From camper to staff - by Nicole Reams

Hello! My name is Princess Nicole Reams! I am an Assistant Cook this summer here at Camp Gilead. This is my first summer on staff after being a camper for the last seven summers. I am so excited to have chosen this year to be on staff for The King's Quest!                                                                                                                     

God put it on my heart after my last summer as a camper to apply to be on staff. I wasn’t sure what position I wanted to apply for, I just knew that I needed to be a part of Camp Gilead in some way because I have never been able to picture my summers without camp. One thing I was afraid of when applying was the adjustment from being a camper to a staff member. I didn’t know if I was going to like it, or be ok with being away from family all summer. It was a big step in my life that I didn’t know if I was ready for. I realized though that even while having to deal with the adjustment of being on staff, I now have an amazing opportunity to be a light in the camper’s lives who used to be just like me. That aspect of being on staff excited me a lot.

When I arrived for training week, I had no idea what to expect. It instantly hit me that I was now on staff at Camp Gilead! I was excited, nervous, and worried all at the same time. God, to no surprise, provided me with instant friendships with the staff members, and the ability to re connect with those I already knew.

I have been at Camp Gilead for 6 weeks now and it has been the most amazing experience I could ever be blessed to be a part of. God has been surprising me with my abilities to interact with the campers, and to be able to put myself on the outside of being a camper and setting an example for those who are experiencing camp in the way I used to.   Each of the speakers that have come to camp this summer have been a huge light in my life. Their messages have strengthened my relationship with God and have given me a lot of encouragement for this summer to be the best that I can be for the staff and campers of Camp Gilead, and most importantly, for the Lord. I have realized that it is going to be really hard to head home in the next week. This summer has gone by so fast but has been a blessing in the midst of it all. There is no other place on earth I would rather have spent my summer than here at Camp Gilead.

I came to Camp Gilead this year hoping to strengthen my relationship with God, and to find out what my purpose was for God leading me here on staff this summer. After these past couple of weeks, I have felt like I am beginning to discover that purpose. I am here to not only discover myself, but to serve God in whatever way he needs me. He isn’t going to guarantee that there won’t be struggles, because their will be, but in the end I will realize God’s purpose for each and every one of those struggles.  

My heart has been so touched by the campers I meet each week, and the staff that have become my family. I am so blessed to be here this summer and I can’t wait for what God has in store for me for the rest of the summer! I hope that when I return back home, that I will continue to have the encouragement that I am able to receive here at camp to bring others around me to Christ. My future is in God’s hands and I can only hope that that future will involve Camp Gilead!

Nicole Reams

Assistant Cook