Journey to healing includes 100 Elk
Joe
Joe Krantz was looking for healing in 2020, and ended up with a job at the A/U Ranches. He learned about Christian Science from a YouTuber in Wisconsin who conducted healing workshops.
“He was telling me to follow my highest joy,” Joe relates. “My highest joy at that point was learning more about Christian Science, and also nature.”
With the lease on his apartment ending, he took a road trip through various national parks, ending in California in a conversation with a Christian Science practitioner.
“At the end of our one-on-one, she recommended 100 Elk as a potential job opportunity,” Joe says.
He joined the 100 Elk Outdoor Center on staff for their fall 2020 season and worked at Youth Camp last summer at the A/U Ranches in the Explorers (youngest campers) program.
“What I like about the A/U Ranches is the spiritual community – that everyone is on the same page – a spiritual atmosphere in seeking the same thing, seeking to grow closer to God, and that prioritizes a healing atmosphere,” Joe says. Additionally, Joe loves the “practicality” of Christian Science. “I was and have been working through healing, and Christian Science was the only thing I’ve felt has worked.”
“When I first spoke to Joe, it quickly became obvious that he really loved Christian Science,” says Rachael LePoidevin, 100 Elk’s assistant director. “How he spoke about his journey to where he was, his motivation for wanting to work in a Christian Science environment, and his desire to grow through his work were three of the main draws for hiring him for 100 Elk. He had a profound sense of compassion and integrity to him, as well as a desire to work hard.”
Rachael says his kindness also stood out in his work. “His patience knew no limits!” she reflects. “I never saw him cross with a single child, and he always made sure that the students around him felt loved and valued, as well as the staff.” He brought this character to summer Youth Camp, too, earning the Exceptional First Year Staff Member Award.
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Joe (right) with 100 Elk campers
About 100 Elk
The 100 Elk Outdoor Center provides outdoor education and character development programs in the fall and spring for schools and groups interested in experiential education. Its mission, “Revealing the Possibilities Within,” is at the core of its programming and is designed to help participants, individually and collectively, learn new things about themselves and others.