Matt likes to say, “There is a dream in my heart, and it’s called Camp Eagle”. He loves this ministry and how it can bring about Christ-like change. His journey at Camp Eagle started as a camper, with the first group of campers to try out Camp Eagle, and now he has the privilege of serving as the Executive Director. Matt and his wife Jessika are blessed to have 5 children to be a part of this life and ministry together.

"I’m so excited for the adventure we are on. I know how much my life changed as a camper and now as a staff member. I so badly want the same for others. Guests arrive here ready. The dust washes off their hearts, just like the dust washes off the tires of their vehicles when they cross the river into camp. They are so ready for God to speak to them, to experience an adventure, to meet authentic friends, to learn about Biblical truth. I want to be God’s person to serve them, and I hope you do too!"

Adam and his wife Kirsten are a couple of Okies (not from Muskogee) but they are raising a couple of true Texans in their sons Mo and Louis. Adam was introduced to Camp Eagle in 2009 by his then soon-to-be wife Kirsten after she spent a summer as a backpacking guide for Camp Eagle’s Wilderness Program.

In 2011, 9 months after their wedding, they couple moved to Camp and have been here ever since. Both would say that they feel as though they have kind of grown up at camp together and God has blessed their path always providing them with adventure, life-changing relationships, and learning that can only come from God’s inspired word. While working on gaining his M.Div, Adam also enjoys rock climbing, trail running, reading, watching football and basketball (go Thunder!) and occasionally sailing a boat around on the open water. Adam says the reason he is at Camp Eagle is because it is obvious to him that God has brought him here, and it is also obvious that God works through this ministry. We think this Okie may be in love with the Texas Hill Country!

Adam’s Superpower:

The ability to drink coffee on the side of a cliff in the blistering sun while encouraging youngsters to conquer their greatest fears!

Tuan and his wife Paula, are Mississippi natives and during their high school and college years worked in a variety of positions at several camps. Tuan finished his degree in computer engineering at LSU and promptly married Paula as soon as he could. He worked in construction for a few years, taking summers off to work summer camp and hosting retreat groups on weekends at Twin Lakes Camp, south of Jackson, MS. In 2005, he joined Twin Lakes full time as the Hosting Director, and after their second child was born, he took on the Summer Program Director position from Paula as well. In 2013, he joined the staff at Carolina Creek for a season, before joining the Chick-Fil-A team in Jackson, MS. In the summer of 2015, he joined the Camp Eagle staff as Operations Director. Tuan, Paula, and their children (Johnny, Aubrey, Owen, and Rosie) love camp and camp ministry and love serving alongside the staff of Camp Eagle!

Courtney was born and raised in Southern California. She is a graduate of Azusa Pacific University with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Business Administration, Psychology and a minor in Theology. Courtney and her husband Thom have been working and/or involved in camping ministry for over twenty years. They both came to the Lord at a young age through various camps along the west coast (best coast). Prior to joining Camp Eagle, they were both working at a camp in the mountains of San Diego, California. Their family joined the Camp Eagle Family in October of 2016. Thom and Courtney have been married since 2001. Together they have three boys, Connor, Corban, and Cooper.

Thom and Courtney are hard pressed to pass up going to a concert or musical and love eating at new places with their friends. They miss their California burritos and the Pacific Ocean, but have enjoyed taking road trips through Texas and to the East Coast. God continues teaching them to trust Him as they face new challenges in raising three boys, showing them how to love others well in their community, and how to continue for themselves to seek and discover Jesus more and more each new day.

Michaela, first came to Camp Eagle as a Camper with Johnson Street Church of Christ, and ever since then the camp has held a sweet place in her heart! She was a counselor for Group Camp in 2018 and met her husband that summer! Both she and her husband Nick now have full time positions with this ministry and they consider it such a blessing! 

In her role as the Summer Staff Recruiter, she gets to work with the college-aged adults who come out and serve for our summer camp programs, which she loves! They are such a fun and unique age group, full of life and love for the Lord! She is excited to continue to meet the people God has picked to lead the thousands of campers that come through Camp Eagle's programs each summer. She considers it an honor to be a part of the summer here and a privilege to be in a position to have the opportunity to get to know the staff from every program! 

A couple of fun facts about Michaela; she has a big passion for making pottery. She is also very passionate about the rainforest and all the unique creatures and plants that God created there. Everything has a purpose and she cannot help but worship God, learning about the complex way everything from monkeys to bacteria work together to create such a thriving and magical ecosystem. It is truly divine and could only be orchestrated by our almighty God

Hunter grew up in the Texas Hill Country community of Medina. He has a degree in Business Administration and is one of the Wilderness First Responders at Camp Eagle. Hunter loves working with our Summer Camp program and is especially excited to be directing the program for the second year. Hunter first came to Camp Eagle in 2011 as a camper. He came back in 2013 as a summer counselor and again in 2015. From that point he decided to make this place home and he has loved his job ever since. When we asked Hunter what he loves so much about working at Camp Eagle, he said, “God has shown me that when the noise of the world is absent and you take a minute to breathe and listen, you have a unique opportunity to hear from him.” Hunter enjoys music and can play 9 different instruments. He also loves rock climbing and playing “nerdy” card games with friends.

Hunter’s Superpower:

The ability to sing Disney songs at the top of his lungs first thing in the morning to inspire people to wake up.

Joanna has been in full-time ministry since 2002, after she graduated from Denver Seminary. While most of her time has been spent in camp ministry, she has also worked as a Kids Ministry Director in a few churches and has a special passion for helping churches reach their local community to provide adventure programs that will inspire Christ-like change.

Hailee loves doing anything involving the outdoors, especially if she can take her dog Arlo with her! Camp Eagle is her home away from home. She first came to Camp Eagle as a camper in 2012 and has had the desire to work here ever since. She’s made her way up from a Walkabout student in our Gap Year Program to one of our Retreats Director. Hailee is encouraged in this ministry by watching herself and others grow through outdoor adventure.

Born and raised in Houston, Nick took every chance he got to escape the city. He was a camper at Camp Eagle all through middle school and high school and later attended Texas State University obtaining his Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology. Throughout his summers in college, Nick worked on summer staff here at camp, where he ended up meeting his Wife Michaela the summer before his senior year.  After graduating in the spring of 2019, Nick took many different jobs trying to find a fit. After years of praying and relying on the Lord, the right opportunity to work at the place he loved most came up! Everything fell into place and Nick, his wife, and their puppy Chief moved to Camp Eagle in July 2021.

In his spare time, Nick loves to fly fish, hike, rock climb, and check up on the Astros. If there was a coral reef nearby, he would also love to scuba dive.

Nick and Michaela have a heart for ministry and are so stoked to be a part of such a unique and Christ-centered camp!

Faith, a Hill Country native from Fredericksburg, loves the outdoors and seeing the beauty of creation, especially at Camp Eagle!  She and her husband Josh, joined the Camp Eagle family in January of 2022 and have loved every minute of it. Before coming to camp, Faith worked as a sign language interpreter and loves working with and learning from the Deaf community. Her favorite thing about being a Host is that she gets to help create fun experiences for people of all ages to experience the outdoors and the Lord in a unique and special way.

Jessy loves anything that involves the outdoors and nature; the more trees the better! Camp Eagle has been like a second home to her since she was in middle school. She feels blessed that she gets to be a part of a ministry that gets to know people in genuine relationships and shows the love of Christ through outdoor adventure and biblical truth!

Robert was raised in Lubbock, TX and spent summers at Camp Monakiwa near Las Vegas, NM, where he also had his first taste of working at a camp and became hooked on camp! He then served as a summer staffer at Highland Lakes Camp outside of Austin, TX, and went on to serve at Highland Lakes in many roles ranging from intern to Assistant Director of Recreation and Outdoor Education as well as many others in between before moving to DFW to serve at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, TX. In 2015 Robert joined the team at Camp Eagle as the Maintenance Director before stepping in as the Wilderness Director at the end of 2019. Robert and his wife Courtney met as summer staffers at Highland Lakes in 2003 and were married by the end of the same year. All three of their children were born during their time there and serving at camp has always been a central part of their family. Robert is passionate about helping others get out to see and experience God’s creation in new and adventurous ways!

Matt Spears has fostered a love of adventure his whole life. Growing up in the mountains of Santa Cruz, CA, he enjoys spending time out in the wilderness. Not much excites Matt more than sitting outside and talking about life and the gospel. Pouring the love of Christ and the truth of the Gospel into students lives is what Matt is called to do. 

Matt did his own Gap Year right out of high school spending time as a missionary for YWAM in the Philippines. Matt has a degree in Intercultural Studies, with a minor in Biblical Studies from Biola University. Matt is a combat veteran of the Iraq War, doing his tour in-between his Junior and Senior year at Biola. Matt is married to Tiffany Spears, his bride of 10 years. They have two kids, Caleb and Abby, who love Walkabout students just as much as Matt and Tiffany do.

Born in Northeastern Ohio, Chelsea grew up attending and working at different Summer Camps. While working her way up in camp ministry, from camp counselor to summer camp program director, she obtained a Psychology and Nonprofit Leadership degree. With a love for camp ministry, she decided to take on a new experience and move to Camp Eagle with her husband Daniel. Chelsea works as the female Walkabout Discipleship Guide and Leadership Training Coordinator. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, white water rafting and exploring different coffee shops with her husband. 

Nick’s journey with Camp Eagle started in 2011 as a camper, and has led to involvement as a Group Camp summer staff for 5 summers, and a few years as the Challenge Course manager at Black Diamond Camps (our former sister camp) up in Washington state. Nick and his wife Marin have been blessed with a little boy Paxton, and are grateful to be a part of this amazing camp ministry together!

“Over the course of time, I’ve realized the world we live in revolves around a constant state of doing, doing, doing. There’s a special place in my heart for Camp Eagle’s ministry because I’ve seen and experienced firsthand the value in getting away from distractions and immersing myself in God's beautiful and rugged creation. It’s in that place where I’ve formed the most intentional relationships with the people around me, and where God’s challenged me to grow and realize who He created me to be!”

Born in Houston, TX, Shelby came from a very outgoing family that moved her to small town Texas at a young age. Her childhood was filled with church, sports, friends, and adventure. As a teenager, her first trip overseas to Europe sparked a fire in her heart for spreading the gospel among the Nations. In Summer 2016, Shelby found her way to Camp Eagle as a Group Camp counselor. Passionate for sharing adventure and truth with others, she witnessed her campers and herself experiencing the Lord in new and beautiful, life-changing ways. Shortly after camp, she graduated college with a degree in International Business & Economics in 2016, and received her Master’s in International Community Development in 2021. Despite wanting to “go global” immediately after undergrad, the Lord humbly placed her in the corporate world, working as the PR Specialist for Blue Bell Creameries where she was challenged to be a “doer of the word, not [just] a hearer.”

In her free time, Shelby travels, helps in non-profit/leadership development, drinks coffee, and hammocks with her dog, Chaco. She loves partnering with the Lord and His creation to invite others into a relationship with Christ; and looks forward to providing a distraction-free refuge at Camp Eagle for people to encounter their Heavenly Father once again.