This summer, the more than 9,000 campers attending Pioneer Camps and Circle Square Ranches will be served by 1,100 dedicated staff and volunteers. We asked them what compels them. Here are some responses:

“I had to convince my parents that this was where I needed to be this summer. It’s such an amazing environment. I love being outdoors, I love working with kids. But most importantly I love God, and serving at camp is what he has called me to do.”

“I wanted my Granddaughter to have a fabulous first overnight camp experience. I’m volunteering at the same time to help support her and the other children. I loved my camp experience as a child. Now it’s time for others to experience the same joy.”

“I wasn’t the most talkative person before I started my LIT program, so I had to take LIT to learn how to make better connections with campers. I’m choosing to serve at camp because it not only feels like a second home to me but I want to make it feel like that for others as well. I enjoy watching campers and staff grow in faith and going to camp is a great opportunity to influence that and for me to grow in my faith.”

“I have definitely had to put a lot of trust in God about my financial situation going into the next school year. Going to camp means that I’ll be under a lot more financial pressure than I would have been had I chosen to stay home and work full-time, and I’ve had to trust that God will provide for me. There’s nothing that really compares to the feeling of knowing that campers are learning about God. Planting those seeds is legitimately the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.”