Today, as I was scrolling through my “Facebook Memories,” these photos came up. They brought back happy memories of days spent with the horses I know best and the friends that turned into family. They made me think of long nights spent with my fellow horse staff dreaming about our futures and laughing about the latest bit of inside camp jokes.
They reminded me of how much I love teaching people about the partnership that can be created between horse and rider. They reignited the passion I have for sharing the Gospel with people through using horses as a tool for ministry. They inspired me to keep writing about how to share a love for horses with the youngest ones among us. And they made me a bit sad, because my role in camp ministry looks a little different today than it did just a few summers ago.
In two weeks I will be on a plane to Australia chasing down a dream I’ve had for as long as I can remember. I’ll be volunteering at a camp and retreat center in the southern highlands of New South Wales, seeking to learn about the global impact that Christian camps can have on the lives of people of all ages. And hopefully, I’ll get to spend some time on the back of a horse while Down Under, too.
In three months, at the start of summer 2019, I will celebrate the best 10 years of my life. During one Thursday night worship service in the summer of 2009, I met Jesus at a summer camp in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania, and things have never been the same.
I’m still working on achieving my dream of leading my own summer camp. I’m still a work in progress, and God is just now beginning some amazing new things in my life.
So today I look forward to the chapter in my life that will soon be dedicated to my time in Australia. And I thank God for how he changed my life through all those summers at camp. And I am so thankful for the good horses and amazing people that have been in my life.
Rebecca Sheriff - Reflections 