Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Wood.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Our family has loved camp work and ministry for years! I grew up in Georgia attending a church that took its students to camp each summer. I was hooked and later applied to work as a summer staffer at Look Up Lodge Christian Retreat and Conference Center (LUL). All the while my now husband was attending camp with his local church and also applied to work at LUL. We worked our first summer in 2000 and both stayed on following the summer. We began our dating adventure at that sweet camp and later became engaged in their chapel. We were also married in that same chapel. We worked and lived on campus until 2006. Even after moving away and moving onto other adventures we found ourselves migrating to it’s welcoming gates over the years – volunteering, serving, and working over the years.
I stepped away from the work scene for a number of years to home school our two incredible kiddos. What began as a we’ll-do-this-for-a-year ended up becoming a humbling journey of home schooling all the way to graduation! All the while my sweet hubby, Brent Wood, was working and serving our family in such selfless ways. After the passing of my father in January 2021 we felt a shift in our hearts about what we were doing and sensed something new was coming. We waited in anticipation!
In early June we received a call that set things in motion and we quickly realized that camp was calling us back home! But this time it wasn’t to Look Up’s campus. Look Up had expanded and was now not only Look Up Lodge but it was a hub for camps – Look Up Christian Ministries (LUCM). LUCM had acquired a few campuses and one of those campuses (Awanita Valley) was in need of a new executive director. My husband was hired for the position and our family packed up and moved back to camp in October that year.
Over the years of marriage my husband and I have come to recognize the powerful words of Rocky Balboa in the first Rocky movie: “She’s got gaps, I’ve got gaps. Together we fill gaps”. As we stepped back into camp work and ministry, we saw that ever so clearly and I was quickly hired to be Awanita Valley’s Executive Assistant. It wasn’t long before the ministry saw other holes that I was joyfully filling and moved me to the role of Guest Experience Manager and not long after that was moved to Camp Director. I can say that I am happily stationed in that role and serving with a full heart.
We have developed a growing year-round internship program that hires college age students for a full year of service, education and discipleship/mentorship. We are rapidly shifting the culture and seeing the fruit of that labor in our year-round staff and summer staff. In the summer alone we serve over 4,000 guests and we see that number approaching 5,000 for the summer of 2026!
Not only do I have the joy of serving beside my husband but I also have the joy of working alongside my two children. One who has been a lead Horse Wrangler at the camp longer than we’ve been on staff and the other who was sucked into the fun once we moved on campus. Such a gift for my momma heart.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say that with any road there are definitely some bumps. Working with your family is such a gift. However, it can also be such an exposing experience as well. We easily see each other’s gaps. Sometimes that’s beautiful (when handled with care) and other times when we allow ourselves to get in the way not so beautiful. When issues are present at camp, I’m not just speaking with my boss, I am also speaking with my spouse. That can get tricky! It calls for a lot of selflessness and thinking the best of each other…even when you may not see eye to eye.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I joyfully serve in Christian camp and retreat ministry, where I help create environments that are welcoming, well-run, and deeply meaningful. My work centers around guest experience, programming, and storytelling—whether that’s shaping events, developing staff, or communicating what God is doing through our ministry.
What I specialize in is building spaces where people feel seen, cared for, and invited into something bigger than themselves. I’m known for blending thoughtful creativity with practical leadership—making sure things are done with excellence while never losing sight of the people at the heart of it all.
At the core of my work is my faith. I see what I do as stewardship—of places, of stories, and of people. I believe God works powerfully in ordinary moments when we show up faithfully, serve others well, and create room for rest, joy, and reflection.
What I’m most proud of isn’t a single event or accomplishment, but the way people leave: changed staff who grow in confidence and calling, guests who experience renewal, and communities that feel strengthened. Watching others step into who God created them to be is the greatest reward.
What sets me apart is my commitment to leading with humility, intentionality, and joy. I want excellence to be evident, but grace to be unmistakable. Everything I do is shaped by the belief that our work—when offered faithfully—can point people back to hope—to me, that’s Jesus Christ.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
The heart of my work is collaboration. I often say that the best way to be part of what we’re doing is to link arms—to step into the work together with a shared sense of purpose.
People collaborate with me by working alongside our interns, summer staff, and full-time team to help bring meaningful experiences to life. Whether it’s planning events, telling stories, mentoring young leaders, or supporting behind-the-scenes work, there’s room for people to use their gifts in practical and impactful ways.
I love creating opportunities where interns and summer staff can learn, grow, and serve with confidence, supported by a steady, faithful full-time team. Watching those teams link arms across seasons and roles is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.
Support also comes through prayer, encouragement, and generosity. When people choose to link arms with us—whether by showing up, giving faithfully, or cheering the work on. They become part of a story that’s bigger than any one person.
At its core, collaboration is about walking together in faith, trusting God to use our collective yes for His greater purpose.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://awanita.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awanitavalley/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awanitavalley/
