In my first week of being a Photographer at New Life Ranch, I came across a homesick camper. He was crying because he couldn't remember his address to send a letter to his mom! After consoling him, I asked if I could take a picture to post on the photosharing website so his mom could see him and say hi! The rest of the week he kept thanking me and coming to me if he had issues. It made me feel really good making him feel better. Summer camp is really important to me and I know how it feels to be homesick, so to help a kid with my talents made me feel extremely fulfilled.
I just think this picture is funny because this was my view every day of my summer when I would go to take pictures! On this specific day, I was waiting on campers to arrive at the lake and I fell asleep! I got very sunburned, but I felt so much peace in that instance on the lake! I took this picture to remind myself of the peace that is available for me to find even through all the craziness that life is. It is also an amazing reminder that God protects because I definitely could have floated down to Arkansas in that day.
I absolutely loved taking pictures at the ropes courses! To watch kids go up being scared that they will fall and coming back down evidently confident that they conquered their fears reminded me how important it is to face fears. In this specific picture, this little kid was terrified of going up onto the ropes course so his counselor (also one of my best friends, Hudson Jones!!) took him by the hand and told him to take it one step at a time. This sweet little kid ended up having the time of his life.
Hudson told me a few days after that he showed this same kid the picture (above) and used the analogy that a walk with Jesus is one like going on a ropes course: it can be scary not knowing the next step, but just like Hudson was there for the camper, Jesus will always be there with you on your next step!
It was an honor to have my talents help communicate the word of the Lord to little kids. To give God glory through doing what I love was the main goal of my photography mission. :)