“I can’t do construction!” That was my first thought when the Spirit nudged me toward a 2023 mission trip to Camp Maranatha. But God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called. While my mission mates built the dining hall roof, God revealed how He’d already equipped me: with a camera to capture His work and a heart to pray for their safety.

God was just getting started. He used the peace that surrounds this camp to grip my heart, planting a desire to return. Though 2024 didn’t open that door, God was working in His timing. In 2025, I retired from administrative work and was again privileged to serve on a mission at the camp, this time to help write and revamp the website.

When I finally told my husband Ruben, “I left my heart in Alaska,” he said, “Let’s think about a visit.” Within days, the Lord answered through an invitation to visit. After just 36 hours at camp, Ruben declared what God had already been preparing in his heart: “We’re moving here.”

Proverbs 16:9 captures this perfectly: “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” God has been preparing me my entire life for this mission. Every gift and passion finds purpose at Camp Maranatha. He’s placed me right where He wants me: behind the camera, helping things run smoothly.