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HIdden Acres Jobs

Jake started working out at Hidden Acres the first week of May. He had to wait until he was done with field work and puts in 2/3 days a week. Without any advance warning, Jake was told he was not going to be needed now that the summer staff rolled in for June and July. They have over 150 summer staff that they need to keep busy and give jobs. The group of teens and older work long hours and live at camp working for very little pay, $200/ week. Jake had been getting an hourly minimum wage pay.  They wanted Jake to join the summer staff when he interviewed, but that was a commitment to the whole summer. It also adds up to such little pay. It truly is serving with a little pay.  Jake had gotten into a routine and was pretty sad to find out he wouldn't be back for awhile.

In the meantime, Jayden took the job helping in the horse barn as one of the main wranglers helping teach and supervise the assistant wranglers, wranglers in training, and campers. Jake and Jayden were both at camp together for about a week. It was fun to hear them talk about people at camp they met that talked about their sibling. Jayden said all the guys really like Jake and told her good things about him and vice versa with Jayden. THey even told Jayend they would make sure Jake got to stay on staff.  Jayden was hired for the summer staff, living off-site and getting to pick her days and hours. They so desperately wanted and needed Jayden that they were willing to work with whatever she could give of her time. I was told that she would "get paid well" because it was such an important part of their camp. We didnt know what pay that well meant...more on that later.  Two adults supervise both named Joy, the assistants, all age 16 , all live at camp. They work so hard and such long hours! Up and doing horse chores, catching, leading, tying, and saddling all horses before 8AM. They eat breakfast then start morning devo, then lessons by 9. They saddle 30 horses and use them all day long. Every half hour there is a ring class where they teach riding lessons in a small arena. Every hour on the hour is a trail ride with around 8 campers all day. They take a short quick lunch then continue until 6. After dinner they have more lessons until 7:30, unsaddle, chore, and put horses back. It is exhausting hearing about it. Jayden started with working Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 to 6. The long days got to her. She was on her feet all day long and her joints were starting to bother her more and more. The heat hasn't even been an issue yet, but the bugs are unbearable, gnats and mosquitoes are terrible out at camp. One weekend prior to the summer campers, Jayden helped with special needs kids. She did a lot of lead lines and had to sit behind a couple handicap kids. Another weekend she helped going from child care to leading kids all day long. While helping with the horse, the Joy's both ask a lot of questions and advice from Jayden. Her main job is to supervise, keep kids safe, and the assistants and WIT kids who are her helpers. She gets to delegate kids to do whatever she needs.
After a couple weeks working Tuesday and Thursday, she moved her working days to M,W,Thursday afternoons.After her first paycheck she was upset and wanted to be done. The hours, the heat, the bugs, the sometimes annoying kids and sassy helpers were not worth the little pay she was getting. $3/hour. She was getting paid like the summer camp staff, not the "pay really well" job. When she took the job, the "paid really well" to us sounded like she would get more than minimum wage at $7.25/hr. We were thinking maybe $10 or $12 an hour. It was a hard reality and I gave Jayden a pep talk. I certainly did not think it was right or fair, but she had already committed and they were relying on her help. The desperatly needed more help to oversee the horse program. The two Joys were both mothers with tiny kids and needed time with them. The one mother had her baby wrapped around her or on her hip most of the day out with the horses in the hot sun. I wanted Jayden to look at it as a form of serving the Lord at a christian camp, it is also good experience that will be helpful in the future and good on a resume. She kept telling me I needed to go out and work there. It was not at all what she had in mind for making money this summer. I didn't like that she was getting paid so little, but I knew there were many life lessons in this experience for her. She toughened up and pushed on through the rest of summer.

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