By Jenette Vogt
It's funny how God can work in your life sometimes. Just when you think you are starting to figure things out, he opens up all of these other paths and opportunities. Usually they are good surprises. Most of the time they just make me roll my eyes and laugh. But most importantly they remind me that I am not and can not be in complete control of my life. I think God likes to send these reminders that he is still there and that he has these plans for my life. Great plans that will bring me true happiness as long as I am willing to follow and trust in him.
When I first came down to my prospective volunteer interview at CAP, God hit me with one of those reminders. First off, I wasn't sure if I really wanted to give up my first year out of college to serve in this community in Kentucky. Most of my friends were moving on to graduate school or their first job. Was I willing to give all that up? That question was quickly answered. My prospective interviews went great, almost too great!
First I interviewed with the Home Repair Program. The only reason I was interested in this program is because I knew nothing about construction and building things. Once, I tried building a night stand and my father ended up taking the entire thing apart because it wasn't square. Apparently only having two of the legs touch the ground at the same time is a problem. I went into my housing interview not expecting much. Boy was I surprised and in a good way! I had the opportunity to go to a job site and work for the day. I LOVED it.
When I got back to the volunteer house that evening, I remember calling my mom in a panic. I wasn't supposed to like the Home Repair Program that much! Before the interviews I already had my mind made up that I was going to volunteer with the Summer Camp Program so I could be a camp counselor. I knew I would enjoy working at a summer camp. I interviewed for the Camp AJ position the next morning and that interview was better than I expected it to be as well. I had the chance to eat lunch with a few of CAP's employees, and we ended up singing camp songs while making lunch. I am not a super outgoing person so the fact that I sang a song called "Bessie the Heifer" during lunch was a big deal to me. I knew that I would love camp and that I would be happy working as the Camp AJ volunteer.
On my way home, I called my mom to tell her about another great interview. She had me give her a run down of the positives and negatives of both programs. One huge negative for the camp position was the in school work at four of the local schools. I was an elementary education major for a few semesters in college, and I did NOT want to be back in the classroom. I knew that teaching was not my calling, and I could learn so much more in the housing program. Plus, the housing program works longer days so they get Fridays off in the summer!
This is when God sent me one of his little reminders. Eventually it hit me that this year of service was not about me. I wasn't going to serve in Kentucky for myself, so why would I pick a program based on what I wanted for myself? The pro/con list had to go. I waited for about a week to see how I would feel and I could not get the Camp program out of my head along with the thought of all of the little kids that I would have the chance to work with. So what if I was going to be in a classroom for most of the year? God had opened up one of these opportunities that would make me happy. I only had to listen.
So I did. I have been a Camp AJ volunteer for the past four months. While there are days that it can be rough to be in a classroom with 20 third graders, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else! Working in the schools has been wonderful. The students have brought me more joy and laughter than I could have ever imagined.
Jenette is an AmeriCorps Camp Educator/Summer Camp Counselor living in the Jackson Volunteer House. She is a 2016 graduate of Eastern Illinois University. Opinions expressed in volunteer blogs are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of CAP or the Volunteer Program.
