Staff Profile: Kara “Crashy” Muyia

If you’ve ever wondered who actually wins all of those raffles and giveaways you see online, Kara “Crashy” Muyia might be your person! Kara has been part of the Pine Cove family since third grade, worked as a summer staffer, and now brings her heart and energy to camp full-time. When she’s not sharing her lucky streak with everyone around her, you might find her embroidering something creative or making memories with campers. Her perfectly clever camp name tells a story all its own—and she even met her husband at camp! Keep reading to hear more about Kara, her favorite camp moments, and what makes her love for camp continue to grow year after year.

What is your job, and how did you get to Pine Cove?
I’m the Towers Associate Director, which is really fun and exciting! I first came to Pine Cove the summer before third grade because my sister loved it, and I wanted to do everything she did. I begged my parents to sign me up, and I’ve been coming ever since 2009! It’s so special to look back on all these years. I honestly don’t know what a summer without Pine Cove looks like.

What is your favorite part of your job?
I think one thing I love the most is getting to watch people grow closer to the Lord through caring for elementary-aged kids. Working with this age group puts college students in a place where they really have to depend on God and learn what childlike faith looks like by living it out with their campers. I’ve always had a huge heart for kids (I was an elementary education major), so it’s incredible to see how interacting with them helps people understand more of God’s character. That’s what stands out to me most: seeing staff grow in their faith and sanctification as they care for second through fifth graders.

Do any standout memories come to mind from your time working for camp?
When I think back on camp, what stands out most are the friendships and relationships that have come from it. So many of my closest friends are people I met on summer staff and now in full-time roles. Growing in community here has been one of my favorite parts of camp life.

If I had to pick a specific memory, I’d think back to my time as a counselor and all of the in-between moments with my campers. Whether it was braiding their hair, helping them with meals, or getting them ready for the day, those simple, everyday moments were both fun and challenging. They taught me so much about what it means to care for others. Overall, the relationships and friendships I’ve built here are what I’m most grateful for.

How did you get your camp name?
My full camp name is “Crashy Taylor Park,” which is a spinoff of “trashy trailer park” from Torchy’s. During my naming, they asked if I’d ever gotten food poisoning—which felt like such a random question—but I actually had, and it was from Torchy’s. So that’s where the “trailer park” part came from. Since I love Taylor Swift, they switched “trailer” to “Taylor,” which made it way more fitting.

The “Crashy” part has its own story. My very first night at camp, I was a Counselor in Training, and I showed up late because I had just graduated from high school. Orientation had already started, and it was super dark when I drove over to the girls’ side. As I was pulling in, I accidentally backed my car into a tree in front of most of the new girl staff. Everyone saw it happen! Thankfully, there wasn’t any real damage to my car or the tree, but the moment definitely stuck. So they changed the name from “Trashy” to “Crashy,” which I’m very grateful for—“Trashy Taylor Park” would’ve been a rough one to live with!

How has the Lord shown His faithfulness throughout your journey—from being a camper, to serving on summer staff, to now working full-time at the Towers?
I think throughout my summers at camp, I’ve been reminded that the Lord always gives me exactly what I need. Philippians 4:19 is a verse I keep close to my heart; it says that He will supply every need according to His riches and glory. Every year and every role I’ve stepped into, whether as a CIT, senior counselor, or women’s director, I’ve felt unequipped in some way. But that’s where the Lord has met me so faithfully.

It’s been humbling to admit, “I don’t have this all figured out,” and to trust that He has me here for a purpose. When I choose to walk in confidence that the Lord is in control, He always provides, whether it’s discernment, courage, or comfort. Every time I’ve faced something that felt too big for me, He’s shown up and given me exactly what I needed. That’s been the biggest lesson: the Lord is so purposeful and personal in the way He walks with us and provides for us.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I have a small business called Stitched By Kara, so I embroider, which is really fun. I make gifts, dish towels, bath towels, bags, cocktail napkins, things like that. And then I play a lot of Mahjong—I love that it’s a fun little fad that’s going on now. So I love playing and teaching people, and then I like going on walks. Those are the three biggest things that I feel like take up most of my time.

We’ve heard that you tend to be extremely lucky when it comes to raffles and giveaways? What is the most exciting or interesting thing you’ve won?
Probably the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me is that I won $6,000 to see Taylor Swift on the floor, 12th row! It was absolutely wild. It happened through one of those Instagram giveaways where you follow a bunch of accounts to enter. My best friend from college and I both entered, and when the giveaway ended, I got a direct message saying, “You won!”

They covered everything from the concert tickets, our hotel, money for new outfits, and all our food for the weekend. It honestly felt unreal. So now I always tell people, if you ever see an Instagram giveaway, enter it! You never know, it might actually work!

How did you and your husband meet?
We were both program directors at the Towers in Summer 2022. He was the Program Director, and I was the Assistant Program Director, and we just hit it off right away. We loved working together, and I really enjoyed getting to spend time with him. Toward the end of the summer, he asked me to go on a date after camp, and we started dating long distance for nine months since he was at Arkansas, and I was at Texas A&M.

By the end of that next summer, we both ended up getting the jobs we have now. He’s the Men’s Director at the Woods, and I’m at the Towers. Looking back, it’s so wild to see how the Lord worked everything out. On paper, it really shouldn’t have happened with us both going to different schools and dating long distance, but He clearly had a plan. We dated in Tyler for another nine months, then got engaged and married.

We always say we owe it all to the Lord using Pine Cove to bring us together, since there’s probably no other way we would’ve met! It’s also cool knowing that our relationship started while working in such a high-energy, team-focused job. It gave us such a solid foundation for working and communicating well together. I always tell our staff girls, “You never know!” He and I worked together for three summers before I ever looked at him that way, and then one summer later, we were married! You never know what can happen.

What’s something God has used the ministry of Pine Cove to teach you?
I think the first thing I’ve learned is that the Lord is constantly interceding for me and giving me exactly what I need. He knows me better than anyone ever could, and it’s so comforting to know He recognizes my needs even before I do—always providing just what I need to keep going. The second lesson that’s really stood out this summer is the importance of leading with the fruit of the Spirit. When I think about Jesus’ life on earth, the Spirit was so present in everything He did. He led with gentleness, kindness, and self-control, and that’s been such a helpful example for me. As I’ve gained more responsibility at camp and had the opportunity to lead more people, I’ve realized that leadership doesn’t always mean being the loudest voice in the room or having all the answers. I’ve seen the most fruit when I choose to lead with love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness, even when my natural response might be frustration or feeling overwhelmed. Through following Jesus’ example, I’ve learned that just choosing joy, peace, and patience will always multiply my effectiveness as a leader.

What is one thing the Lord has been teaching you in your current season?
I’ve been learning a lot about the importance of prayer. Maybe it sounds basic, but it’s something I can easily drift from when I try to rely on my own strength or control. Right now, I’m learning how vital it is to bring the Lord into everything and to remember my place as His daughter, trusting that He is in control.

That means not only bringing my own requests to Him, but also praying for others and asking others to pray for me. That takes humility, being willing to say, “This is hard for me. Will you keep me in your prayers?” It’s such a good reminder that our weakness is made perfect in Christ, and prayer is how we access His strength. Lately, I’ve been trying to be intentional about going to prayer first, before anything else, because that’s where dependence and peace really start.