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Jamie Zackavitch

Zackavitch_Jamie.jpg“The CCO’s ministry definitely changed my goals in terms of what I wanted to do with my life,” says Jamie Zackavitch. “Before, my heart was set on becoming a hermit who designed webpages in a remote area of Colorado; now, I desire to see peoples’ lives changed through spending time with them and putting them in situations where they have to face themselves and their relationship—or lack thereof—with God.”

When Jamie started as a freshman at Penn State University, she wanted to get involved with a campus ministry of some sort. She met CCO staff member Steve Benson one day when she was walking through the campus spiritual center, and that’s when she found out about Crux, the CCO-sponsored outdoor ministry which Steve described as “a small group that met each week and discussed outdoor leadership and faith.” Jamie got involved, and that set the course for the rest of her college experience.

“For the next four years, these people became my closest family and pushed me in my relationship with God and my leadership, both in the wilderness and on campus,” says Jamie. She started meeting weekly with CCO staff member Steph Wessel. “Steph challenged me on things she noticed in our weekly meetings at Crux. With my introverted personality and conflicted heart, I listened a lot and struggled with God to answer her questions. Growing up the church, I had become bitter about how people interpreted the Bible and twisted it to fit their agendas, and a lot of healing needed to happen. We talked a lot about leadership and who God calls to be leaders, and she held me accountable to speaking up in group discussions. My friends in Crux patiently waited for me and also held me accountable, and that’s when I started to gain confidence and began to slowly see who God had created me to be.”

The summer after her junior year, Jamie participated in the CCO-sponsored Leadership and Discipleship in the Wilderness trip to Wyoming. “That’s when I realized the gifts God had given me and finally gave my dreams over to God, to let Him guide my steps without arguing with Him every step of the way,” Jamie remembers. “By the end of that summer, I had gained even more confidence in my ability as a leader of people and a follower of Christ.”

In 2010, Jamie decided to join CCO staff herself. She is providing administrative guidance to the CCO’s Outdoor Leadership Team which had such a big effect on her own college experience.

“My time as a student with the CCO had a huge influence on what I am doing today and I hope that I can have that same influence as I begin my new position,” Jamie says. “I yearn to live out my faith every minute of my day, through how I interact with people, how I make decisions, how I dress and eat and do the things I love. One example of how I do this daily is by reading the Word. If I take time each day to listen to a small moment of God’s voice, I find it easier to look at the people in my life and situations with compassion and patience. I find myself repeating those words and speaking them to others with my whole heart.

“Without the support and prompting of those I met through the CCO ministry at PSU, I would probably still be lacking in confidence and just trying to get through each day. My experiences would have been limited, and I think I would always be longing for things I think I can never obtain. The thought would have never crossed my mind to go into ministry. While I think I would still be pursuing God, I think my heart would be drying out, because the outdoors brings a life to me that I don’t get from sitting behind a desk, problem-solving computer errors. And I would not have pursued that life had I not gone on LDW or spring break trips with Steph.”