A mothers prayer for a servants heart
Koinonia Camp is a place where the Holy Spirit dwells. It’s nestled in the curving countryside of Geneva, Ohio. Much like the wide creek that runs through the property, so is the life of the camp. Sometimes it's a gentle babbling creek, other times it's roaring like a mighty river. This is a place that has thousands of stories to be told and I am blessed to be one of the many where I have witnessed my daughter be transformed and it has changed me.
It all started with an imaginary horse and a mother’s prayer. A mother’s frequent prayer of the Lord revealing, my daughter, Ellie’s talents early in life so she could better serve Him, and oh, by the way, could he please open up a door where she could experience horses and see if that’s her true passion?
After 8 years of prayer, not only did God open the door for Ellie, but he also opened a barn-sized door with a BIG personality. Randy Brookes, Director of Koinonia Camp, came and spoke at our church one morning. Here he shared his passion for ministry and youth summer camps. During coffee hour I approached him to learn more about the camp and discovered they had a horse riding camp where his wife, Lori, is the Equine Director.
Over the next several years Ellie attended summer camps, joined the Monday night Bible-Saddle group, and started horse riding lessons. Attending activities for her wasn’t enough. She wanted to be a part of Koinonia. At 11 years old my daughter was called to her ministry. She volunteered at Koinonia that summer and the passion, dedication, and drive that I saw in my child was humbling. She didn’t let her age stop her from pouring herself into camp. Ellie taught horse sense to campers, groomed horses, picked up litter, wiped down tables, cleaned bathrooms, and cleaned cabins. Horses were her favorite, but she was okay with doing the rest. In fact… she was adamant! She insisted on attending the cleaning days when there were no campers. She said that she should be there to lessen the load for the other staff members.
In the winter with a blanket of snow and ice, the creek appears to slow down and enter a state of slumber. However, if you were to look under the snow and ice you would see that the creek is still flowing. You could say the same happens with camp life from the outside it appears to be asleep, but like the creek, camp is full of life on the inside. Staff are hosting small events, preparing for their annual volunteer thank you dinner, and holding Servants Working All Together (S.W.A.T.) Saturdays.
On a snow-filled evening, we attended our first volunteer dinner where Ellie received the Junior Volunteer of the Year. Lori read John 13:14-15
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set an example that you should do as I have done for you.
Randy spoke on Ellie’s spirit to be a servant and how she begged people to come to camp and join her. He challenged her to keep that spirit and to chase after God. After dinner, I felt God nudge me as if saying, “What are you waiting for? Don’t you want to be a part of this too?”
He was right, I wanted to be a part of a place that had captured my daughter’s heart. A place that gave you the experience of Jesus with skin on. That’s what Randy says, be Jesus with skin on him. He Means, that when someone interacts with you they should be experiencing Jesus, full of love, light, and compassion. Two months later I was voted in as a new board member at Koinonia and over the next year I joined my daughter’s ministry.
I grew closer to my daughter by showing an interest in what she is passionate about. I completed the Horse Clinic with her, I attended my first summer camp as a camp counselor, and I even joined her in mucking stalls and haying horses.
Now that Ellie was a year older and proved to be a reliable worker she was given more responsibilities. She was given a set of keys, and a radio, and asked to train new staff on cleaning routines. She couldn’t believe that she was given such an awesome responsibility. “Mom! Can you believe I am training people who are 3 to 4 years older than me?” I just smiled, and nodded yes, in awe of God’s transformation happening before my eyes. It didn’t matter her age, what mattered was her heart and work ethic.
On a rainy July day, the creek gave new life to Ellie and her two friends as they were baptized in the living water of Camp Koinonia. After their baptism, Lori charged the girls with 1 Timothy 4:12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. This verse holds true in our household. Ellie inspires me and motivates me to follow my faith and be accountable as a believer in Christ.
As another summer approaches camp continues to be a part of our family’s story of transformation and fellowship. As Nehemiah 6:3 says, I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. But we hope to see you there and join us in God’s work.
Until Next Time
~Mallory Gersper
Koinonia Camp, where changed lives happen with horse riding, creek hikes, paintball, campfires, songs, fellowship, and more.
