How Wildwood Ranch Changed My Life

           My name is Rachel Hoehn.  I was a day camp counselor at Wildwood Ranch the summer of 2012 and I can say with complete honesty that God used my time there to completely deepen my faith and change the direction of my life. When I look back on the days I spent working at Wildwood Ranch, I am in awe of how much I learned and how much God used the people there to show me what His love really looks like in action.

            Growing up, I attended a variety of camps over the summers. I learned many skills, grew in relationships with others, and developed independence through my experiences. I have always been a supporter of the summer camp experience even before my time at Wildwood, however, I was amazed by the environment I found at Wildwood Ranch. The community that is fostered at Wildwood is anointed. My fellow day camp staff quickly became like family to me. I developed relationships that I will treasure forever. Through working together day in and day out serving, teaching, and caring for the kids and leaning on each other to accomplish our daily goals, strong bonds were formed. The standards that the staff is expected to live up to while in Wildwood’s employment are contrary to that of the world, so we were expected to make some sacrifices such as listening to secular music or talking about other staff members when they are not present (essentially gossip). I remember having the desire to fight some of these rules because they required me to make some changes that I probably wouldn’t have made outside of being employed at the camp. But I respected the leadership, made the changes, and in the end, I was forever changed. Having the opportunity to see the effect of living by these Biblical standards on the Wildwood community was extremely eye-opening. I have carried the lessons that the Wildwood way of life taught me and brought them along as I joined new communities or work environments. When I think of a healthy, Godly community, Wildwood is always the standard in my mind.

            While employed at Wildwood Ranch, I also grew in my faith more than I ever had before. I grew up in a Christian home and had gone to church my whole life but I was unprepared for how God would meet me at Wildwood and how He would work in me using the influence of the leadership and my fellow staff members. I arrived at camp unknowingly carrying some deep hurts. My opinion on how God viewed me was severely flawed and was hindering my growth in Him. The environment of a loving and intentional staff made it difficult for this to stay hidden. Several senior staff members took the time to pour into me and speak truth into my life that I had never quite understood prior to my time at Wildwood. I remember one staff member in particular set aside her plans one Sunday morning when she realized that I was trying to sort out everything God was placing on my heart. She pulled me aside and allowed the Lord to speak through her, telling me how no matter what has happened in my past or the sin in my life, I am truly and wholly loved by God. I am forever changed because of that conversation and so thankful to Wildwood for creating an atmosphere where that kind of growth is possible and fostered. God is truly at work there.

            When I began working at Wildwood I was a college student majoring in musical theatre. I had always felt a calling to work with kids, but I did not feel worthy of that calling. God used my time at Wildwood to show me that I am capable of serving him in this way and I am gifted in this area. I gained experience working with kids ages four through 12 and developed a variety of skills in this area throughout the summer. As counselors we were expected to lead the day camp kids to and from their scheduled activities, develop relationships with the campers, lead them spiritually, teach them new skills, games, and lessons, keep them safe, and share God’s love with them. It is impossible to leave a summer employed at Wildwood without having grown as a leader and caretaker. The job requires you to have a servant’s heart and to put the kids before yourself, truly relying on God for the strength to get through each day. Especially when those days can include intense heat, miles to walk, tests of your patience, and too little sleep. When I left Wildwood, I did not know that God would call me to be a third grade teacher at an international school in Suriname, South America a year later following my graduation. But I can say that my skills that were developed and honed at Wildwood made me the teacher that I am today. Through my time at Wildwood Ranch, I was given the time and experience to develop the confidence I needed to become a loving and intentional teacher, striving to share the love of Christ with every child that enters my classroom.

             Fast forward, years after my time at Wildwood Ranch, I am still using the skills and lessons that I learned there in almost every facet of my life. I spend my days caring for my two children, teaching classes, and leading the Kids Ministry at my church. Because of my time at camp as a child and Wildwood Ranch as an adult, I know how God can work in the heart of a child and how important my roles are. When sharing the love of God with children, you don’t always get to see the end result of them becoming saved and surrendering their life to Christ, but it is an absolute blessing and honor to be used as some part of God’s plan for that child. I am forever thankful to the Lord for leading me to employment at Wildwood Ranch, for placing such special people into my life, and for forever changing my heart and life due to my time there.