There is Beauty in the Process.

“There is Beauty in the Process” was written by Mimi Bushnell. Mimi served on summer staff in 2025 as a Service Project Ministry Coordinator. Originally from Franklin, Tennessee, she is currently a student at the University of Mississippi, where she studies public policy and leadership.

I knew I wanted to apply to summer staff years before I was even eligible. I always felt a special calling towards Mountain T.O.P. and the work we did. The experience of being a camper was so impactful for me, I wanted to do more. 

I told many people this summer that while being a camper, you witness the magic, but being on staff, you are that magic for someone else. That statement could not be more true. 

There are so many aspects of the job that aren’t seen until you are on the other side. We have a ten-day-long training to prepare for all aspects of the summer and our job. However, this can only prepare us for so much. The biggest part of learning is just doing the job. 

We start a camp week on the Wednesday before campers even arrive, also known as “pre-camp.” My job was to spend the next 4 days getting projects, making material lists, creating special drawings, working on programming roles, and any other task to prepare for the week. Each “pre-camp” presented different tasks and challenges. 

Our first camp week was defining. I was so nervous, but I didn’t want anyone to see that (however, I’m not sure I did a great job hiding it). My heart skipped a beat when I saw the first cars enter through the gates. I had envisioned this moment for so long. 

My first major group meeting had its bumps, but my group extended extreme grace. The week was not easy, and it did not go exactly how I had envisioned it. I had moments where I felt spread thin, moments I questioned how one person could do it all.  I had my doubts. 

I learned more from my campers that week than I could have taught them. When overwhelmed and stressed, it's so easy to focus on the bad, the mistakes, and the failures. However, when you are able to accept the failures as a part of the bigger picture, you gain so much more. On staff, our nightly meetings would always start with something called “happies, crappies, and creepies.” You mention a good, bad, and silly part of your day, (and if you had a really bad day you mention 2 happies). I felt these moments recentered me, getting to share all the funny moments of a day. I mentioned memories of me falling through a porch, of a spider landing on a girl's sandwich, the gratitude shared to me, or the enjoyment I had for a late night guitar session. 

You can not control everything that happens. It’s not your responsibility to. Sometimes being overwhelmed is because we're trying to do it all and not letting God help us. 

God is able.

So become available.

I had become worried that I was not doing enough for my campers and providing the “Mountain T.O.P. magic.” In retrospect, that “magic” is letting go and allowing the Spirit to guide the process. It was this realization that defined me. It's the culmination of everything at a fishhook worship when people finally realize this, too. When it's nearing the end of the week and a young boy who’s never prayed aloud finally summons the courage to do so. When a homeowner leaves you with a story that alters your perspective. The moment at a fishhook worship when someone understands the part they played in a mission that's been evolving for 50 years, it all becomes worth it. 

This was how I felt after my first week: that I had fully allowed God to lead me and help me fulfill the role I had been dreaming of for years. That I was able to pour back into the place that defined my faith journey. 

The beauty was in the process. Mountain T.O.P. isn’t just a place or something you understand. It is an experience guided by God that has grown for over 50 years. 

“In retrospect, that “magic” is letting go and allowing the Spirit to guide the process.”

— Mimi Bushnell