“This summer I feel like God used me to lead campers and make an impact on them by being an example of what a Christ follower should act like.” That’s how Lutherock counselor John Martinez summarized his summer of serving on staff. John was a first-year counselor who was invited to join the team at Lutherock by his college roommate.
“Being a counselor was not something that I was expecting to be for the summer,” John says, “but I am glad I was. Being at camp has helped me grow in ways I needed to grow.” John especially points to patience as an area where he grew through his summer experiences. “Being patient was never my strongest suit,” John admits. “And then one week my patience was really tested. There was a camper in my cabin who was having trouble hiking up the trail to Cross Rock because of the wet conditions that day. He slipped several times along the trail up and started to get really anxious. I noticed his struggles and did my best to assist him up the trail. My patience was starting to be tested, but that’s when I felt the Holy Spirit tell me to be patient and take things slow and so that’s what we did.”
Once they got to the top of the trail, John remembers one of the pastors in their group thanking John for the care he took with the struggling camper. “She told me that she saw the Kingdom of God when I was helping my camper,” John recalls. “That was when I knew being a counselor was more than a job, it was more about being a servant of God.”
John says he thought a lot about the Fruits of the Spirit during his summer as a counselor at Lutherock. “Galatians 5 talks about love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness. By showing these Fruits of the Spirit to the campers, I think I helped plant a seed into their hearts which can really make an impact in their lives. I give glory to God for what I was able to do for campers this summer.”
John is heading back to college this fall with a great appreciation for his summer at camp, and renewed commitment to serve. “I don’t know what my summer is preparing me for next, but I know it’s something bigger than I can imagine. And God has prepared me for it through this summer experience as a counselor.”
