“The interesting thing about that is…”
When Karl Dirks starts his sentences with those words, buckle up; it’s time to get educated. The interesting thing about Karl is that he seems to know an interesting fact about everything that’s ever been considered interesting. Whether he’s making these facts up or not, we’ll never know for sure, but we are sure blessed to have Karl on board for our teams of spring and summer staff.
This is Karl’s second year as a staff member at Red Rock, as last year he spent his summer working at Lighthouse Mission instead of coming to camp. Despite the great ministry, and the growth he experienced, Karl finds himself back at camp, a place that often feels like home.
“After last summer, I felt called back to come to camp. Taking a year off from camp refreshed me quite a bit, and I feel like I’ve re-evaluated my passion for this ministry,” says Karl.
And it’s that passion that shines every day as Karl works with the maintenance crew. Karl goes to school at the University of Manitoba for Electrical Engineering, and his engineering mind translates directly to camp, as it seems like he has a solution to every maintenance need. Clearly that’s a very useful skill with facilities that get as much use as the ones here at camp.
“My role here is pretty simple: I fix things, and I encourage people. That’s where I find satisfaction here.”
Seems about right to me, and it’s clear that Karl is executing his role quite effectively. Prayer wise, Karl’s main request is rest, something that he is not lacking during spring staff, but is a common occurrence during the summer time.
“When I’m rested, I can deal with basically everything,” he explains. “But when I’m not rested, that’s really the kicker.”
Preach, brother.
Karl is a passionate guy, and it’s clear that he’s passionate about camp, but most of all the people who serve here. And I just love his description of camp unity, an aspect of camp that was the most appealing in his decision to come back.
“You are never more truly like yourself than when you’re at camp.”
Ladies and gentleman, Karl Dirks.
