Originally from the Pacific Northwest, moving back to Pennsylvania felt like coming home. After spending 2 1/2 years serving at Joy El as the food service coordinator, in Aug 2017 the Lord called us to move back to our home state of Washington to be closer to family. The Lord provided a camping position for myself and a teaching position for my wife. It felt nice being back close to family but that first year was definitely a challenge as both my wife and I changed jobs again within the first year of being back. Our second set of jobs back in Washington we both felt like we were in the right place, that this was exactly where God wanted us to be. Little did we know in the spring of 2020 Covid was going to change that. I was laid off from my job due to the camp going into a year of hibernation. Around that same time, I received an email from another camp in Washington state that was looking for a head chef. After lots of prayer and counsel, we packed up and moved two hours from where we lived to Stanwood, WA. God provided a school for our boys to go to that would be meeting in person, a new teaching position for my wife at a local school district and for me an opportunity to be head chef. (I set a record for least amount of meals cooked for a head chef at that camp.) In the spring of 2021 I received a text from Aaron Ziebarth, CEO of Joy El. An opportunity to come back to Joy El was in front of us. When I told my wife and sons there was an enthusiastic yes to coming back. Upon returning to Joy El we had the overwhelming sense that we were home. God has provided a teaching position for my wife at a local Christian school which also allows our children to attend that school. I am in a much different role here at camp and God continues to stretch me. I’m excited to see what He will do in the coming months and years here at Joy El and in my life. I am blessed to be home.
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Our latest blog: https://joyelcamps.org/a-step-up-in-leadership/