Last month, Merrowvista welcomed new and former staff from across the world to prepare for the arrival of this summer’s campers. The staff team spent time getting to know one another, organizing spaces, and preparing equipment.

A staff hiking trip before Opening Day combined all three of these elements. The trip contained two days of hiking and one night of camping. This opportunity built intentional communities among in-camp leaders, specialists, and coordinators, as well as gave staff the chance to test the camping equipment to make sure it was ready to go for upcoming trips.

This trip brought together people with different experience levels. Some were seasoned hikers and long-time Merrowvista community members, while others were with inexperienced campers or brand-new community and staff members.

Each group practiced leadership on trail. These moments sparked conversations of learning, growth, and openness.

Growth and genuine openness are qualities used to create healthy and intentional communities. Merrowvista strives to be a place where campers can be their true, authentic selves, and the staff lead by example. During staff training, people are challenged to be intentional and to get to know each other below the surface level. These communities and connections follow the staff into their final stretch of training.