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Friends United Meeting |
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September 2003
Summer of Faith:
A Christian Ministry in the National Parks
A Christian Ministry in the National Parks
By Katie Lee Terrell
Walking barefoot atop a sand dune in Death Valley, watching an eruption of Old Faithful in Yellowstone, hugging a Giant Sequoia in Kings Canyon, watching the sunset over the Grand Canyon, being at the base of a waterfall in Yosemite — these are the places I have prayed.
In March 2000 I received a call to serve from "A Christian Ministry in the National Parks" (ACMNP) after my best friend, Christina, and I had sent in our applications. This program places college and seminary students in National Parks across the United States to provide services of worship to people who work, visit and live in the parks. In addition to the ministry, we would also be assigned a job with the park concessionaire service doing retail, food service or housekeeping.
The decision to serve is not one to be taken lightly. After many long hours of prayer and scripture reading, I stumbled upon Matthew 4:19, "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." I accepted my call and devoted an entire summer to sharing the Gospel in Grand Canyon National Park. I have since been involved with ACMNP in Yellowstone and in Yosemite.
May 15, 2000 — I'm flying over a huge hole in the ground, otherwise known as the Grand Canyon, wondering what I've gotten myself into this time. I know I should be relishing the beauty of this natural wonder in its varying shades of red, orange, green and brown. My mind is a reel of questions; do people actually live here? Am I going to have to sleep in a tent? Where is the mall? What am I going to do for three months without my car? Can I live without my cell phone? Christina and I exchange glances that say, "Can we turn this thing around and go to Las Vegas for the summer?" The pilot spoils our wishful thinking by asking the flight attendant to "Please prepare for landing." Soon we will be grounded in our little prop plane in which Christina and I are the only passengers, feeling shipwrecked on this desert of an island, our only reassurance knowing that this plane will return for us three months from today.
Despite my initial uncertainty as I flew over the Grand Canyon, doing ministry in the National Parks was an amazing and unforgettable experience. Seeing the canyon from the South Rim for the first time left me breathless. The beauty of it all was indescribable and, even though I could reach out and touch the rocks, it seemed too picture-perfect to be real. My instinctual thoughts were, "Only God could do this." That summer I was amazed by how many people I encountered who did not share my beliefs.
The South Rim ministry team consisted of 25 college and seminary students from various denominations and spiritual backgrounds. Worship services were held seven nights a week and for six Sunday morning services, all led by the summer worship team with the support of a local pastor. Interdenominational worship was fascinating to me. As a small-town Quaker, my twenty-year-old eyes were opened as I sang hymns with a Southern Baptist, recited prayers with a Messianic Jew, listened to the sermons of a Christian Reformer and harmonized with the guitar playing of a Born-Again Christian to Rich Mullins and Chris Rice.
The diversity of talents combined to create an amazing summer of worship. The team members provided tremendous accountability for each other, a constant source of encouragement to utilize strengths while challenging weaknesses. Those with a fear of public speaking were preaching full sermons by the end of the summer. Amateur musicians were writing music and leading worship songs. Some who had never before said a prayer out loud were leading whole congregations in prayer.
God was served in many ways that summer, from worship services for guests and residents to simply living out our lives in Christian ways as examples to our coworkers. At times I felt as if my every move was being monitored by the community to determine how and if my life measured up to their perceptions of a godly life. God's primary purpose for me, I believe, was to test my own faith. Growing up in a church community where all of my friends were Christians, I never had to deal with anyone questioning my faith; it was simply understood. At the same time, I never questioned my beliefs either. That summer God brought people into my life who asked me why, why, why, like a three-year old to his parents.
Seated across the break room table from a thirty-year-old co-worker, companionably folding napkins, I was told about a previous occupation as a paramedic in New York. Knowing that I was a part of the Christian Ministry, this gentleman boldly informed me that he could not believe in a just God with all the tragedy he had seen in his life. "How can you love a God who allows mothers to murder their children and husbands to beat their wives while drunk drivers kill innocent victims and drive off without a scratch?" These were the questions that I was put up against. Throughout the summer I learned to search my heart and pray to God for answers. Why did I believe what I believed? I learned a tremendous amount about my own faith that summer and enhanced my relationship with God by not taking for granted all that He had brought to my life.
The community pastor and several local families adopted the ministry staff into their hearts and homes. Sunday afternoons were often spent sprawled out in the living room of one of their homes enjoying a home-cooked meal and a break from dorm life. Each month the entire staff went on a retreat together with the Pastor to refocus our hearts and minds to God's purpose. These retreats involved sharing through music and prayer, camping and cooking out, laughter and tears, and further establishing our relationships with one another.
God energized my life that summer when I didn't think I had an ounce of strength left. He gave me the energy to hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back. He provided me with the strength to stand up for my beliefs when others questioned them. He woke me up at 5:45 on Sunday mornings, after working until midnight the night before, feeling fully refreshed. He brought twenty-four Christians into my life to encourage me with their friendship and prayers. After three months I had no doubts that I could "do everything through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13)
It was by no means an easy summer, but one full of trials and temptations. I learned to embrace these tests of faith, knowing that God had a greater purpose for my life. Like Job, I wanted to prove that I was not a fair-weather believer but that my faith would stand up to the test. During a weekend orientation to the ministry, the Assistant Director of ACMNP said to me and a room full of anxiety-filled Christians, "I did not recruit you for who you are now, but for who you will be at the end of the summer."
Imagine the fulfillment you feel when your boss shows you the silver cross tucked neatly inside his collared shirt after weeks of praying for him. Or the exhilaration that courses through your veins when, on a Sunday morning, you look out at your congregation to see the familiar faces of co-workers and visitors you have invited to the service or who have returned two nights in a row. Be prepared to pull an all-nighter with someone you barely know who wants to learn more about how to become a Christian or simply how to say that first prayer. This is a summer with A Christian Ministry in the National Parks.
August 15, 2000 — Jeff and I met at the cross this morning at 4:25 to watch a final sunrise together. With arms draped heavily around one another, we shared a few whispers but mostly remained quiet, not wanting to disrupt the tranquility of a new day. Promises to keep in touch had already been made. Reminiscences of hikes, retreats, rehearsing music for Sunday Chapel services and lazy Saturdays watching college football had been laughed and cried over. All that was left was to enjoy our final moments together, breathing in the morning dew and thanking God for the bonds of friendship that had formed in the past twelve weeks. A silent prayer was said as the sun broke over the horizon proudly exalting a chorus of Amens. Clinging to one another in a final hug I wondered if I would ever see Jeff again. I do know I will never be able to relive this summer. It has been three months since I last flew over the Grand Canyon, and once again I look out my window with trepidation. The plastic shade is being pulled down for me as I must leave this chapter of my life and move forward towards what God has planned. Though I am sad to leave, I am not afraid for I know that I can always trust in Him.
For more information regarding A Christian Ministry in the National Parks visit online at www.acmnp.com.
Katie Lee Terrell is a member of Fairview Friends Meeting in Wilmington Yearly Meeting, Ohio.
Copyright (c) 2003 Friends United Meeting
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