Leap

Rashard Braboy served as a counselor at Luther Springs in the summer of 2017 and 2018. For Rashard, getting there was a leap of faith.

Rashard’s journey began when a friend told him she was going to be working at a camp in Florida for the summer. A North Carolina native, Rashard had never been to a church camp and had never been away from home for such a long time. But when his friend asked Rashard if he’d like to come be a counselor too, he took the leap.

“It was such a new experience for me,” says Rashard. “I had a lot of firsts that summer. First time tubing and zip lining and snorkeling, but also first time being in charge of a group of kids or leading a bible study.” As a part of his training, Rashard learned a lot about how to lead and how to work with children of all ages. “I was nervous and wasn’t sure how good I would be as a counselor,” Rashard remembers. “But my training prepared me well for campers and I found it was natural to be the counselor I was trained to be.”

The two summers Rashard spent on staff at Luther Springs stirred up a passion for working with children he hadn’t had before. “It changed my perspective on ministry,” he shares. “I felt so happy serving among young people, like that was the place I was supposed to be.” After his summers at Luther Springs, Rashard worked in leadership at YMCA camps in North Carolina and he now helps with youth ministry at his church. “I really want to help kids experience new things,” he says. “I want to help them know there’s more for them out there and ways for them to grow beyond what they think is possible.”

Rashard knows first-hand about doing more than seems possible. In 2019 he was diagnosed with a kidney disease that has led to multiple surgeries, including a kidney transplant in October of 2023. Today, Rashard is doing well and is thankful for the healing that allows him to continue working and serving. “There have been a lot of ups and down,” he says, “but my faith has kept me strong.”

Rashard is grateful for the time he spent at Luther Springs. “I feel blessed to have had those experiences at camp,” Rashard says. “I remember that our director would always ask me, ‘What do you want to do next week at camp, where do you want to serve?’ And I’d always tell her, ‘Put me where you think I should be.’ I guess that’s still what I am hoping for, that God puts me where I need to be.”

Thank you for your gifts to NovusWay Ministries, which give counselors like Rashard the opportunity to learn new skills, sense new callings, and serve in the places God needs them.