 |
Jenny
Braundmeier is a very active member of First Presbyterian Church in
Oskaloosa, Iowa. Not only does she recruit and encourage kids to attend
the Camp Wyoming summer programs, she also teaches Sunday School, serves
on the Christian Education team and partnered with her husband to start
a Praise Band for the Middle and High School youth.
Jenny was raised in Oskaloosa and graduated from Oskaloosa Senior High
School in 1992. She then attended Truman State University and graduated
with a Music Degree in 1996. Jenny and her husband Kyle moved back to
Oskaloosa in 2000 and have been married for 13 years. They have three
children Samantha who is 11, Abby who is 5, Holden who will be one on
September 11th and the family dog named Harmony. Jenny says her husband
and kids give her the most joy in life and many other joyous moments
that she has experienced during her life that she truly thanks God
everyday for all He gives to her.
Jenny was a church secretary for 5 years before deciding to be a stay at
home mom this past year. She’s enjoys scrap booking and is learning how
to landscape. She likes to watch football and read light books with her
most recent being from author Debbie Macomber. Jenny’s favorite meal is
the Stromboli that her husband makes.
Jenny’s first Camp Wyoming experience was when she approached her church
about taking 7 kids to the Explorer Swim camp and her desire to serve as
a Volunteer Counselor. The kids and Jenny all had a great time and she
quickly knew the camping ministry was something her church needed to
support. That was three years ago. Oskaloosa has since added adult
volunteers and 21 kids to the summer roster. Jenny feels Camp Wyoming is
an amazing ministry and she is so happy to be a part of and can
contribute to. The following excerpt is from an article Jenny wrote
telling of her experience this year at Camp Wyoming.
I learned that small kids and big college kids love and need to play-
and I think you really only see that at camp in such a pure, raw way.
There’s no TV, no cell phones, no texting, no computers, no video games
of ANY type— what a great thing for anyone to enjoy. You see God
everywhere and you interact with everyone; even the ones you don’t know.
The “outside world” is well hidden at camp and living in the world God
created is such a wonderful place—I wish you all could go if only for a
day.
I learned that community is important. I bet you think the
grounds-keeper or staff clean up right? WRONG—We, as a collective
family, do it all—setting up tables/chairs for meals—cleaning
toilets—refilling the toilet paper in our bathrooms—cleaning up the
craft barn—hanging up towels—sweeping the cabins—even cooking out and
dishes (I have pics to prove it-kindergarten to 10th graders can do
chores!!). Our kids did it all and did it most of the time with a
cheerful heart. Many of them volunteered when asked; others did it
without begin told since they knew the routine. Whatever the spirit of
camp brings out in these kids, I wish I could bottle up and bring it
home to my bathrooms and kitchen!
Yeah, kids are kids and they grumble when tired and don’t like some of
the food; they will cry about the storms outside. But they will also try
a new activity at least once, they keep walking on the long hikes, they
share, they wait for each other, they sing, they pray (with their hats
removed!) and they participate in the indoor evening activities like
fashion shows and the Gong Show!
It’s worth it when you hear the kids sing, or listen while they read
their Bibles with emotion—something you rarely hear from adults in
church. It’s worth it when they try to look up and read the 5th chapter
of Galatians and ask you how to find it. Those are “Giving God Tools” to
these kids. I actually got to teach a skill that will help a child read
and study the Bible in the future! What an awesome responsibility and
blessing! It’s so worth it when they pray; VOLUNTEER to pray at Bible
study. When they give input at Bible Study without fear of someone
laughing or of being wrong, when they question each other and the
adults. I’ve sat in on some Bible Studies this week that would rival any
Adult class discussion at our church—I think you’d be amazed at the
depth and knowledge of our kids!
For sure—camp is a gift, a place to revive; at least for me this year,
it was. I think we all get so busy, so caught up in “stuff” - good and
not so good; that we forget one of Pastor Dennis Morey’s favorite
phrases (and I thought about it a lot this week). “It’s not about me and
my plan. It’s about- and should always be about- God’s plan.” (Sorry if
I misquoted you, Dennis!)
God put me right where I needed to be this week: without my baby and
younger daughter, without my husband and parents, without my friends
from home. God put me here to spend time with me and to tell me to stop
and listen to the small stuff: the wind, the bugs, the kids
laughing/crying/talking/praying, the rain, the tree frogs, the night,
the day, the screams from the pool. God wants us to remember the little
things in life before we reach for the big. God really does control the
world and all that’s in it...it’s our choice whether we want to enjoy
it—and I know that I did!
|
