Braxton Zella, former Camper, Coach, and Director encourages and challenges us while sharing his journey and the impact T Bar M has had in his life.

"We’re all on a journey. The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan illustrates this journey by telling the story of a traveler or pilgrim in a foreign land heading toward a celestial city. This journey truly begins as the kindness of God transfers the traveler from the domain of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

The journey toward heaven involves joy and triumph, accompanied by triall and tribulation. My journey involved fear; it sought to rule me. Conquering fear in my life began on the heels of some moms talking about a summer camp in New Braunfels at a little league baseball game. This was the catalyst for God to work in the hearts of my parents to send me to camp, which was the ultimate medium God would use to capture my heart and begin my journey with Him. In 2006 (D’Vine Impact) I walked through the gates of T Bar M for the first time as a camper riddled with fear. I left a week later more confident than I’d ever felt.

Throughout the rest of my adolescence, and many more summers as a camper, I ended all of those weeks of camp with similar strides in confidence and Biblical identity formation. Mid-way through college I found myself serving for a couple of years on summer staff. Then I took the leap into a year on the Timothy Team, and shortly after that my journey led me to take a job as the Discover Camp Men’s Director.

That scared kid in 2006 didn’t know that his journey would lead him to grow up to be a camp director for a few years, but he dreamed of it. That scared kid also didn’t believe that his journey would ever see that day that the kindness of God would have him conquer fear, but he certainly believes it now. If you’re reading this it’s likely that God has used camp to impact your journey also. I’d challenge you to reflect on God’s kindness, patience, and mercy – all freely given to you (Ephesians 2:8-9) – along your journey.

Lastly, let me remind you that the Christ-centered adventure never ends. That list of core values that we all signed in the staff handbook every summer while we were dreaming about our next meal (or our CC’s) wasn’t just a formality or a spiritual waiver. Living out the Christ-centered adventure (Colossians 3:17) demands that you be a servant leader (Philippians 2:1-11), that you excel still more (1 Thessalonians 4:1), that you practice God’s truth in relationships and conduct (2 Timothy 3:16), that you grow in wisdom, physical fitness, and in relationships with God and others (Luke 2:52), that you remember that it’s all about His kingdom, by His power, for His glory (Matthew 6:13), and that you never stop having fun along the journey (John 10:10).

“My name is now Christian, but my name used to be Graceless.” -John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress"

--Braxton Zella