Blessed are the Background People

Hello friends and family!

A moment of transparency: we are over half-way through the summer and we are so happy. Does that sound awful? Probably. But at mile thirteen in a marathon, the runner isn’t thinking about how much fun he’s having. He’s thinking about the finish line. And we know the prize God bestows in the end will be worth every dusty, exhausting day.

Camp News

Ironwood sponsors three weeks of teen, junior, and horsemanship camps during the first half of summer. During those three weeks, 31 people came to know Christ as their Savior! The stories behind these decisions range from teens in broken homes who found peace in Jesus to junior campers whose step of faith is built on the work of prayerful sponsors.

Some of the most vivid stories of spiritual growth come from Horsemanship Camp. Many campers see their own stubbornness, fear, or dependence mirrored in the animals. This shift in perspective often brings them to a point of decision about their own beliefs and actions. Horses are one of the unique tools of camp that God uses to call people into deeper relationship with Himself.

This was a big week for Sequoia Meadows. After a year of planning, building, and testing, we hosted our very first camp! A church brought 90 people up the mountain for a family camp this weekend. Although there will still be bumps and adjustments, the staff team at the Meadows is very excited to see their hard work being used to touch the lives of campers.

Palkki News

Summer brings a few schedule adjustments to our family. Gabe starts work at five in the morning and comes home around three in the afternoon. His major project for the summer is servicing all 28 camp work vehicles. He has a Leadership Live assistant to help in the shop and to run crews during the Saturday and Monday camp preps. Gabe and his assistant will also be repairing and re-decking camp’s primary flatbed trailer.

Rosie and I enjoy having Gabe around for the second half of our day. We’ve also been able to help him check cabins and crews on the Monday camp prep. (Rosie is the morale support.) My summer project has been to deep clean our house in between keeping Rosie from crawling into/pulling up on something she shouldn’t. Early morning walks or hikes with Diesel and lake days with our Pygmy buddies have helped us beat the heat.

Have you ever thought about how many people you don’t think about? Camp requires a lot of background work that isn’t visible to the end user. Someone has to do the dishes, design the brochures, empty the trash cans, and change the light bulbs. Without people who faithfully do the grunt work, camp just doesn’t happen.

Camp is also a good place to find background people. It never takes long to recognize which summer staff will be the ‘fun’ counselors. They are the ones who cheer the loudest, play the hardest, and tell the best stories. But growing up at camp taught me to value the ones who aren’t the life of the party. They aren’t the most eloquent or charismatic. They may even be quiet, socially awkward, and a little quirky. These people do amazing work for God just by loving genuinely and serving faithfully.

The Bible is full of ‘background people.’ The Apostle Paul was especially fond ending his epistles with lists of church members who are never mentioned anywhere else in the Bible. In a few hundred years, no one even knew who they were. Yet it was clear that they were vital to the body of Christ.

Maybe you know what it’s like to be the person no one thinks about. Maybe you look at other people who are more popular, well spoken, or better educated and think you need to be more like them in order for God to use you.  It’s not true! Just like camp can’t function without background work, no ministry can function without background people. God designed you on purpose and His only requirement for greatness is a great love for Himself.

Keep serving faithfully! The finish line is ahead!

Love in Christ,

Gabriel, Cheyenne, and Rosemary Palkki

PS: If you want to see a picture of Rosie's first hike up Soldier Mountain, check out the Gallery! And if you need a reminder of our summer prayer requests, take a look at the Pray page.