Little did Linda Visser realize in 1984 the long relationship she was beginning with Warm Beach Camp when, at the suggestion of Pastor Phil and Darlene Brooks, she started serving as a Volunteer Nurse. For the past 21 years, Linda has made the trek from her home in Wenatchee, Wash., to provide top-notch nursing care for a couple of weeks each summer, in addition to serving at a fall weekend teen retreat each year.

Standing less than five feet tall, Linda is known at Camp as the “little nurse with a big heart for service.” For Linda, this opportunity has been a match made in Heaven, a great fit for her nursing skills with Warm Beach’s mission of sharing the Gospel through Christian Camping.

When Linda first started volunteering at camp, her youngest child, Heidi, accompanied her on rounds in a backpack. According to Linda, volunteering at Warm Beach has had many positive effects on their family. “My children have been close to Warm Beach all these years,” exclaimed Linda, “and the Lord used this opportunity to shape me and my family in areas of service and leadership.”

Not only did her three children attend every appropriate youth camp (at a discounted rate) that was in session while she was volunteering, two of them went on to work at Camp. Her son, David, went through both the Counselor In Leadership Training (CILT) and the Wrangler In Training (WIT) programs, and served as a lifeguard his last summer here. After receiving wrangler training, Linda’s oldest daughter, Erika, served as a wrangler and counselor in the Camp’s Horsemanship program.

Linda brings a rich background to this job. She is currently the Nursing Program Director at Wenatchee Valley College. She holds a BS in Nursing from Seattle Pacific University and a Masters of Science in Nursing from Gonzaga University in Spokane. Besides this formal education, Linda has had years of practical experience in nursing education and clinical practice (both family practice and acute care pediatrics).

With a confident look, Linda testifies that, “God is faithful. He always provides wisdom – the right amount at the right time for the particular situation that I am dealing with as a volunteer nurse.”

While their children are now grown and in careers of their own, Linda still arrives at Camp every year in her little VW Bug. Her husband, Gary, owner of CNS Solutions, a company specializing in computers, networking, and software, is getting the itch to also volunteer at the same time.

Through the years, Linda has encouraged other nurses to volunteer at Camp. Linda assures prospective volunteers that, “The program is well organized with protocols and standing orders provided by Dr. Dale Thuline and Dr. Garret Stanley, local physicians. Their medical expertise is only a phone call away.”

There are still openings for volunteer nurses this year. If you are interested in serving in this capacity please email Maggie Allen, Volunteer Coordinator, or call her at 360-652-7575.