- What’s your name?
My name is Nicole Alcindor.
- Where are you from?
I am from Baldwin Long Island, New York.
- What university/school do you attend? What major?
I major in Journalism at Purchase College State University of New York.
- What’s your favorite Country/state?
My favorite state is Georgia! Ever since I was a little girl, Georgia has been a big part of my life. Every summer, my family takes a rode trip to Atlanta to spend two weeks in our vacation house. I hope you enjoy this poem I wrote about all the memories that God gave my family and I, during our most recent trip to Georgia, in the summer of 2015.
Georgia is…
Being woken by the dazzling sun,
Shining through creeks in your blinds.
Reading morning scripture with
Wet emotional eyes.
Meditating on the word of The Lord,
While surrounded by woody nature.
Long peaceful afternoon jogs,
Allowing your mind to drift away.
Evening swims under the orangey-pink sunset,
While remembering to write each
Moment in your journal.
The laughs and wondrous smiles.
Time spent with the ones you love the most;
Family
Atlanta Georgia
- What is your position on staff?
I have been selected to be a canoeing instructor. I will also assist with life guard duties.
- What’s your favorite camp activity and why?
I like the Music and Worshiping activities. I have a passion for singing. Singing worship songs is one of my favorite ways to worship God. Listening to others sing and singing along with others, has brought me so much happiness in my life.
I really love this quote: “Today was one of those days, where the Lord’s music washed away from my soul, the dust of everyday life.”
This quote speaks to me in so many ways.
In 1 Corinthians 10:13 it says: “God is faithful. He will not let you struggle beyond what you can bear, but he will provide a way to endure it.”
God provides us with so many ways to help us to endure every day struggles. Two of those ways are through singing and listening to Christian music.
I will also enjoy the devotions and Bible Study Discussion activities.
Reading and getting a better understanding of God’s word within a group, is a great way to increase my relationship with God and to engage in inspirational fellowship.
I always say, God created the Bible as a love letter to humans.
A scripture that always motivates me is:
Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but by prayer, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Participating in Bible study discussion activities, will remind me of the meaning behind scriptures, such as this one. God hopes we will not worry. This scripture brings me so much peace, by reminding me that I can talk to God about anything and he is always there to listen.
I strive to live each day with this mindset: “If God answers your prayers, He is increasing your faith. If He delays, He is increasing your patience. If He doesn’t answer your prayer, He is preparing the best for you.”
Our problems can seem small, with faith in an almighty God.
I also enjoy reading the scripture:
Jeremiah 29:11-13: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to give you a future and a hope. When you pray, I will hear you. When you seek me with all your heart, you will find me.”
This scripture always reminds me of God’s unconditional love and care for us. He knows us all individually by name. Each human is a special part of a much bigger mastermind plan—God’s plan.
Along with music, devotions and Bible discussion activities, I think I will enjoy any activity involving prayer, talking and writing about God because those are some of my favorite ways to worship our Lord.
In addition to all these activities, I have been selected to assist with Life guarding and canoeing. I love swimming! I am very excited for this and I think this will be a really enjoyable learning experience!
- What are you most looking forward to about next summer and why?
I am most looking forward to an opportunity to guide others to learn more about God, in fun and exciting ways, while increasing their relationships with God. I am also looking forward to increasing my relationship with God.
God calls his followers to make disciples out of nations in Mathew 29:19. Whenever I hear about someone who is growing closer to God or learning to love God, it brings pure joy to my heart, because I know it says in Luke 15:7, “There is rejoicing in the heavens, over one sinner who repents.”
It makes me happy to know that God and the angels in heaven are so pleased and rejoice, whenever someone gets closer to him, through radical change.
God has the power and strength to do anything and everything.
His word has so much healing power!!
God cares about us so much, that even when we mess up deliberately, he just wants us to confess or acknowledge our wrongs in accordance with His will, and He will forgive us.
We are all sinners because we are all imperfectly made. God knows we will mess up and make mistakes, but He gives us the gift of will-power—the ability to make our own choices—because he hopes that we will use our freedom, to make Godly and righteous decisions.
On my free time, I enjoy reading a lot of spiritual books to try to increase my knowledge on Godly living.
This summer will be a great time for fellowship and sharing all that I’ve learned from reading books and of course, I cannot wait to continue to learn from and share what I’ve learned from the Bible.
- What’s your favorite camp core value (community, Christian Formation, Developing Leaders or Natural Setting) and Why?
–Community Christian Formation or Spiritual Formation: To provide space and resources for people to engage with God, in praise, prayer, worship, celebration, reflection, study and meditation; using the word of God, music, nature, administration of the sacraments and liturgies of the Episcopal Church.
I think I will most enjoy the community Christian Formation or Spiritual Formation, because one of the most exciting parts about camp is having the ability to engage with God in so many different ways. I always enjoy engaging with God, but I love that the camp offers so many different ways to grow closer to God in a fun and exciting way!!!
I cannot wait to worship God among others using music.
I am super excited to attend church services!! Sunday is my favorite day of the week!!
- What is your favorite parable?
My favorite parable is King of Dreams. This is a story told in the book of Genesis.
Jacob had eleven sons with his wife and then his wife dies.
Jacob gets remarried to a women named Rebecca. They try to have a baby, but Rebecca is infertile.
Rebecca finally gets pregnant, and gives birth to Joseph. Jacob and Rebecca are filled with joy because God blessed them with a son. They thought of Joseph as their miracle child and treated him as their favorite.
Joseph had a gift from God of the ability to interpret dreams.
Jacob wants to honor his favorite son and gives Joseph a beautiful coat, making his other brothers jealous. Joseph also begins to have dreams about his brothers abandoning him and eventually bowing down to him, as their ruler.
Joseph’s half-brothers, allow their jealousy and anger to get the best of them and they attack Joseph, tear his coat and throw him into a pit.
Later, Joseph’s brothers sell him to slave holders, who take Joseph to Egypt.
His brother’s go back home, and lie to Jacob and Rebecca, by telling them that Joseph was killed by wolves.
Joseph is sold to a wealthy man, named Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s army.
Joseph is immediately recognized as one of the hardest working slaves. Potiphar rewards him by making him head of the household.
Potiphar’s wife takes a romantic interest in Joseph.
When Joseph refuses to kiss her because he doesn’t want to dishonor Potiphar, she tells Potiphar that Joseph tried to hurt her.
Potiphar throws Joseph into jail.
In jail, Joseph uses his God-given gift, and successfully interprets two other prisoner’s dreams.
The news of Joseph’s interpretation of dreams spreads throughout Egypt.
Soon, Pharaoh begins to have frightening dreams, and he send his guards to get Joseph to interpret the dreams.
Joseph interprets that Pharaoh’s dreams were a message directly from God, as an early warning about a famine that was coming to Egypt.
Pharaoh makes Joseph the second most powerful man in the world and Joseph prepares the world for the famine.
It is during this time, that Joseph is reunited with his brothers, who come to Egypt for food.
At first, Joseph’s brothers don’t recognize him, but Joseph recognizes them.
Joseph comes up with a scheme to reveal himself to his brothers, as well as, to his new brother, Benjamin.
Joseph accuses one of the brothers of stealing his golden cup.
He had previously planted the cup in brother Benjamin’s sack of grain. When he calls Benjamin forward, he pretends to discover the stolen cup in Benjamin’s sack.
Joseph calls his guards to come and arrest Benjamin.
The other brothers come forward and defend Benjamin.
The brothers beg Joseph to release Benjamin, telling him that this is the only younger brother they have left.
The brothers tell Joseph about how they regret having their other younger brother sold into slavery.
When Joseph realizes that his brothers actually had remorse for what they had done to him, he reveals himself to them.
There is a heartwarming exchange of apologies and forgiveness, among all the brothers. Joseph’s older brothers apologize to him and they are so grateful to God to have him back.
This is my favorite parable because it truly demonstrates Joseph’s faithfulness to God, despite his unfortunate circumstances.
Joseph was sold into slavery, by his own flesh and blood.
He ended up saving his whole community through his God sent dreams.
I see Joseph as an inspiration.
Even when he was at his lowest, accused of a crime that he didn’t even commit, he still prayed to God.
Even while Joseph was working as a slave and enduring brutal living conditions in prison, he still had faith in God and the Lord rewarded him.
He still loved and forgave his half-brothers, even after they betrayed him.
I think Joseph’s forgiveness really demonstrated Jesus’s persona.
Joseph’s story reminds me of the importance of having forgiveness and unconditional love towards others.
- What is your best way to spend a Sunday afternoon?
My favorite way to spend my Sunday mornings and early afternoons is going to church. It never fails to bring me peace and happiness.
It is a great way to read your Bible among likeminded individuals.
The Bible is the best book I’ve ever read!! I love studying the Bible. God was such a loving and caring poet.
I love the way Jesus speaks in parables to his disciples. I think this makes reading the Bible so exciting because it really makes you think. It gives you the chance to remember the legacy Jesus left. There is no book, quite like our Lord’s book. God provides us with so much comfort and so many answers to so many questions, we humans wonder about every day.
The Bible demonstrates to us that God not only thought about us when he created the Bible, but He wrote the Bible with an unconditional love for us because He wants to be there for us, forever.
When I attend church on Sunday’s I always feel ready to begin my week. God gives humans church, as a gift to help us to remain equipped and charged up with Gods word.
Church brings me to a place of peace; emotionally, psychologically and spiritually, that no other place can.
Church gives me the opportunity to be surrounded by like-minded individuals for fellowship.
We have the ability to empathize, sympathize and encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ, when we attend church.
Church also helps me to understand God’s word more.
We have the ability to read his word among others—while listening to pastors, ministers and fellow church members share their testimonies and share their struggles and successes.
This always helps me not to feel alone on my Christian journey. God gives us church to prepare and equip us for the week ahead, with the reminder that we aren’t alone, but rather we can be there to give and receive support and encouragement.
- What’s your dream job/vocation/calling for life?
I have so many hopes and dreams!! God helps me to dream big for my life!! There is nothing that cannot be accomplished with our Lord!!!
I will tell you all the jobs that I hope to accomplish at some point in my life. These dream jobs may happen all at the same time or at different points in my life, but I pray that God will provide me with the ability to accomplish some or all of these careers.
I love to write and I am studying journalism. I hope to become a reporter, who reports the news on local television. I think I will enjoy traveling the world to interview and report the news and this will be a great opportunity to have the ability to come into contact with many different people to talk to them about God.
One day, I hope to become a published author. I want to write spiritual self-help books that will motivate and help individuals to overcome struggles and live more Godly lives. I would also hope to write fiction novels that will positively impact others’ lives in a mental, spiritual and psychological way.
At some point in my life, I hope to become a minister/spiritual leader of a church that I start. I hope to go to a graduate school that will allow me to study intensive theology. I love learning about the history of the world biblically. It’s fascinating!! I love talking about God to others. I love empathizing and sympathizing with others. I believe that one of the best parts of being a disciple is having the ability to help others. This is my dream Job. I love to sing, especially spiritual music, so that would be an amazing part of owning my own church.
I also hope to be a teacher in many different ways. I hope to be a journalism, spiritual and biblical teacher in a school or church setting.
No matter what the Lord plans for my future, I know that my number one goal for my life, is to be able to Glorify God and honor him, till I meet Him face to face in heavenly paradise.
Nicole Alcindor