Kidder Creek Makes a Lasting Impact
In elementary school, I was invited to join a friend of mine at Kidder Creek’s ranch camp. Driving the three hours from Chico to Etna, I became more and more nervous. When my parents dropped me off, I didn’t want to stay. There were tears and much second-guessing. I mustered the courage to stay and from the first night on, things got better and better. My counselor’s name was Jon and he talked me through the Gospel in a way that made sense to me. He took the time to listen and answer the questions that I had. At the end of that week, I had taken several steps closer to Jesus but I wasn’t quite ready to commit my life.
(Continued From Staff Alumni Email)
When my parents arrived to pick me up, the fearful boy they had dropped off on Sunday begged them to let him stay for one more week. At timberline high adventure the following week, my counselor again was Jon. Midway through the second week, I gave my life to the Lord around the campfire. From then on, I returned to camp as often as I could. In high school, I started guiding rafts for guest groups and in college, I served on summer staff all but one summer. After graduating, I took an intern position as the Kidder Creek program director for two years and after a 3-year break, I returned to full-time staff in 2013 as the Kidder Creek Associate Director.
Reflecting on those summers has shown me God’s consistent faithfulness in my life. Many of the biggest blessings in my life can be traced back to my time at Kidder Creek. Many of my most powerful and impacting spiritual experiences were on the kidder creek grounds. In nature, His Word still comes alive in brand new ways. In the community, some of my best friends are those with whom I’ve shared a summer. Looking back confirms God’s ability to change a life at camp and looking forward gives me hope for the impact we can have on each and every camper who we serve.
I give the Lord thanks and praise for the opportunity to foster this experience in future campers’ lives and summer staff communities and I look forward to the how He will continue to transform my life and the lives of others through the ministry of camp in His creation!