TEJAS NEWS

Tejas – Meet Gustavo

Feb 17, 2023

Gustavo – Round 2

It brings me great joy knowing the impact Tejas has had on a former summer staffer and the full circle that has taken place to where they now serve full time with us. Gustavo is one of our Hosts and knocking it out of the park serving our guests. I hope you get to meet him the next time you come back to Tejas. Read more of his story below and I hope it encourages you in the great things happening at Tejas as we set the stage for Jesus to transform lives.

– Paul

“Let me tell you how great God is…” – A Moment with Morgan

Meet Gustavo, our new host and HUB coordinator here at Tejas! Although he is new to full time staff, he is certainly no stranger to Tejas, having served as a volunteer and as summer staff. Gustavo was introduced to Tejas in 2015 when his church came to volunteer. He says he remembered meeting the retired volunteers who spent their days doing long hours of service projects and having just one question – “Why?” Gustavo said that the cheerful service of the volunteers caused him to ask big questions like “What drives you?” and “What is your motivation?

That next summer, Gustavo joined the Tejas Summer Staff. He said that Tejas changed his life, and that it was during his time here that he discovered his “heart for service.” Gustavo recalled the physical, emotional, spiritual fatigue he experienced, and how that fatigue allowed him to break down walls. He said that the conversations he had with the other summer staff and his mentors were formative to the person he is today.

After finishing his summer at Tejas, Gustavo headed off to college, pursued nursing, and ended with a degree in Human Sciences. Since graduating, he was looking for employment opportunities when he came across a job posting in the newsletter for a host at Tejas. He took a chance and applied, saying that he always knew he would end up back at Tejas one day. Now, Gustavo is a full-time staff member and says he is thoroughly enjoying camp life.

He shared, “I feel like what I do here is meaningful and serves a purpose, and it makes coming to work not even feel like coming to work.” Gustavo went on to say how he gets joy from doing tasks around camp like restocking the vending machines and interacting with the high school kids he gets to oversee. He explained that he is so excited to pour into the high schoolers in the HUB the way he was poured into at that age.

When I asked him to describe Tejas in one word, he answered, “Safe.” He shared that Tejas has been a safe place for him over the years, and he feels genuinely seen and heard here.

Tejas is blessed to have someone who serves so joyfully. He inspires me daily with his vision for Tejas and genuine desire to make improvements around camp. In the near future, you can expect to hear from Gustavo again via a section of this newsletter devoted to updates about the renovation of the HUB (our retail store).

– Morgan Askey

We’re Hiring!

Have you considered a career change and thought that serving at Tejas would be your dream job? Well, let’s talk about that! It is a great opportunity to be stretched, serve others and be in a vocation that sets the stage for Jesus to transform lives.

Facilities Team Member– Come join our team as one who loves to serve others and fix things! Serve both guests and staff in order to maximize the experience of the guest and the effectiveness of Tejas as a ministry. The function and appearance of facilities, including grounds, recreation, sleeping, conference, and dining space is created through sound construction practices and maintained through preventative and corrective tasks, resulting in a guest experience that is seamless. – Full Time

Guest Host – Highly relational and detail-oriented, ensuring each and every guest has a transforming experience at Tejas. This position comprises a flexible schedule of weekend, weekday, and evening on-call time. – Full Time

Upcoming Tejas Family Events

Think of our special-themed weekends as a getaway with a purpose. We have created several themed weekends for you to experience. Come join us on one of these fun adventures to spend time together as a family!

Continue praying for us and please consider giving today. With every partnership dollar, you are choosing to join us in setting the stage for Jesus to transform lives.