Unexpected Destination

Unexpected blessings. If I could sum up what these past few months have looked like for me, it would be exactly that, an unexpected blessing.  

About a year ago, I graduated from Liberty University without a clue of what I was doing with my life, and it felt like I was in a huge “in-between.” I had accomplished so much, but I wasn’t where I wanted to be. In all of this, I wondered, “How long? How long would I feel stuck? How long until I knew what my calling was?” But what I was really asking was, “How long until MY desires were going to be met?” Eventually, I realized I was viewing God based on whether my expectations were being met rather than just trusting Him as the author of my life.  

I have always been drawn to serving in Youth Ministry, not because it looked good in Christian culture, but because I thoroughly enjoyed it. At times it was chaotic, but the kids I was able to serve and spend time with made the mission so evident. This love God demonstrated instilled a desire in me to show them the love they had been missing. The love that would never leave them, and never fail. Knowing this, I applied to Black Diamond Camp because I knew it would allow me to do this type of ministry. So, almost a year out of college, I moved across the country without knowing a single soul in Washington state. My life is not how I pictured it, but it certainly is much better.  

-Rachel Welch, 2022 Intern