your name please?

my name? you want my name? mind races...hestitation...hmmm....ok real world. sarah. yes that is it. sarah west.

i don't know how many people can say they truly forget their real name at times. it happened to me 3 times today. doctors office, jamba juice, temple. they ask my name and i seriously have to think about it for a second. my name is no longer sarah. i am known as chamba. and to anyone who knows me as sarah and not chamba, i'm sure you think i'm insane.

i am having the time of my life as chamba. i have the best summer job in the world. i probably wouldn't have said that a few weeks ago. it is hard. but i am realizing more and more how it is changing me. so many tender mercies prove it is worth it. letters from past camper thanking me. bedtime stories and "bunny bunny" with peeps. late night conversations with mowgli. staff meeting laughs. stargazing with my girls. midnight zipline. testimony meetings. singing "come unto me." living in the most spiritual place tucked in the mountains away from the world. i can't even begin to name them all.

i LOVE oakcrest! even though i occassionally want to cut vocal chords. and there is the homesickee camper pounding on the door at 1:30 "i need to go home NOW!" and there is always the one constantly asking "why?!?!" or the sudden "hurt ankle" before the hike. but even all those times don't overpower the good moments. the moments that you could never explain to someone without a crazy nickname that sometimes questions why they gave up their summer to do this. but deep down we all know we are supposed to be here. we are not giving up our summer. we are doing the best thing possible with it. i am so blessed to be where i am. and to be chamba :)