Sr. High-2

I was blessed to be able to counsel for Sr. High week and just focus on the girls in the cabin and not just on a medical stand point. I worked with Lauren which was a blast and I loved it cause we had counseled together last year for the second Sr. High camp as well. This week there were only a little over 50 campers there so it was super small and kind of weird. We had 5 girls in our cabin, I thought it was going to be hard and not good at all, but God used it to help us all grow so much closer together by the end of the week. Two of the girls I had in my cabin last year so it was great to reconnect with them and get to know them much better. The first day or so was hard during devotions. They would not open up about much and they continued to get off topic (much like colt campers do). Lauren and I continued to pray about it and asked God to give us the strength to persevere and the words to say that can only come from Him. Then one devotion time we had the girls go around and share their stories and how they have seen God work in their own lives, if they have at all. Lauren and I had shared our testimonies the night before so we just wanted to them to kind of do the same so we would get a better idea of where they were spiritually and also that they could hear each other talk and see that they are not the only ones going through tough times. All the of them came from broken homes and it was really sad to see the hurt and pain that leaves on the kids. Their lives are not the same after that.

One girl said she had a hard time seeing God as her Father and she hated that because her step father had run out on her and her mom for another lady. She saw a father figure as someone who leaves when you need them. That was really hard to hear and we talked a lot with her about forgiveness and just what the Bible says about God as our Heavenly Father. By the end of the week she was ready and willing to forgive her step dad and wanted to start fresh with Christ. That was super encouraging to hear and I praise God that He was able to work in her life/heart. Another girl opened up about a lot of things she was going through in high school and that she had given her life to Christ a couple years ago and was just striving to live for Him. She said it wasn’t easy and sometimes she wanted to give up, but she knew she needed to give it all to God and continue to have faith. It was so good to hear her story cause it was a lot of things that I had gone through in my life. I talked a lot with her and I just loved sharing God’s word with her and the other girls. One of the girls was not very open about anything, but by the end of the week she had started to open up a little about things. I pray that God would continue to work in her heart and that she would be able to know His love and live her life for Him.

It was hard seeing all the kids go. As a smaller camp we were able to grow a lot closer, even guys and girls. So it was sad to see them all go with the relationships we had started to build with each of them. The speaker this week was wonderful and I learned so much from him and was reminded of many things that I needed to hear again. There was a lot of suffering going on with the kids and questioning why God would let that happen. Brian (the speaker) felt God calling him to change his lesson one evening and he talked about suffering and what the Bible talks about it. It was so good for all of the campers to hear (as well as myself). That was an answer to prayer and I thank the Lord for using Brian to share His message with the kids. During my own devotions I was reading Lamentations 3:22-24 which says, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.” I was just reminding of His great love for me and I thank Him for giving me those opportunities to talk with the girls in my cabin as well as others in camp about His love for them. Verses 40-42 of that same chapter say, “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in Heaven…”

One a lighter and more fun note, we had an amazing skit night this week. This is where each cabin comes up with a funny skit or act to do and many of the counselors/staff members get involved with it as well. Last year they had done one that was wonderful and Lauren and I did it again this year. We had five guys come up front (not knowing in advance they were coming up) and they were blind folded and had to take their shoes and socks off because we were going to have them feel things with their hands and feet, taste things, and smell things and they had to guess what each thing was. While they were doing these things we had some girls with nail polish come up and paint their toes. At the end I had them stand up and take their blindfold off and take a bow and they saw that their toenails were painted. They were super surprised and had no idea we had done that to them. It was really funny and they enjoyed it even though their toes were painted. It was a super great week and I thank God for every moment of it. Continue to pray for us as we work through this next week with over 120 bronco campers!!!!! And it’s the last camp of the summer:(

Nursing It Up...

This week past week I was the "primary nurse" which meant the kids came to me first with stuff and that I was taking care of all the medications and things. I was a little nervous about it when Aimee told me that, but I knew that she was there whenever I needed her for help and more importantly, God was watching over everything I was doing and was there with me. The week was actually pretty quiet in the nursing area. There were several medication, but not many kids needed extra stuff; just a cold here and there or a little cut. Praise the Lord for that.

I was a little sad to not be in a cabin this week, but I knew God had me where He wanted me. I was able to join in on the games during the week and walked around during the activities and loved doing that. I think the kids really enjoyed that as well and they felt better having the nurse right there with them at their activities. I remember a group of little boys chasing after me during on of the field games and they were yelling, "Get the evil nurse!!" It was just cute to see them get excited about getting me out even though I wasn't with them very much. It made me feel as though I was still a part of their time here at camp and that I was able to make a difference in their lives.

In my devotions this week I was reading through Jeremiah and chapter 29 verse 13 stuck out to me. It says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." It just reminded me that I need to have that desire in my heart to seek after Christ in order to truly know Him. He has to be the thing that I am striving after in this life, not money, not a relationship, not a good job, not friends or family; not that any of these things are necessarily bad, we need to be focusing on our Lord and Savior, not the things of this world that do not last. Thank you Lord for being my provider, my help, my joy, my Savior, my protector, my EVERYTHING. I could not ask for more Lord, except to desire you more.

Maverick 2

This week I was a counselor/nurse. I went in on Sunday to help with assessing the kids and gathering their medications Monday morning during registration. I wasn't sure how the week would go mainly because I didn't really know what to expect with the whole double role thing, but I was excited to be able to counsel even a little. The girls in our cabin were really great, the first time we did devotions they had amazing questions and were engaged the whole time. I was really surprised and excited about this.

The hardest thing for me this week was trying to balance my job as nurse and counselor. I hated leaving the cabin early to get ready for medications and having to leave an activity with my cabin to help take care of a camper or coming late to our cabin devotions because I was administering a medication. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy the nursing side of it all, I did (I loved taking care of the kids in a physical way and to be able to talk with them about themselves and share with them even in those short moments of putting a band-aide on a cut), it was more that I didn't like being torn between two things.

We talked a lot about boasting in the Lord and nothing else and that we should desire nothing more in this life but an intimate relationship with Christ. Psalm 73:23-26 says, "Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." A question the speaker gave us to think about was, "Would you want to go to heaven if God wasn't there?" This was something I thought about a lot over the week. Is my desire to go to heaven because God is there or is it to get away from this sinful world for my own sake? I would want to be quick to say, of course I wouldn't want to go if God wasn't there, but is that really true deep down? At times I don't act like that is true in my heart. Father, You are continuously seeking me and desiring to have an intimate relationship with You, help me to desire the same, day after day.

I saw God working in the heart of one of my campers and she told me she prayed and asked God into her life one night during the week. I was so happy and I prayed with her and talked more with her just about what that means and how amazing that is for her. It's always hard seeing the kids leave at the end of the week because you know some of what they are going back to and that many of them do not have support where they live and really have no way of growing in their faith other than on their own. But then God reminds me time and time again that they are not alone and that He has them right where He wants them. It's not our job to save them, we are here to be God's vessels and share the truth with them and see how God uses us. He doesn't need us, but He allows us to join Him in His mission. Thank you Lord for that.

We had a couple counselors sick this week and just some strange things going around. Prayer for their health would be wonderful. Thanks for your continued support and prayers. God is doing great things here and all over the world; we just need to take the time to actually see where He's working and join Him in that work.

Fourth of July Week

It was nice getting to camp when I did because I was able to have a whole week without camps and get to know the counselors better. Praise the Lord for that. This week we basically hung out and played basketball, games, ultimate, work day, and other things that helped pass the time. On the third we all went into town for the fourth of July parade. The third we hung out downtown Juneau and then they had fireworks at 12 am so it was on the fourth and it was dark enough. We slept at one of the churches in town and then in the morning walked in the parade. It was a lot of fun seeing campers and their families on the side of the road and being able to talk with them and say hi. Then we walked around downtown again and had supper at the pastor of Auke Bay Bible Church's house. It was nice to have the week to get to know people better and spend time with them.

This next week we have Maverick and I will be half counseling half nursing duties. I'm a little nervous about how that will all work out, but I'm sure it will be great. I am in town now because I am helping the nurse (Aimee) with registration stuff and checking the kids for medications, lice, and doing a quick assessment of them. That should be fun. It's kind of annoying having to go into town and missing the praise and pray that we do each Sunday evening with all the counselors and just hanging out for that evening. I'm looking forward to being able to counsel some this summer because at first we weren't sure if I was going to be able to do that, so thank you Lord for allowing me the chance to do that.

I have been reading a book by Max Lucado called "Next Door Savior." It is about remembering that Christ isn't just reigning over the universe, but He is living with each of us in our own lives and knows everything about each of us and how amazing that is. The verse I really like that I read this week was Hebrews 2:17-18 "For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people, because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted." He does not cover up the bad things in His family history or the hard times He went through in His life because He wants us to see that He has been there too. Jesus understands every aspect of our lives because He's gone through it as well. That's just son incredible to remember!!!

Soccer Camp

       Finally arriving in Juneau, my stomach is turning and I’m getting super excited to get out to camp and see everyone again. Tim picks me up at the airport along with Bob and we head to the office/dorms for the night. But Tim turns to me and says, “So guess what, we are staying in town for the week and doing soccer camp at Thunder Mountain High School.” Really? I have to stay in town, what a bummer. I had this idea of what I wanted and now things were changing. Well guess what girl, that’s just how life is, that’s how God is. We have these perfect ideas for ourselves (or at least we think they are perfect) and how we want everything to go, but God has a different plan, a much much much better plan. What that is for our own good, whether or not is seems like it at the time. He knows what He’s doing and loves us more than we could ever imagine so we have nothing to fear. So soccer camp here I came!!
The next morning was Wednesday and it was kind of raining and a little cold, but not too bad. Apparently the day before had been horrible with rain and wind and cold. The kids were ready to play some soccer, but by the time lunch came around they were all tired and ready for a rest. It was hard keeping their attention the whole time we were there (all day) and there wasn’t anything else they could do which was frustrating, but we worked around it and played other games that did not involve using a soccer ball. The next day was not too bad either, but Friday was pretty miserable. It was pouring down rain and winding and cold. We had tents set up and the kids hung out under those waiting for it to let up, but it never did. Some still wanted to play outside in it so we let them. After lunch it had cleared up enough that we went out and played a few games with the kids. They really enjoyed it. Then it was time for them to go which was sad, but I was also glad because it was starting to get rainy again. Then Tim and I headed back to camp. I was so happy to be ridding the Blondina again and looking out over the water. We saw a bear on the way in which was fun. The campers were having talent show night before playing Mission Impossible, so I was able to see the skits and things they had and meet some of the counselors and new staff members. It was so good to see everyone again. I was sad not to see the faces I had seen last summer, but it was great meeting the new members of the team.
The rest of the weekend was finishing up Senior High and I helped out with different things where I could and talked with some of the campers I knew and met some new ones. Sunday the campers stayed and came to our church service we have. It was cool to see them come and just to get them into a church service, maybe even for the first time in their lives. They got to see a little of what we do over the weekend and how we worship our creator. This next coming week is the fourth of July and there are no camps going on right now so it will be a good time of just getting to know people better and building relationships with them. I’m really excited to see what God has in store for everyone this summer and how things are going to go. Praise God I’m back and can serve Him in Alaska!!!