Hi! My name is David Rockensock, and I am currently working at Living Waters Bible Camp as a part of the Teleios program. Life here is truly amazing! I can’t quite put my finger on what makes it special, though. The camp is located in one of the most beautiful places in Wisconsin, the staff is amazing, and the programs are extraordinary, but there’s more to it. When I first came to Living Waters, I never would have imagined that I’d make it this far. I came as an uninterested 10th grader back in 2016, and now I’ve graduated high school, served on summer staff here, and am now enrolled in the Teleios program.
“And what is the Teleios program?” you may be asking yourself, “It doesn’t make any sense, and it sounds like Greek!” Well… it is. The word Teleios, which is found in the program’s theme verse Colossians 1:28-29, embodies the concept of maturity or completeness, and it is the goal of the Teleios program to present young believers complete in Christ. While we won’t ever be able to achieve this goal in this life, we strive to follow in Christ’s footsteps so that we may be more like Him. Teleios seeks to advance this goal by encouraging its students to serve and grow within a nine-month time frame
Here at the Teleios program, I get to live with one of the staff members, work side-by-side with the staff as they encourage me to grow in my faith and desire to serve, and set goals for myself that will help me to grow – and Living Waters is willing to go out of its way to help me accomplish those goals. Currently, I am working in the maintenance department while attempting a translation of Philippians 2 and studying the basics of operations management. It’s been incredible!
Throughout the Teleios program, I’ve been able to participate in Bible studies, and serve at AWANA. These have been very helpful to me, personally, as they have allowed me to discuss Biblical concepts with other believers and share my faith with others. Through these activities, I’ve been able to build relationships with several people within the community, and God keeps opening doors to serve. For example, one of the friends that I met here has been struggling with back problems, and I was blessed with the opportunity, working with several others, to stock up his supply of wood for the winter.
However, these outside-of-camp activities only represent a small portion of what I do throughout the week. Most of my work is… well… maintenance. You’d be right to assume that much of my job consists of mopping floors and cleaning toilets, because I do that a lot! However, I find that such menial tasks are just as important as the program, kitchen, and office work. Besides, it’s not so bad really. While there may not be very many stories I can tell of my work experiences that are very pleasant, I honestly value this time because God has been giving me more of a desire to serve.
I have often asked myself what makes camp special to me. Is it the setting, so picturesque, that Terry Redlin could have painted it? Is it the meals, so good, that I now fear to even look at a scale? Is it the people whose love and passion are to reach out to kids and adults alike with the gospel, by amazing them with the wonders of God’s creation? Yes… but there’s more. In my study of Philippians 2 and the Bible studies so interconnected that only God could have planned it, God has been opening my eyes to the fact that He doesn’t need me – but He wants me! There’s nothing that I can do to better His cause – but He allows me to be a part of it! And because of that, I will do anything – even clean toilets – to be part of the action!