I Am With You

But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.

Isaiah 43: 1-2a

The theme for this summer is I Am With You. It focuses on the theme verse above. What a great comfort we have in knowing that God is with us, in the good times and even the bad times. Many times at camp, it’s easy to see God and feel his presence. When you are surrounded by fellow co-workers and kids who are passionate about Christ and learning about him, it’s sometimes easier to feel God near you.

We all know too well that there are times in our lives when we feel like the presence of Jesus is absent. Maybe it’s during the death of a loved one or disaster. Maybe it’s watching someone close to struggle with personal problems. Whatever that low in our life may be Jesus can sometimes feel absent. The scripture is clear though. He is with us. He has called us by name and we are his, through the good and the bad.

We have really great kids that come through camp this summer. Each kid comes with different gifts and talents; they also come with different baggage. Through these kids at camp, you can see the brokenness that has come into this world. Through this brokenness, these kids are at different stages in their life. No matter where each kid is at, I think the theme for this summer is applicable to all. For many of these kids, this is just what then need to hear, whether they are already following Christ or they are still looking for those answers.

The summer is almost at that halfway point. It’s hard to believe that it is going by this quickly but at the same there, there is so much more ahead. I pray that there will be many more opportunities to show Jesus to these kids, after all that is what we are here for. I pray that my kids will stay safe and will have the time of their lives this summer.

Session 1A...

This first session of 1A could not have been any better. What a great way to start off the summer. I had 7 great kids this past session and was very sad to see them go. Below are some pictures from our campout this past week. We went to Katzuma. This campsite has a lookout. That night we were able to sit on the lookout and watch a storm go by. It was cool to be able to sit with the kids and watch a summer storm go by. The next morning we work up and went back out to the lookout and below are pictures of what we saw. That campout was a powerful reminder of the power of God and all that he has made to us. It was also a great reminder that sometimes we need to take the time in our busy lives to put everything else behind us and just enjoy what God has blessed us with.

This session two of the kids in my cabin made the decision to accept Christ as their Savior for the first time. It was exciting to be to hear this decision from them and be able to have a conversation with them about what it means to give your life to this awesome guy named Jesus. The mission of camp is to “Impact lives for God’s glory through discipleship and adventure.” Many times we will not see the impact we make on a child’s life, but when we do, it’s something special.

This session has been a wet one. We have had to change and adjust plans several times because of heavy rain and thunderstorms. It has kept things interesting but it has been work. I am hoping that next session will be a bit drier.

For the next session, 1B, we will have 8 kids in our cabin. 4 of the kids in the cabin were in my cabin last summer so it’s going to be really cool to see them again and pick up where we left of. Pray for these kids. Pray that they will be impacted this summer and changed. Pray that they will have a good time but at the same time, continue to grow and focus on Jesus.

Week 1....

The best part of this job is just being able to sit back, see the smiles on these kids faces and know they are having a great time. That is priceless! This is why I signed up for the job. When I first started this week, I found myself wondering if I had in fact made the right decision to come back here or if I should have gone to Gloretia. The last few days for me have been a strong validation that I made the right decision.

I love what I get to do this summer. It's almost too difficult to express in words what this expirience is like. There's something beautiful about being able to impact a kids life.

This first session I could not have asked for a better cabin. This will be my third summer and my 11th group of kids. I can honestly say these have been the best thus far. We have 7 great kids. They are all unique in their own way and have done a great job of connecting with each other.

The first few days of this session have been hard work and this break is much needed. But, it has been more than worth it. I am thankful for this opportunity again to serve and I can look forward to seeing what the rest of the summer holds.

Almost Time...

It’s been a good week; a busy one but a good one. There has been so much going on this week. Camp will begin, with the first kids of the summer arriving on Sunday. This past week has been staff week. Staff week has been full of training and beautification. Beautification is where we do work projects around camp to clean it up and get it ready for the summer.

On Monday, we had cabin placement. I was put in the Shawnee Tribe (10-11 yr. old kids). I am in cabin 11, which will be the oldest kids in the tribe. I have a great co-counselor this year, Micah Thompson. It’s going to be a great summer.

We have had worship almost every day this week, which has been a great way to prepare for the summer. For the past few days, we have had Aaron Keyes, leading the music. That name might sound familiar. He is a big time Christian artist. It’s been really cool to see him live and see how he adds to worship.

It’s hard to believe that in a day and a half, the first session will start. I am excited and ready for it to begin.

This Summer...

The past few days at camp have been very restful and uneventful. I got here on Tuesday. I didn't have to do any type of training until Thursday night. All I had to do for that was challenge on my CPR test so I could renew my certification. Others have been taking the required certification classes such as Wilderness First Aid and also Lifeguard training.

The first couple of days here were very warm. It has since cooled down quite a bit. The majority of staff this year, I would say, are brand new. We have fewer returning staff than in past years. There are those that I miss that weren't able to come back this summer, but there are still those that returned that it's good to see again. It's also good to get to know new people and learn to work with them this summer.

The other night, we hiked up to Rattlesnake, which, when you get to the top, you can see all around you for miles. It's pretty spectacular. The two pictures posted today are from that excursion. A couple of the new staffers wanted to go up there and watch the sun set, so we did that a couple of evenings ago.


As I reflect upon the past few days and this coming summer, there are a few things that come to mind.

There are things that you get to do and experience here at camp that you can't do anywhere else. I think it's especially important to seize those moments and enjoy them when they come along. There are times this past year when I missed this or that from camp. Now that I'm back at camp, let's get ready for those opportunities special only to camp.

With many new staffers this year, there is an opportunity to meet new people and develop new friendships. There is the opportunity to mentor and to help those new staffers out as well. Taking every opportunity to help them and be their friend is important. It was only a couple summers ago that I was in their same position.

Prepare for the summer ahead, but spiritually and physically. Get in shape. Be ready for those long days with little sleep. Rest up now when you have the chance. Spend time with Jesus preparing yourself for the summer ahead.

As I right this, on the porch of the Infirmary in a rocking chair, I couldn't ask for much more. The weather is fantastic right now and the views are spectacular. You can look up into the mountains and see the wonderful views. Tonight, we officially begin with all of the staff arriving. I can't wait!

We Arrived!!!

Well, we pulled into camp at 4:30pm yesterday. It’s great to be back at camp and to see old friends and make new ones. We seem to have a number of brand new staff. At first learning new names will be difficult but we’ll get there. It’s a little warmer than usual this time of year, so hopefully it will cool down some.

Don’t have much to report back yet, other than we made it there and I’m ready for the summer to begin!