CI pin. I came back for my third year on staff, tenth year all together, in 2013 and was a counselor on Heigh-Ho for 7 weeks!
After receiving my CI ring at final campfire, I left the next day with my campers for a new adventure, serving on Summer Staff at Young Life's Castaway Club for a month. At this point, I consider that month at Castaway to be THE best month of my life. It was an experience in which I got to see Christ's love and purpose for us in pure form - serving his children and shining his light! It was an incredible experience and it led to my first thoughts of a career in ministry.
Since the end of last summer, I've been through a lot of change. I struggled for a long time with my membership in Kappa Delta, my roommate and best friend decided to transfer schools, I felt lonely a lot, I grew close to people who just graduated, I struggled with a lot of friendship issues... It was a hard year.
In about October, after talking with the director of Illahee, I decided not to apply for a counselor position that summer. I had already applied for internships at YL camps before I talked to her, but it was more because I didn't know what I wanted to do. Not being at Illahee for a summer is one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. Illahee has such a special place in my heart - I am a camp girl, born and raised. Camp broke my shell, taught me things I wouldn't have learned anywhere else, instilled in me a love for mountains, and helped me to grow in so many ways. It took me a long time to actually accept that I wouldn't be back in the Heavenly this summer.
Over Christmas break this past year, I met up for coffee with my friend, Taylor (who I met through Illahee - she was a counselor when I was a camper). Taylor works in the Culturally Engaged (missions) department at Grace Church. We talked a lot about college, entering the real world, life adventures, and she told me about her experience with Kairos. At the end of our Coffee Underground date, she said "I'll send you the link for Kairos! Just take a look at it!"
A few weeks later, I received the link and decided to apply.
At this point, I was still waiting to hear back from one YL camp internship and also from summer staff opportunities. I submitted my application for Kairos overly-eager in the beginning of February. A few weeks later, I found out that I was declined by all of the YL internships, and was a little bit nervous not knowing what I was doing in the summer. However, the more time went on, the more I wanted to do Kairos. I actually had to start really praying that I would be okay and happy if I didn't get the internship at Grace.
About the middle of February, I got an email with the subject line Summer Staff position available! I started reading this email while I was at work at Fike pool and I think my heart literally skipped a beat. I was offered a summer staff position at Young Life's Malibu Club. If you're not involved with young life, let me tell you about Malibu. It's a Young Life camp in British Columbia and it's the camp that pretty much every young-life-er wants to go to. It's incredibly beautiful, in the middle of a lake, in the mountains. It's a dream. As I continued to read, it said, If you are unable to serve during this time, please let us know within 24 hours of receiving this email. Cue the skipping heart beat again. I had not heard from Grace at all, except for the fact that they received my application, and if I accepted this summer staff position I wouldn't be able to do the Kairos internship.
I was in high-stress mode the entire rest of the day, going over every possible situation, praying constantly, and trying to get in touch with friends/mentors/Grace staff that could potentially help me out. After talking with my friend, Bekah (who is involved with Young Life and did Kairos last summer), my roommate, and some family members, I had come to a decision - one that I really had felt in my gut the whole time.
I decided to turn down Malibu. Every YL person I told (tell) that to thinks I'm crazy, especially since that was a for-sure opportunity and Kairos was still just a hope. But I knew that if I was offered both right then and there, I would without a doubt pick Kairos over Malibu. Kairos just seemed like such an incredible experience, a summer full of growth and learning, and like nothing I had ever done before.
About a week later, I received an email from Kelly Muth, telling me I had an interview for Kairos! I drove from Clemson to Grace Church one afternoon to hang out with Chrystie Cole for an hour. It was awesome and I just felt really calm during the whole time I was talking to her. All I could do then was wait.
About a month later, and the day before my birthday, I unexpectedly got an email on my way to class - I was offered a position with the Kairos internship at Grace!
Looking back on the past year - my decision of not returning to Illahee, declination from Young Life camps, and turning down Malibu - I am so confident that the Lord really wants me at Grace this summer! He has been so faithful in my summer plans over the past year, and I feel affirmation from Him daily that this is where I'm supposed to be.