I didn’t have a chance to sit down with Chelsea because if you didn’t know, she is living in Denver this year during the off season. So instead, we did this interview on the phone. I asked her some questions, because even though she’s been around Sonlight for 7 years, it’s fun to hear some reflections from our Boss of Fun. Chelsea is from Holland, Michigan, loves cheese (probably a little too much) and has been Sonlight’s Program Director since 2014!
Where is your favorite place to eat in Pagosa?
Right now, it’s probably Rosies or Kips
What is your favorite hike you’ve done at Sonlight?
Dutton’s Ditch! (But also, Cherry Cairn. It’s beautiful up there)
If you could build something at camp and money wasn’t a problem, what would you build?
A lake and also some sort of zip line course that ended with you zip lining into the lake. We would have a blob and a water trampoline on our lake because those are awesome and fun!
What is your favorite camp meal?
Burger cookout hands down
What have you enjoyed most during your time at Sonlight?
I’ve really enjoyed being able to see transformation in the lives of the kids (and staff!) that come to Sonlight – whether it just be in a week they are at camp or over the course of 8 years that they’ve been coming. They are at camp, coming from crazy lives, to have fun and take a “break” form whatever their lives look like at home. But in that, it’s been cool to hear and see how God continues to work in their lives after their week of retreat at camp. Each year they come back, you can really see the work that’s happening in their lives and hearts.
And I love seeing people smiling, laughing and having fun at camp. That is a small thing, but such a big thing to me that I’ve really enjoyed witnessing while at Sonlight. It’s the part of my I job I absolutely love the most.
What are you most looking forward to this upcoming summer?
I am looking forward to seeing how Jesus works in us all this summer; How He is going to use this summer to bring fun, beauty, and grace into our lives and how He is going to use every single part of this summer, good, bad, joyful, and stressful, to change our lives.
Oh, and I can’t wait for cheese cube snack day because cheese is life.
Some wise words from Chelsea: Live your life out loud and do it big!