Camp Mystic Tween Helps Others Find Their ‘Hallelujah’ Again

When floodwaters swept through Camp Mystic in the early morning hours of July Fourth, Skyler Derrington and her fellow campers found safety and strength by singing through the storm. After that night, Skyler wrote a song to the tune of “Hallelujah,” which quickly went viral, bringing comfort to many who were affected by the tragedy.  

Listen to Skyler and her mom, Lacey, share about the heartbreaking flood—and the hope that has followed—on this episode of GPS: God. People Stories. 

Connect with us through email at gps@billygraham.org or on Facebook at Billy Graham Radio.

If you’d like to know more about beginning a relationship with Jesus Christ, or deepening the faith you already have, visit FindPeacewithGod.net. 

If you’d like to pray with someone, call our Billy Graham 24/7 Prayer Line at 855-255-7729.

Transcript

Lacey Derrington: 
[00:00:00] I had a bad feeling. I just had this feeling. Like I just … because I got a text message from Jeff Lindner from Houston and a friend of mine posted it. It said, you know, it was like around 6:00 or 7:00 a.m. It was like evacuate immediately. This is a matter of life and death. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:00:18] Lacey Derrington was four hours away from her 12 year old daughter, Skyler, when she knew something was suddenly wrong. Skyler was at Camp Mystic in Kirk County, Texas on July 4th when devastating flood waters overtook the camp taking the lives of 27 campers and counselors. You’ll hear about the flood from Skyler and Lacey’s perspectives. And how Skyler used a song to bring redemption to the tragedy. It's all on this episode of GPS: God. People. Stories. An outreach of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. I’m Jim Kirkland. As you’ll clearly hear, Skyler is a gifted singer. As a Christian, the song of her heart comes from the peace and joy she has in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Though Billy Graham wasn’t known for his singing voice, he did have a song in his heart. Here’s why. 

Billy Graham:
[00:01:08] It is only in Christ that the soul finds rest, joy, and music. The real, victorious Christian has something to sing about even in the most depressing circumstances because Christ gives us a song in our heart. 

Jim Kirkland:
[00:01:22] You’ll hear more from Billy Graham later in this episode. But if you need to know right now about the joy and peace that comes only from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, head right over to our website. It’s FindPeacewithGod.net. When you’re there, click on begin a relationship with Jesus. That’s at FindPeacewithGod.net. You can also find the link in our show notes. 

Audio tag:
[00:01:48]

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:01:54] In the early morning hours of this past July 4th, the Guadalupe River, which runs through Texas’ hill country, surged 26 feet in 45 minutes flooding many people’s homes and communities including a private Christian summer camp for girls called Camp Mystic. Skyler Derrington was among the oldest group of girls staying in the flats which were close to the river. Around 1:00 a.m., she and her cabin were told to evacuate to the rec hall because the river was rising. 

Skyler Derrington:
[00:02:26] The old camp director came and picked us up. And he drove us to the rec hall. And we walked through about ankle or knee deep of water. I can’t really remember. And I dropped my blanket, but we still had to keep going. But yeah. We made it on the first floor. Whenever it started rising, we went onto the second floor. 

Jim Kirkland:
[00:02:45] Sklyer held on to her stuffed animal, a blanket, and a pillow while trying to get through the muddy waters in pouring rain in the pitch black darkness. Soaking wet in her pajamas, she made it safely to the rec hall. She had no idea that some of her fellow campers weren’t able to make the same escape.   

Skyler Derrington:
[00:03:03] We didn’t know anything that was happening. We just – all we knew was that we were going to stay in rec hall until morning. But, um, yeah. We were just kind of singing, comforting, and talking to each other and everything. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:03:14] Through the chaos, Skyler relied on her faith in Jesus. That faith had grown from being raised in a Christ centered home, going to church, and learning more about the Bible at Camp Mystic in previous summers. All of that worked to sustain her during the most unpredictable night of her young life. 

Skyler Derrington:
[00:03:34] I just knew that God was going to be with me, and everything was going to turn out okay. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:03:38] Many of the girls who had evacuated to the rec hall never went to sleep that night. Instead, they stayed up. They sang together lifting up a chorus of their voices rising above the storm. 

Skyler Derrington: 
[00:30:49] We were all together at the top of it. Because whenever the water started like rising, we were on the second story of the building. And we were all singing together and like comforting each other and singing like Christian music. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:04:01] One of the songs they sang as a traditional camp song called “There’s a Camp on the Guadalupe” that goes like this. 

Skyler Derrington: 
[00:04:09] There’s a camp on the Guadalupe River, it’s the camp of my dreams.
Where the whip-poor-wills sound softly and the bright moon beams.
On the banks of the Guadalupe River, hearts are loyal and true.
Camp Mystic I will pledge my true and faithful love to you! 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:04:35] When morning finally came, the girls still didn’t have a grasp of the full extent of the storm. But as they left the rec hall to get breakfast, they started to see the magnitude of the devastation. 

Skyler Derrington: 
[00:04:47] We walked down. And it was all muddy like at the bottom. So whenever we walked down, we had to be really careful there wasn’t any glass or like any like residue that we were going to step on that was like unsafe. So, the counselors walked down there first to make sure everything was okay. And there were some like other camp directors and people. Like I think there were police officers and stuff investigating like everything. So, we walked down to the tennis courts which is right next to rec hall. And they gave us cereal and like water and food and everything. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:05:14] Back home, Skyler’s mom hadn’t yet heard the news. The flood happened so quickly that she hadn’t known Skyler had been in grave danger until she was actually out of danger and safe and sound. 

Lacey Derrington:  
[00:05:27] By the time I woke up, about 7:00 a.m. on Friday morning, um, which was July 4th, that she was already safe. She was already in a safe place on higher ground. But I didn’t know that. And I’m looking at all of the warnings. And I’m looking at all the news. And our mom group, you know, our cabin group starts going off the wall. And I’m starting to call people. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:05:50] The parents struggled to reach their girls. 

Lacey Derrington: 
[00:05:52] The girls don’t have their phones. It’s a technology free camp. Even the counselors don’t have their phones. They turn them in. Also, the communication lines were down. It was very difficult to get through to someone on a phone or to text. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:06:05] For an hour and a half, Lacey faced the unknown. 

Lacey Derrington:  
[00:06:10] I had a bad feeling. I had this sinking feeling. And my husband was there during the flood of ’87. He was a kid. And he was like it’s going to be fine. This happened to me when I was a kid. You know, they’re going to eat hot dogs for three days. And the water’s going to go down. And they’re going to – it’s okay. Like these things happen there occasionally. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:06:30] During that flood in 1987, Lacey’s husband had been attending nearby Camp Stewart. And every child at that camp survived. Despite her husband’s words, Lacey could not shake her bad feeling. 

Lacey Derrington: 
[00:06:43] I had a bad feeling. I just had this feeling. Like I just … because I got like a text message from Jeff Lindner from Houston and a friend of mine posted it. It said, you know, it was like around 6:00 or 7:00 a.m. It was like evacuate immediately. This is a matter of life and death.  

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:06:59] Lacey was stuck on the word death. She felt like she needed to get to Skyler right now. But her husband reminded her they had a four hour drive. And that the flooded roads would make it difficult to reach her. Finally, around 8:30 that morning, she received a text message that gave her the news she was hoping for. 

Lacey Derrington: 
[00:07:20] One of the counselors in our cabin members mom group was like they’re all accounted for. This entire cabin is accounted for. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:07:28] Skyler was safe. Even so, Lacey wanted to see her daughter. When the Derrington’s received another email later that afternoon requesting them to pick her up, they were out of the door and on their way immediately. Lacey was finally reunited with Skyler that night after Skyler had been helicoptered to safety out of the flooded camp. Although the situation around them was utterly heartbreaking, their reunion was a beautiful moment. 

Lacey Derrington: 
[00:07:54] I didn’t even understand the full gravity of it at that moment still. It took a few days for me to-to let it all sink in. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:08:03] Lacey’s daughter had survived one of the deadliest flash floods in recent U.S. history. The Texas hill country flood caused at least 138 deaths. Twenty-seven people died in Camp Mystic alone. At the tight knit camp, Skyler lost a couple of friends. Other girls in her cabin lost relatives like a sister or cousin. And the Derrington family lost some people they knew and loved. 

Lacey Derrington: 
[00:08:26] We lost Dick Eastland. He was the owner of Camp Mystic. He saved my daughter’s life. We lost Jane Ragsdale. She was the owner of Heart of the Hills. She was a sister camp to Camp Stewart. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:08:38] It was at Camp Stewart where Skyler’s father had had the experience that inspired him to send his own kids to summer camp. 

Skyler Derrington:  
[00:08:45] My dad went to Camp Stewart. And he sent my-both of my brothers to Camp Stewart. So, he was trying to find a girls’ camp around there. So, he chose Camp Mystic.  

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:08:54] For the Derrington’s, camp has always been something to look forward to. And despite the horrific tragedy, Skyler still carries many happy memories there. She had gone to the camp for the past four years. Every summer since she was almost 9 years old. Besides enjoying tribe games, which are a Camp Mystic tradition, Skyler enjoyed many of the her hobbies there. 

Skyler Derrington: 
[00:09:16] I like archery, arts and crafts, horseback riding, dance, cheer. We have a lot, but those are my main favorites. Me and my friends, we would do activities and have fun together and like just like hanging out by like the waterfront and the river and everything. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:09:31] Skyler’s mom really enjoyed watching her daughter have so many great experiences for a month every summer at Camp Mystic.  

Lacey Derrington: 
[00:09:38] There’s just this feeling down there. It’s a sacred place. Like it’s been there for so long. And there’s no mosquitos. It’s 10° cooler. 

Skyler Derrington: 
[00:09:46] There is mosquitos. 

Lacey Derrington: 
[00:09:46] There are mosquitos. And the river’s cold. I mean, it’s just – there’s these canyons and these bluffs and like it’s just kind of a place where time stands still. I don’t know how to explain it. But there’s just this cool feeling when you’re there. And your kids have so much fun. It’s like she would rather go to Mystic than Disney World or, you know, the Hawaii. Like she would a hundred thousand times choose that instead. And that says something. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:10:13] Even with the devastation, the Derrington’s want to return to Camp Mystic. In fact, Skyler and Lacey have already gone back to camp to retrieve Skyler’s belongings. 

Lacey Derrington: 
[00:10:23] I felt this like draw to go back. I just couldn’t wait to go back and help and just be part of it. And, um, just hug our friends and to see everybody. I just-I felt like the girls really needed that closure. And so, when we got the email that we could come, I think it was a few days after. And I knew the first day we wouldn’t have time to get there on time before they closed. And so, we got up the first thing the next morning and drove out there. Actually, we drove out there the night before, spent the night, and then got up first thing in the morning to be there when the gates opened. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:10:52] The Camp Mystic staff were at the gates ready to prepare Skyler and her mom for what they were about to see. At the time, they were only allowing campers, volunteers, and rescuers onto the grounds to keep others from interfering with search and rescue efforts. More than a dozen campers and a few counselors were still missing. 

Lacey Derrington: 
[00:11:11] When we drove up to the gates, the green gates, they said, Skyler, the camp is going to look different, but the spirit is still the same. And I thought that was just so kind and so great of her to say that to my child. And it just was kind of surreal because the sun was shining, and it was such a pretty day just days after something so crazy happened. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:11:30] To Skyler, the floodwaters hadn’t completely taken Camp Mystic away. 

Skyler Derrington: 
[00:11:35] Even though it didn’t look the same, like I knew the spirit was still there. And I feel like even though a lot of it was washed away, it felt like Camp Mystic still. And like some of the cabins that they were still standing and everything. And like even though like Senior Hill stairs was washed away, it still felt like everything was the same except it just looked a little bit different. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:11:55] Skyler searched her cabin which was called the Bug House. She was looking for all of her stuff. Most of her things had stayed within the cabin and simply floated to the top.  

Lacey Derrington: 
[00:12:05] Someone had so lovingly cleaned out the cabin and pulled everything out that was salvageable and let it start drying in the sun. It was like a treasure hunt to find those things. Each single piece that we found was like just-it was way more than things. It was-it was more than that. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:12:24] Skyler and her mom managed to find all of Skyler’s things except for one thing. A laundry basket. They were incredibly grateful to recover so much and return to the place where Skyler had spent the last four of her summers. But in the days since the flood, much of Skyler’s life has changed. 

Skyler Derrington:  
[00:12:44] We had a Bug House group chat because that’s the name of my cabin. And we’ve been talking about everything. And we’ve been comforting each other and just like – yeah, we’ve just been keeping up with each other and talking a lot. 

Lacey Derrington: 
[00:12:58] They have been each other’s sisters in Christ. And that group of friends have helped her process things. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:13:04] Another way Skyler has processed the flood was by writing a song about her experience at Camp Mystic. Now, Skyler’s been writing songs since she was just about six, but this song was different. 

Skyler Derrington: 
[00:13:17] So, I’ve always liked to sing. And growing up, I love my school and everything. And all my friends going to Camp Mystic. It was really fun. And it was just like traditional for me. And, um, throughout everything like my whole life, I’ve just-I feel like Camp Mystic has always been there and everything. I think it was a week maybe after the flood. And we were waiting in line I think to get allergy medicine or something like that at CVS. And my little brother was singing ”Hallelujah”. And I had this song stuck in my head after. I went home. And, um, my little brother just kept singing the song. His name is Clark. We went up to my room. And I kind of was writing down like some words that I had in my head. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:14:00] Skyler’s mom joined in with her daughter to help her write out some of the words all to the tune of “Hallelujah”. Together, the song was written in just 15 or 20 minutes. The words just seemed to flow as Skyler described her flood experience. 

Skyler Derrington: 
[00:14:16] So, it was just like thinking of what kind of happened and like what everyone went through and putting it into words. So, I kind of wrote a poem and put lyrics. Like everything just kind of fit into the song. So, it was like a poem but in song form. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:14:31] Once the song was finished, Lacey recorded a video of Skyler singing it. Within two or three tries, Skyler had nailed it. They sent a video just to family and friends. 

Skyler Derrington:  
[00:14:43] I heard there was a giant flood / but we were washed in Jesus’ blood. And you don’t really care for my news, do ya? On July the 4th, 2025 the water rose / and we went adrift / The powerful king composing hallelujah / Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah / Our faith was strong / you showed us love like only God from up above / Your prayers, your hugs, and your love overwhelmed us / We cried / we prayed / We did our share / You clothed us, fed us, brushed our hair / And from our lips we drew the hallelujah /They say the waters overcame / But I will never forget their names / No blame, no fault, so really what’s it to ya? We are a part of Mystic’s heart / We spread His light, His love, His Word / The holy and the broken, hallelujah / Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah / We did our best / we left a mark / A light that shines within the dark / I told His truth / I didn’t have to fool ya / And even though it wasn’t long / we stand before the Lord of songs / with nothing on our tongues but hallelujah. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:16:52] These powerful words to the melody of “Hallelujah” are impacting many lives. And not just in Texas but all around the United States. The peace and love Skyler feels in the wake of the tragic flood poured into every word. They had no idea that that video would go viral and touch so many lives.

Skyler Derrington: 
[00:17:11] A lot of my friends were blowing up my phone. And I had hundreds of messages from everyone. And they were like I saw you on the news. I-I heard your song. You have like 3 million views or blah, blah, blah. And I was like, well, yeah. I sang a song and CBS news posted it. And I was confused at first because I didn’t know. When I saw the video, I was like, oh, wait, that’s really cool because I didn’t know they posted it. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:17:35] More importantly, Skyler’s song led to some life changing conversations. 

Lacey Derrington: 
[00:17:41] I got a couple of people like I didn’t know who reached out and said, you know, thank you so much. Like maybe my sister or my friend didn’t know who Jesus was. Now, they’re asking me who He is. And one of the ladies in our cabin group, she wrote back and said, um, I lost my hallelujah. And I didn’t want to play the song. And I did, and I got it back. She’s  like I just want to thank you and your daughter for that. And that meant so much to me because that was so close to home. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:18:09] Because so many people were being moved by Skyler’s song and touched by the words that she had written, she was asked to sing her rendition of “Hallelujah” on the FOX News channel’s morning show, Fox and Friends. When she arrived to the set, there was a surprise waiting for her. 

Skyler Derrington: 
[00:18:26] They like asked my dad who my favorite singer was. And my dad asked me. I said Lauren Daigle. And I didn’t know she was going to be there though. I thought they were just asking just to know. I don’t know. And whenever they said say hi to Lauren Daigle, I thought she was like watching my live. And I was like, oh, hi. And I didn’t know she was actually there. And she came around the corner. And I was so surprised. I didn’t know she came. It was really cool. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:18:50] Meeting Lauren Daigle was an inspiring moment for the rising seventh grader. In the future, Skyler would like to write more music like Lauren. 

Skyler Derrington: 
[00:18:58] I kind of want to do a mix maybe between like pop and Christian. 

Lacey Derrington:
[00:19:02] I love that like Lauren Daigle cast a-she’s able to-when you learn artists like Natalie Grant or, um, Lauren Daigle, you’re able to reach people from across the board. And I think that’s so cool that they’re able to have music that inspires everyone. You know. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:19:18] But for now, Skyler already has a busy schedule lined up with school this fall.

Skyler Derrington: 
[00:19:23] I’m on the cheer team at school. So, I have a lot of cheer competitions and ball games to go to. And I have volleyball tryouts coming up. And I might try out for basketball too. And I have track coming up. And I’m doing all upper level classes. At our school, it’s a called T-A-P. And I’m excited because I’m going into a new school. It’s going to be junior high for me. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:19:45] While Skyler goes to school, her mom plans to remain flexible to tend to her kids and their activities and to continue her own ministry. 

Lacey Derrington: 
[00:19:52] I became a Youth and Family Minister about two years ago. So, I’ve been working for a church. And that’s really just teaching other kids about these, you know, the stories of the Bible. And just being a part of a ministry has really strengthened my knowledge and my, um, kind of just preparing my heart for these things. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:20:12] Through all that this summer has brought, Lacey has seen God work profoundly. 

Lacey Derrington: 
[00:20:18] Everybody goes through a storm. We all experience that. And we all hear sometimes silence, and we don’t hear answers sometimes. But it’s important that we wait for God’s timing. And that we praise through the storm, praise through the pain, and praise through the joy because that will make you walk closer with God. And you just get up, and you get stronger, and you get better each day when you keep preaching the good news. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:20:45] That good news is the hope that comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is something that Lacey wants everyone to experience. And so does God.  

Lacey Derrington: 
[00:20:55] You never ever lose hope because it’s always with you. And you’re never alone. And you never have to bear that burden by yourself. God puts people in your life to help you with that. And He knows exactly what He’s doing. And He’s still working even when you can’t see it. 

Music tag:
[00:21:09] 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:21:20] If you’ve been listening to this episode and want to know God and know how He can work in your life, then would you please pay a visit to our website. It’s FindPeacewithGod.net. That’s FindPeacewithGod.net. If you don’t have the opportunity to jot that down or commit it to memory, no worry. The link is in our show notes. In just a minute, you’ll hear one last piece of encouragement from Skyler and her mom, Lacey. 

Audio tag:
[00:21:48]

Billy Graham: 
[00:21:58] It is only in Christ that the soul finds rest, joy, and music. 

Announcer:
[00:22:03] Billy Graham … 

Billy Graham: 
[00:22:04] The real, victorious Christian has something to sing about even in the most depressing circumstances because Christ gives us a song in our heart. All the way through the Bible we find music and singing and playing and rejoicing because of what God in Christ can do for the human soul. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the Bible teaches that when Christ comes in there’s a joy and a song of salvation. Music is in the soul. The chords of your heart may be broken today, but Jesus can repair them and can cause such music to come as you never dreamed was possible. And then, the Bible teaches of and speaks of the songs in the night. Yes, the songs that Jesus gives under adverse circumstances and in most depressing moments. Jesus can give a song no matter what your troubles and what your trials are. The Scripture says the grace of God is sufficient to bring a song from your lips and put a song in your heart. The Bible says when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Again, the Bible says casting all your care upon Him for He careth for you. You have troubles and problems and difficulties today. I want to tell you that Jesus Christ can put a smile on your face. Jesus Christ can put a song in your heart. Jesus has grace sufficient for every need that you might have. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:23:27] You can know what it means for Jesus Christ to put a song in your heart by having a personal relationship with Him. We can tell you all about that at FindPeacewithGod.net. When you’re there, click the link that says begin a relationship with Jesus. You’ll find that at FindPeacewithGod.net. Our guests on this episode of GPS are Sklyer and Lacey Derrington. Skyler is a survivor of the flood that tore through Camp Mystic in Kirk County, Texas on July 4th. She has re-written the lyrics to a song so that she can share the good news of Jesus Christ. If you find yourself going through a season of tragedy or hopelessness, Skyler and Lacey have a message for you.

Skyler Derrington:  
[00:24:12] God always has plans for you. And, um, just keep trusting in Him. Even though sometimes it might take a while, He’ll always remember like everything that you prayed for. He’s just always there. And He always listens to you. 

Lacey Derrington: 
[00:24:24] Don’t give up. Keep searching. Keep knocking. Keep asking. You know, pray unceasingly. Don’t lose hope. Don’t feel alone because you’re never alone. And, um, joy will come in the morning. It always does. You just sometimes have to be patient for it. And God – and I do believe this. God always answers your prayer. He doesn’t always answer it the way you ask for it or when you ask for it to be done, but He always has answered every prayer in my life. And I’m grateful for that. I want other people to live like that. I want people to have a personal relationship with God. I want them to read their Bible and pray and go to church. But more than those things, I want them to have deeply connected personal relationship with Christ. Because that is what can give you the strength to get through anything. 

Jim Kirkland: 
[00:25:13] Wisdom from Skyler and Lacey Derrington. We are very grateful that Skyler and her mom, Lacey, were able to join us on this episode. Please do continue to pray for the Camp Mystic families in the days ahead. Even in the midst of the darkest tragedies, there is always hope with Jesus Christ. And if hope filled stories like the one that Skyler and Lacey shared are a blessing to you, subscribe to GPS. We have new episodes releasing every other Wednesday. I’m Jim Kirkland. Thanks for listening. This is GPS: God. People. Stories. An outreach of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Always good news. 

Music tag:
[00:25:52] 

End of transcript