Written by: Ethan Castro
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from
the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
Although there were various job options I had this summer, God has called me once again to serve with TCM and the community of Jesse Ketchum. Despite the different work experiences I had this past year, I still felt a calling to return for another summer. Even as a third-year intern, training and three weeks of summer camp have already given me so many experiences to reflect on and grow from, particularly when considering the bible curriculum and my interactions with the campers compared to previous years.
With the theme of the Bible this summer being the Sermon on the Mount, I was to cover the first week of bible lessons introducing the Sermon on the Mount to the campers. One of the main ideas we were to explain to the children was the idea of blessings when talking about the 8 Beatitudes. The curriculum emphasizes that blessings stem from God's unconditional love, not our personal circumstances or feelings. It was a simple but profound topic for me to reflect on as I prepared to teach it to the children, especially after coming from a challenging and stressful school year.
Thankfully, the lesson came out well, and as we enter the third week of camp, I can see and am reminded of the many blessings of God through our kids by seeing the progress He has made in both the community and children since my first summer.
Coming back, one blessing I immediately saw was the growth of the ministry here at Jesse Ketchum. When learning at the start of camp we were already near the capacity when it came to campers. To see how far the community has come from around 15 kids a day to almost 50 now has been a real blessing in showing that God is working through the program and families to allow us to spread God’s love through serving within the community.
It has also been a blessing to see that kids from last year become more mature while still being passionate and interested in God. But it is even more so when looking at some of the kids who have come to camp since my first year, and seeing their growth from being considered a younger kid to now some of the oldest. These kids have grown much since then either becoming TLC’s for us this summer or trying to fulfil leadership roles when working among the younger kids. Seeing these children develop a passion for serving and helping out has been so moving seeing them start caring and thinking about others more. I’m proud to see their development and happy to be a part of their journey and continue to help them grow into roles with larger responsibilities.
The theme of the Sermon on the Mount has been a great reminder to me coming into camp this year. Regardless of how tired or stressed, God has reminded me of the work being done here in Jesse Ketchum which motivates me to continue serving and growing in my faith alongside the children.