the first day

There’s a first for staying in in a tiny three person cabin. There’s a first for trying to ring up customers who don’t speak a word of English. There’s a first for serving with ACMNP. There is a first day for anything. Today was my first day in Kings Canyon National Park with A Christian Ministries in the National Parks, and it was both daunting and exciting. I met the new faces of my retail co-workers, relied on myself for food (for the first time in a while, thank you Calvin dining hall), and played cards with strangers like they were good friends. I guess in time, they will be my summer friends so it was good to get a head start.

But let me tell ya, this summer is going to be a challenge.

God’s going to stretch me in ways I never knew were possible. Some of the comforts that I have taken for granted have been stripped, leaving me feeling a little out of sorts today. I have very limited wifi, no service, and one Camryn who is not used to going off the grid for long periods of time. It’s one thing to intentionally set your phone aside and take a break, but when you are trying to contact your mom and you can’t, it’s pretty overwhelming and a little scary to not have that little device cooperate with you. My housing situation is a little short of glamping (aka glorified camping), meaning I have a bed and storage space for clothes, electricity- but that’s it. The shower and bathroom are a short walk from the cabin I share with two other girls from my ministry group- this is how my next three months are going to look like.

As I sit here typing these words, I am currently sealing wifi from the visitors center, sitting on a bench escaping the drizzling rain. A little part of my brain is telling me to go home, to go back to the comfort of my bed and family. But I know God has a purpose for me, and for my team here at Kings Canyon. Sometimes it’s through the uncomfortable that God’s ultimate plan shines through. It is through the uncomfortable that we learn. The challenges that I face this summer will just be opportunities to rely on God even more. And I have to keep reminding myself that.