Small Moments of Showing Up
Kayla Norrod served as a Director this summer. Originally from Romeo, Michigan, she is currently pursuing a degree in Elementary Education at Michigan State University. Kayla has been part of the Mountain T.O.P. community since 2019, when she attended as a camper. Since then, she has served as a Service Project Ministry Coordinator in 2024 and a Service Project Manager in 2025. Outside of camp, Kayla enjoys spending time outdoors, traveling, and trying new energy drink flavors!
Something I have continually been reminded of this summer is that God continues to work among the chaos. In the hot, sweaty, exhausting moments, when schedules change, problems arise, and a million things are happening at once, God continues to provide. Before this summer, I knew that leadership required organization, patience, and the ability to make decisions quickly. But this summer has taught me that leadership is also about surrender, trusting that God is present even when I do not have everything figured out.
As a Director, I have the incredible privilege of leading my staff and walking alongside them throughout the summer. I have learned that my role is not simply to have all the answers or make everything run perfectly. Instead, it is to create space for my staff and camp communities to grow, to remind them of their purpose when days feel long, and to encourage them to recognize where God is already working.
This summer has stretched me in ways I did not expect. It has challenged me to rely less on my own strength and more on God's presence. In moments of uncertainty, I have seen God provide through the people around me, the staff members who step up, the homeowners and Day Camp children who show up with open hearts, and the campers who remind us why this ministry matters. Time and time again, God has shown me that even in the chaos, He is creating something beautiful.
And perhaps one of the greatest gifts of serving as a Director is not just seeing how God transforms me, but getting to witness how He transforms an entire community. I have the privilege of having a front-row seat to the way relationships are formed and strangers become family. Every Sunday, people arrive from different churches, different states, and different walks of life. Many have never met before. Yet, by Saturday, they are hugging goodbye, exchanging phone numbers, and promising to see each other again.
Throughout this summer, I have been reminded that community is rarely built through one big, life-changing moment. Instead, it is formed through hundreds of small moments where people choose to show up for one another. It is built through silly dance parties in the dining hall, late-night conversations on the porch, shared laughter after a long day of work, and the quiet moments of genuine prayer during worship. It is found in serving shoulder to shoulder, cheering one another on, and walking alongside each other through the highs and lows of the week.
Watching this unfold week after week has been one of the greatest reminders of why Mountain T.O.P. matters. I watch strangers become a Youth Renewal Group, Youth Renewal Groups become communities, and communities become family. Somewhere between painting houses, eating meals together, worshiping, and simply doing life alongside one another, something changes. Walls come down, trust is built, and a community rooted in service and faith begins to grow.
As I wrap up my final summer on summer staff, I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude for the ways Mountain T.O.P. has shaped me and the ways God has continued to work through this ministry. What started as a place where I came as a camper has become a place that has challenged me, grown me, and taught me what it means to lead with humility, serve with joy, and trust God through every season. I leave this summer knowing the impact of Mountain T.O.P. extends far beyond just a single week, it lives on through the people who carry these experiences, relationships, and moments of faith with them. I am so grateful that God allowed me to be a small part of this story and to witness the beautiful ways He continues to transform lives through this community.
