About Us

Hello! We’re the Sharp Family!

We are Tess, Lee, Jude (age 4), Jasper (age 6), Piper (age 6), and foster son M *not pictured! We work at Camp Nathanael in Southeastern Kentucky. We are also foster parents and love opening up our family to new members! *Any foster children mentioned in our posts will always have their name be referenced by a letter for safety reasons and care for their family.

Where did we grow up? Lee grew up in Bourbon County (Paris, KY) and Tess grew up in Knott County (Pippa Passes, KY).

How did we meet? We met in college at University of the Cumberlands through friends! We served together and with friends through Baptist Campus Ministries ministering to children and other college students. We sent countless hours at the Ministry Building on campus (the Angel Dale House) doing homework, studying the Bible, and playing games!

What did we do after graduating? We got married and moved to Lexington, KY. After a few odd jobs we ended up working for 7+ years at a ministry serving those diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities! We also got heavily involved at Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington, KY where we joined small groups, served, and made friendships that will last a lifetime! And we became certified foster parents!

How did we end up at Camp? Tess grew up at Camp Nathanael where her parents still serve as missionaries! So visiting Camp was a regular thing while dating and in marriage. During the summer of 2021 we came to camp and saw with new eyes how this ministry serves alongside the community. We could feel a pull to camp that would be tested and prayed over by many mentors, friends, and family. We applied later in 2021 and were accepted. We then worked quickly on building a team of support to get to camp as fast as possible. Our support team was complete in March of 2022 and we have been working since!

We currently live in Hindman, Kentucky in a home not too far from Camp Nathanael. We attend church at Hindman First Baptist. We help lead a Sunday School and volunteer when we can. Our free time is filled with raising kids, house projects, reading, spending time with friends, and watching old tv shows.

We have a heart for foster care and adoption. We have had multiple children come through our home as foster parents. It’s not always easy but we love the life of fostering and the amazing people our lives become entwined with. We fostered and adopted Jasper and continue to have our home open to continue fostering!

We believe it is an honor to be the in-between place as parents work to get their kids back. And it’s a beautiful thing when a family can be restored. This is a powerful example of how a person’s life can change and be restored. We also personally know that adoption is another powerful example of a new family being knit together. This is why we foster: To show the love of Jesus to children and their families and point them to the restoring and adopting love of Christ.

Where do we serve at Camp Nathanael?