Meet Our Summer Staff: Kaleb Greenlief

How did you get connected to SOS? That’s a very funny story actually! It was a Thursday night, right after my baptism, during a church service. I was standing with my friends and the college pastor at my church told me to shut up and sit down. It was actually a meeting for the people who were going to SOS. They had already paid and were going. I had never heard of SOS. They were passing all this paperwork out. My best friends sitting next to me said, “give that back, you’re not going”. And I said, “I’ll show you!”. So I filled out the paperwork and two weeks later I was in Memphis, TN sitting on a roof!

What is your role this summer?

I am a staff servant

What does a typical camp day look like for you?

If no Team Leader is sick (meaning I don’t have to fill in for a TL), I will make beds, pray for the staff members, help in the kitchen and usually visit some job sites. I’ll also see if my friends, the TL’s, need something during their day. Maybe take some popsicles [to worksites].

What is your favorite part of your job?

I don’t think it’s under my job description but I really like being the MC for chapel.

What is the hardest part of your job?

The hardest part of my job would be feeling like praying for the staff is important. It almost feels like I’m not doing anything productive. But when I think about that, it almost seems silly because praying is one of the most important things we can do.

Favorite SOS tradition?

I love say-so-- when the campers answer the question, “How has God changed me this week?”. I love hearing that answer, because then you feel like the week was worth something. You may not have roofed as much as you wanted or built a relationship with the campers as much as you wanted, but when they say, “God has changed me by doing this”, it makes it all mean something. 

What is the Lord teaching you this summer?

So last summer we had this thing where we chose a word to focus on and this summer I’ve chosen a word for myself. It’s ‘listen’. I’ve been told that I’m a really good listener but I know I’m only a good listener to the people I like to listen to. So I’m learning to listen regardless of who it is.

What do you hope to pour into the summer staff?

I really like to give them energy because I know how stale it can get as more and more weeks pile up on top of eachother and I’m hoping to continue that energetic vibe.

Which staffer has the best style?

DJ (Darnell Gibson). He has a very modern look. Very subtle.