Sit down, relax, grab a coffee and enjoy getting to know the Overnight Summer Resident Team!!!
Activities Director: Rachel Petersen
This is going to be Rachel Petersen’s third year at SpringHill. The past two summers she served as the TST Director! Rachel’s main responsibility will be caring for the activities staff. Activities are a huge part of what campers look forward to when they come, so I want to do whatever I can to ensure that the schedule runs smoothly, that campers get the full SpringHill Experience and that the staff is able to love what they do and to serve the campers with joy!
Tell us about College: I am way past my college years and am currently attending Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville Kentucky working towards a Masters of Divinity in Christian Ministry. I am not sure yet how God will use this theological education in my life and where He will lead me, but I have no doubt that this time of learning and preparing is infinitely valuable. I hope to be able to complete my degree in another 2 years.
What are you most excited about this summer? I can hardly wait to be back at SpringHill working with people who love kids and who love the Gospel. We are all going to have different roles, but we are all working toward the same thing, and I love to see that happen. For me personally, a change in role is both terrifying and exciting. Getting to work more directly with the staff and pouring into them is something that I am definitely looking forward to.
What is your favorite memory as a camper? I was never a SpringHill camper, but I remember going to Victory Ranch in California and in one week visiting the nurse so many times for different maladies that it was comical. Despite all of that, I was having a blast.
What is your favorite memory as a summer staffer? In the past two summers, I have had a lot of good memories. Being able to work with my sister Abbey was an overall highlight but also driving around in a golf cart with Carey speaking in somewhat Russian accents for 3 hours was fun for us (although annoying for everyone else).
Rachel & her sisters
What is the craziest thing you did for a camper? As TST Director, I had some interesting situations. I think being led by God to demonstrate grace when everything else about the circumstance said to send the campers home was pretty crazy.
What do you like to do in your spare time? I love to cook good food for the people I love. Some of the best gifts that I have ever gotten have been food related such as an apron, a Pampered Chef bamboo cutting board, and a pasta maker. Besides cooking, I enjoy spending a Saturday hunting for deals (yard sales, goodwill, and sales) and watching a movie.
Rachel enjoying her spare time by Cooking!
Assistant Activities Director: Luke Thomas
This is going to Luke’s fourth summer at SpringHill. In years past he has been a Redbrush counselor, High Adventure instructor and this past summer was a RBAD (Red Brush Area Director). Luke will be working alongside Rachel in order to help create the best possible SpringHill Experience through the activities offered at camp. This includes all types of activities such as high-adventure, aquatics, horses, etc. This summer I will work with the activity staff in order to help ensure the safety of campers on the activities as well as to help provide a Christ based experience for all staffers. Through working with them and helping in any way I can, they will be able to provide their own unique Christ based experience to each and every camper that attends each activity throughout the summer.
Tell us about College:
– Where are you attending/where did you go – Murray State University
– Expected Graduation Date – May 2013
– Major – Organizational Communication
– What do you want to do with your life – Either work at a camp or at a university helping students on campus.
What are you most excited about this summer? Meeting all of the new staff members. I always enjoy making new friends and I hope that I can make strong connections with the staff this summer. Through this I want to be able to help nurture growth in myself and let Christ work through me. I have always enjoyed working with the staff members at SpringHill and I hope to continue pouring everything I can into the camp and its staff.
My New Friends!
Favorite Book of the Bible- why – I do not think I can pick a favorite book of the bible, but one of my favorite verses is within the book of James. This verse is James 1:2-3 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” This verse goes against what so many people, including myself, do every day. I enjoy smiling and being happy, so this verse tells me that even when things aren’t going my way, that I still have a reason to be happy and smile.
What is your favorite memory as a summer staffer? One of my favorite memories was when I was covering a break for a counselor. I was his area director and so he went on break and I took the campers to their gusher activity that day. When some campers were tired of the gusher they would swim in the shallow area of RedBrush lake. I unfortunately forgot my swimming trunks that day so I was in shorts and a tshirt and was helping the lifeguards as an extra set of eyes on the campers in shallow water. I was standing on the shore when a group of boys and some of the girls, from the other cabin with them, all came out of the water saying they wanted to show me something. I walked towards the water to see what was in it when they ambushed me and drug me into the lake with them. I originally did not want to get wet since I had no change of clothes, but once it had happened, I was glad they did. Those campers brightened my day through this simple action and I will never forget that day because of it. We had so much fun splashing in the water afterwards as they all tried to plan attacks of dunking me under water. They eventually succeeded and we played in the lake until the activity was over.
Me getting tackled into RedBrush Lake.
Another memory was how God showed me that he can work through the smallest things. As an area director over the TEEPEE boys, I had one camper who was homesick and wouldn’t go back to his cabin for bed. One counselor came and got me and I came over to talk to him sitting at a table outside. While the counselors tried comforting in any way possible he wouldn’t move. I sat down for 2-3 minutes and was unsure of what to do, since nothing was working, when I realized he was staring at me, so I stared back. We ended up having a staring contest right then. Upon him blinking first he wanted a rematch. So this happened and he blinked again. With this simple game I asked him if he would want to play again tomorrow. He said yes with an excited voice. I told him if he went to bed that I promise I would play him again the next day. He was so excited that he overcame his homesickness and went to bed peacefully. To this day neither myself nor the counselors know why that worked so well. Our only reason is that God did it.
What is the craziest thing you did for a camper? – As a redbrush counselor I had the adventure challenge boys and took them to lost lake for the camping trip. We set up camp and cooked food over the fire and had fun. Once it started getting dark we began to lose ideas of what to do for fun. As the boys began getting bored they started wanting to go back to their cabins instead of staying there. Instead of just packing up and leaving, I sat with all the boys and began reading stories. While the boys became entertained by the stories they eventually realized that they were from the bible. I read stories from the book of judges about people like Samson and Ehud who did great things. These stories helped us bond and helped them feel comfortable outside until they fell asleep.
What do you like to do in your spare time? – I enjoy spending time with friends and staying active in any way I can. This may be through sports, such as basketball or ultimate Frisbee, or going to a friend’s apartment to spend time with them. When in doubt, I tend to enjoy doing whatever sounds like fun at the time.
THIS WAS FUN! Floating heads.
Program Director: Marty Jellison
This will be Marty’s second summer at SpringHill but first summer at Indiana Overnight! Last year he was an AD (area director) for the Cincinnati Day Camp Team! This summer he will be overseeing all things production. He will be communicating to the bands, as well as teaching and possibly writing some skits!
Tell us about College:
– Where are you attending: Cedarville University
– Expected Graduation Date: May 4, 2013
– Major: Youth Ministry
– What do you want to do with your life? I have wanted to do camp ministry for a long time. I hope to be a camp director, and then some day I would love to open “my own” camp. Obviously I want it to be a camp that honors and glorifies God. That is some of what I want to do with my life.
What are you most excited about this summer? Besides just being back at camp, I love seeing how God works in the lives of the campers and in me.
What are you most nervous about? Being the new guy on the res-staff team, I am just scared I won’t be able to do all that is expected of me, or that I should know more than I do.
Favorite Book of the Bible- why? The book of James for the NT and Hosea for the OT. Why? James for his very practical and honest instruction of living as a Christian. And Hosea for the imagery of how much Christ loves us as His bride the church.
What is your favorite memory as a camper? Capture the flag, boys verses girls, in the woods at night. Needless to say, it still makes me smile to play that game.
What is the craziest thing you did for a camper? One time at a camp in NY, a camper’s glasses broke, and he lost the arm that went over the ear (he didn’t lose his arm, the arm of the glasses). So, while they were sleeping, I got his glasses, traced the size and shape onto a piece of wood, and carved out an arm for his glasses. With a piece of duct tape they were attached, and his glasses were one of a kind! He was really excited for them.
What do you like to do in your spare time? In my spare time I love to make people laugh, playing music, having fun in creative ways, and being outside.
in Adak Alaska with Cedarville shout out
pit-Cedarville musical Joseph and Technicolor Dream Coat
Spring Break-SC-flying kite
Red Brush Director: Shay Toombs
This will be Shay’s fourth year at SpringHill Camps. Shay was a Red Brush counselor and then was an RBAD for two summers. Shay will be serving the AD and Counselors and making sure they have everything they need to serve every camper that comes through SpringHill this summer. All the background work to make sure that each week runs as smooth as it possibly can. Also he will be pouring into guys and encouraging them to become better men of God.
Tell me about College:
– Where are you attending? Graduating from Indiana Wesleyan University.
– Expected Graduation Date: April 27th 2013
– Major: Business Administration and Psychology
– What do you want to do with your life? That is a great question. God is doing a lot in my life and in my heart so I am still trying to figure out where he is calling me, but, I’m excited for what opportunities present themselves in the future.
What are you most excited about this summer? I’m excited to be at camp and see what God has for us. I’m excited to pour into staff more and help and see them grow as much as I have over the 3 summers I’ve been at SpringHill. I’m excited for the opportunity to serve in a different way and see camp in a different light.
What are you most nervous about? Being in a new position that won’t involve me being around the kids as much….but let’s be honest I’m gonna make that happen.
Just being an RBAD….
Favorite Book of the Bible- why? I love the book of Romans because it talks about the gift of salvation and what it offers us as Christians. It talks a lot about how we should live our lives as Christians and the power that we are given through the Holy Spirit.
What is your favorite memory as a summer staffer? My favorite memory was my last week of my summer as a counselor. I was by myself with 8 campers and I was nervous coming into the week because it was my first week alone. My guys ended up being awesome and we had such a fun week. But I had one kid who wasn’t really getting involved. He did multiple things that had caused frustration between me and him, and I wasn’t sure if everything we were talking about, but it came to the last day and it was time for him to leave early and for the first time all week he wouldn’t eat his lunch and I couldn’t figure out why. I looked over and his head was down. So I asked him what was wrong and he looked up and he had tears streaming down his face and he told me he didn’t want to leave. He told me he never been somewhere he felt so cared for. That right there first off broke me down and made me cry, but it also showed exactly why I keep working at SpringHill.
What is the craziest thing you did for a camper? One week my first summer we had kids that wanted to be ninjas. So for the whole week everywhere we went we acted like ninjas. We would sneak through the dining hall and crawled between tables, rolled across open spaces, hid behind trees going from place to place and so much more.
What do you like to do in your spare time? I love kids. I like hanging out with people, and getting to know them and hear their stories and about what God is doing in their lives, I love almost all kinds of music…except oldies, I love sports both watching and playing. I like watching movies and TV shows.
InPursuit Director: Dan Bridges
This is going to be Dan’s second year with SpringHill Camps! Last summer he was an IPAD (InPursuit Area Director)! This summer Dan will be directing SpringHill’s InPursuit ministry for 6-9th graders. Helping the IPADs and counselors be the best at their jobs that they can be. Bathing the ministry in prayer.
Tell us about College:
– Where did you go? I went to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia
– Expected Graduation Date: I finished school in December but I will walk for graduation in May
– Major: Kinesiology
– What do you want to do with your life? My life’s dream is to be a firefighter/paramedic and use my degree in the department that I work in to help prevent injuries and improve task efficiency for other firefighters.
What are you most excited about this summer? I am excited to work with all the godly men and women hired from so many different places and so many different backgrounds. That presents such a wonderful opportunity to see things from so many different perspectives and learn from so many different people. Last summer getting to hear about what everyone around me had been learning and had learned in the past about the Lord was such a great opportunity.
What are you most nervous about? I am very nervous about “filling big shoes”. My director last summer was a woman named Nicole and she had a passion for serving the Lord. I want prayer and God’s love to be central to everything I do this summer in my ministry to the counselors, staff, ADs, campers, and even their parents. I don’t want to try to do it on my own and fail because I wasn’t submitting to the Lord
Favorite Book of the Bible- why? Philemon is my favorite book of the bible because of the picture of love it paints. It is a book that we often can breeze over because of its small size (only 25 verses) but it shows a picture of Christ in the love that Paul shows to Onesimus when he tells Philemon to “count his debts to me”.
What is your favorite memory as a summer staffer? After a Wednesday night campfire one week a camper stayed back to talk to me and we sat there as he opened up. He said that he’s always found church and God boring. I asked him if God didn’t have a sense of humor to explain a platypus. After we finished talking he ran around telling everyone that he could that “God is really funny because he made a platypus”. He remembered nothing else from our conversation except that I’m pretty sure.
What do you like to do in your spare time? My favorite thing to do in my spare time is flirt with my soon to be wife, Jess Berry! 
I also enjoy doing other things in my spare time like hiking. I love climbing rocks and going trail running up in the mountains around where I lived and went to school. I really enjoy exercising too. I studied kinesiology because I take such great joy in fitness and keeping myself healthy. I enjoy reading a good history or fiction book too whenever I have the time.
TST Director: Jess Berry
This will be Jess’s second year at SpringHill Camps. Last summer she was a TST Area Director. This summer she will be overseeing and facilitating the TST program as well as dead and disciple staff!!
Tell us about college:
I attend school at Liberty University, I graduated my undergrad program in health promotions in 2011.
Graduation 2011
I will be finishing up my M.A in global studies this May!
What do you want to do with your life? well…a lot of things! Firstly, I want to spend my life worshiping and glorifying my Father and being obedient to whatever He calls me to do. Secondly, I want to be Dan Bridges’ wife-we get married 2 weeks after camp ends 🙂
The Happy Couple
Lastly, I spent a summer working in a nutrition center in Mozambique that changed my life, that experience along with others have developed a passion in me to be apart of how God is caring for the “least of these” among us. I have been working with a missionary and a few others to develop a fundraising project called Joao Bags, we plan to launch it this summer and I will hopefully pour my life into developing and sustaining this project to bring nutrition centers all over Mozambique and beyond.
One of the best days of my life, I finally got a baby tied to my back! -In Mozambique
What are you most excited about this summer? I am excited about how God is going to change lives. I am also really looking forward to the sweet community that Spring Hill is and getting to be apart of that again!
What are you most nervous about? I think that I am most nervous about being in a new position an not knowing how to do everything that will be required of me. I take comfort in Phil 4:13 trusting that God will equip me for whatever He calls me to.
Favorite Book of the Bible- why? Isaiah, because there is so much depth to it. I have studied the book extensively and have barley scratched the surface of it! I especially like Isaiah 6, it puts into perspective the holiness of God and the desperate situation of man, it is a beautiful description of the gospel and makes me appreciate the sacrifice of Jesus so much more.
What is your favorite memory as a summer staffer? One of my favorite memories is of a special needs camper and the way that his team members supported him throughout the whole 2 weeks. He loved singing and performing for people but had been bullied and told that he was not good so he was nervous about sharing a song that he wrote. The campers continually encouraged him in his talent until he was finally bold enough to preform the song for them all; I watched as they all sang along and cheered for him; they accepted and loved him, it was a picture of true agape love.
Host: Tracy Edwards
***we just hired Tracy about a week ago! She is returning to SpringHill for another summer. An interview with her answers will becoming in the next week or so!
Thanks for taking the time to get to know our Summer Resident Staff! We are excited for this summer! Have a great weekend!!!
boomchickablog 