Staff Spotlight - Riley and Sara
Riley and Sara are our two newest camp staff members and we asked them to share a little about their experiences working in their full-time camp positions.
Riley Carr - Camp Cook and a little-of-everything-else
Since my first year on Operational Staff in 2018 I fell in love with camp ministry and as I grew and started knowing my Father more, I began to feel called to Mt. Lou San and Encounter. I have worked here at Mt. Lou San, first with Op Staff, then becoming a team member with the travel team, now as full-time staff member for the year ‘22-’23. Through my time on the team and being involved in retreats and events the past couple months, God has shown me that a lot of my passions and gifts involve being around people and pouring out into their lives (specifically in a camp setting). But that only came/comes through spending time with Him. I have also learned a lot about what it takes to keep a camp going during the off seasons. In addition to running several camps and retreats, we’ve been working on some projects around camp like redoing the volleyball court, remodeling a motel and general camp upkeep. I’m looking forward to all that God has in store for the rest of this year, seeing more prayers answered, and the ways He’s going to use obedience through me and through the ministry to do BIG things!
Sara Varner - Housekeeping and a Jill-of-all-trades
The Lord has been preparing me to work at Mt. Lou San my whole life without me knowing it. As I grew in my relationship with Jesus, I began to see that a lot of my strengths, abilities, and gifts could be used to help the camp. I began working at Mt. Lou San in 2019 on Ops Staff, I joined the team in 2020, and then became a full-time staff member for the year ‘22-’23. On the Encounter team we learned about everyday ministry, and now I get to put it into practice. The Lord has really shown me how prayer is a vital part of ministry and it is our only weapon against the attacks of the enemy. Many of the miracles I have witnessed at camp were a direct result of an army of prayer warriors, and it is amazing to see how God will show up and show off as a result of courageous prayers. This past fall we hosted several youth retreats and a homeschool PE course. In each one we saw prayers answered. We are all called and equipped in different ways, and it is so cool to see how each gift is used in camp ministry. I am excited to see how God is going to use our faithfulness for His glory, and I am expecting BIG things from God for the camp!