Youth Highlight: Camrie Baca
Camrie Baca is the smiling intern you may have noticed helping out at The Refuge in Olney. Baca decided to take advantage of a gap year while transitioning from high school to ministry.
“I was led to The Refuge although my initial plan was to go to college. I applied to a Bible college in Wisconsin because I’d decided I did not want to go to a regular college, Baca said. “If I was going to go [to college], I wanted to enhance my Biblical studies, and the two-year Bible College that I chose sets you up for the mission field.” While the ministry has always been part of Baca’s plan, she was offered an internship at The Refuge.
Many graduates struggle with deciding to move forward to college immediately after high school or taking a year off to discover who they are and their life goals. However, Baca turned to her uncle—who is a pastor— for help. “My uncle’s advice to me was ‘if you can’t be a missionary in your own backyard, how can you be a missionary overseas’,” she said. She admitted that choosing college was the option she thought would prepare her for missionary work overseas. But after visiting The Refuge, she decided that is where she needed to be.
Currently, Baca does a variety of things at The Refuge. “I teach classes Tuesday and Friday. After that, I do my Biblical studies with Rodney and then my studies. At 4 p.m. I help with tutorials until 5:30. I love hanging out with the kids,” Baca said.
“Rodney and I are going through Ephesians right now. I am learning about how I am supposed to walk with God and how the things that God leads us to do applies to our lives. My job is really about exemplifying God’s Word in my life and holding to God’s Word and being able to show that to the kids that walk through the door,” Baca explained about her role at The Refuge. “People come to The Refuge because they know it is safe and they know that people there are not going to hurt them; they are just going to love them. For me, it is mainly about having a smile on my face and hugging the kids, asking about their day, and getting on a personal level with them to find out how we can encourage them to keep walking with the Lord despite what the world says.”
Currently attending an online college class through Moody Institute, Baca does not plan to attend college immediately, but instead, she plans to get involved in mission work. She said, “I currently do not have a set plan [about the future], so I don’t want to waste the money for a degree that I don’t want. I prayed to see where the Lord wanted me, and it wasn’t school.” Baca said while living at home with her parents who are super supportive of her endeavors, she is still seeking the Lord’s will. “[My parents] encourage me to seek the Lord first. I carry my weight without having to pay rent, and [my parents] see that I am working hard.”
Baca’s advice to younger students who want to follow her lead into the mission field:
“I can say that you should spend a ton of time on your knees praying and don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be afraid to be the outcast. Don’t be afraid to be the different one. It’s not easy being different. Sometimes it is lonely, but if you are holding true to the Lord and you are truly seeking Him, you will find so much joy. And you will discover that you are never alone even in those moments when you feel like you don’t have friends. But [God] is there and He will lead, guide and direct you no matter what. I would encourage the younger kids to stay strong and be OK with where you are. Find the good and find the joy in everything,” Baca said.