EFY Interview

I went to my EFY counselor interview today. Being an EFY counselor is something I've always wanted to do since I went to EFY myself as a participant. I could imagine no greater job than having fun with youth as you help them to become closer to Christ. I still feel that way. I really want to be an EFY counselor. I even put it on my 101 list. And this really is the only summer that it could happen, because after this summer, I'll hopefully have a real job. And I (unfortunately) can't just take off from a real job for weeks at a time during the summer so I can be an EFY counselor.

The interview was great. For those who don't know, they do a group interview for EFY counselors. And though group interviews can be kind of awful, there is so much support and love between everyone (I mean, considering the position, it kind of makes sense), that it doesn't really matter. I was in a room with 11 other people and two interviewers. To begin, the interviewers had us write down a random fact about out ourselves and then collected them and we guessed who each belonged to. Then they asked us questions about things like why we wanted to be a counselor and we would just answer if we felt like it. We then did some fun games and afterwards talked about how the games could be related to the gospel and life. Good practice, because so much of the teaching at EFY can be informal. We then got together into triads and were given a scripture that we had to discuss and find a company name from. After, we discussed what that process is like for participants. They then answered the few questions we had about the hiring process and things. I really came away edified and uplifted.

I really don't know if I'll get the position. Honestly, it's kind of doubtful that I will. There are a limited number of counselor spots and SO many people apply. It's especially hard for girls to become counselors. And even though I feel like I'd be a great fit to be an EFY counselor, I don't really feel like I stood out a ton in the interview. Plus, I haven't served a mission (and it seemed like a majority of the girls in my group had).

However, as much as I desire to be an EFY counselor (and though I realize it's unlikely that I'll actually become one), I'm feeling quite peaceful about it. I know things will work out the way they're supposed to, even if I don't see why at the time. Looking back, it's been a really good thing I haven't been an EFY counselor past summers. The summer after my freshman year, I wasn't old enough to be a counselor (I didn't turn 19 until the end of the summer, and you had to be 19 by June 1). But that summer, I was able to go home and work and have my jaw surgery. The next summer, they increased the age requirement to 20, and once again, I couldn't be a counselor. I was SO upset at first. But because I wasn't a counselor that summer, I was able to go to school and do an internship, which allowed me to graduate college in three years and have enough experience to jump right into the MSW program. The next summer, I was finally able to apply... and I wasn't accepted. I was upset. Especially since my roommate that summer worked in the EFY office and so I knew that they were scrambling to find counselors. I was available, but they had rejected me for some reason or another so they wouldn't consider me. Honestly, I'm still not sure why I wasn't a counselor that summer. It would've been perfect, in my opinion. I had very flexible jobs that I easily could've taken time off from and I wasn't in any classes since I had just graduated. But for some reason, it wasn't meant to be that summer. Maybe I helped someone I don't know about. Or maybe there were experiences that impacted me in some way that I needed that now I don't even realize happened. And then, last summer, I was at my internship at the state hospital. I learned and grew so much from that experience. And though I was sad that I wasn't an EFY counselor (and I even tried to see if they'd let me do one session once I realized I could end my internship early), I knew that the state hospital was where I needed to be.

So... I'm not sure what's going to happen this summer. But I have faith in the Lord that He will lead me to where I need to be... Whether that is at EFY, in Provo hanging out with my roommates, traveling, or maybe moving somewhere across the country and starting a real job. I just pray that I will trust in whatever direction and revelation I receive and that I can then move forward, confident with where I am and where I need to be.