I had a rough start to the season, constantly doubting that Crater Lake was where I was supposed to be that summer. Friends in the park encouraged me that I should stay, especially this one lovely Christian girl I had met who was not part of the ACMNP team.

She told me she thought I needed to stay and I did. By the end of the summer I had no doubt that Crater Lake was where God needed me.

I preached the sermon for our last service, and it was one I had been thinking about for a while and was well prepared for. The Word was spoken, and I shared my thoughts to the best of my ability as I had grown over the summer. After the service, this couple in the audience came up to me. They told me I did a great job and asked the typical questions – How has your summer been? What brought you here? What do you study in college? etc., and after hearing that my major was Intercultural Studies and that I hoped to work in international development or missions of some kind, they told me they had been doing that for 60 years together!

They shared their experiences with me and encouraged me, and the gentleman even walked with me to their campsite to give me a signed copy of his book on service and spirituality! I was blown away again by the power and grace of God! This felt like the perfect ending to my summer, and a total validation of the work I had done and hoped to do in the future.

Gabrielle S., Crater Lake National Park, 2016