Session 2A- Wrap it Up…

Well, Session 2A is over. This is always my favorite session in the summer. I don’t know why, but it is. This group of kids was great. We had a blast the past two weeks. This session, for me, was the most spiritually fulfilling, and draining, session that I have had working here. We had a few kids in the cabin this session that were asking great questions, some of them pretty deep. Questions about deep fears, questioning God’s existence, and deep problems back at home. I was able to continue a relationship with a camper from last year and help him through a loss of a loved one recently. Being able to build on that relationship and just be there for him was awesome.

There is a little irony in the past few weeks. One of the campers that I built a relationship was asking some deep and scary questions. One of his fears was losing a loved one; that he would come to camp or be away from home for a while and he would get a phone call that something happened to his parents. The camper I told you about that I picked up on where we left of last year, his older brother, only 16, lost his best friend in an accident in May. While this camper was not in my cabin this session, we went on a camp out together. Being able to sit down and talk with him about grief and dealing with it was tough but it was cool to just be there for him.

In both of these conversations, I was asked if I had ever lost a loved one or if I had the fear of losing someone and getting that phone call. I could relate too well to both of these cases. I was able to share some of my personal experiences in both of these cases and give some insight on how I dealt with it. But here’s the irony…

I found out Thursday that my father has a mass in his kidney. He will have surgery next week to remove the mass and the kidney. It’s not a good thing at all, but for now, there’s hope. After receiving that phone call, the stuff I had been talking about with my campers became even more real. Yes, I had already experience some of the things I was telling them, but at the same time, it gave more reality to what I was telling them.

I think I have said before in a blog post, we are not guaranteed a tomorrow. We don’t know when our time on earth will end. We must take each day and make the most of it. Stuff happens in our lives that we don’t expect, sometimes good and sometimes bad. It’s how we react and deal with the situation at hand. We can allow that situation to control us and consume us or we can put it in God’s hands. Now, I say that, and it’s easy to say that, but when you are put in that situation, it’s more difficult that it sounds sometimes, but that is what calls us to do. That’s faith…

For this final 2 week session of the summer, Session 2B, we have 7 kids in the cabin. We have a smaller group this session than last. We had a total of 253 campers last session, which is the largest ever in camp history. After this last session the majority of the staff will return home while a few of us will stay for Starter Camp. I will be working with the Apache Tribe (7-9 yr. olds) for that week. I am excited to work with that age group for a week. I don’t think I could work with them a whole summer, but I am happy for the opportunity to work with them for a week.

A Lesson in Patience

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22,23)

These past couple of weeks have been a good lesson in patience. Last session, 1B, I had a camper who has had a rough life, living with his grandparents because his dad is in jail and his mom died. He didn't have the best home life. He was one of those kids that was tough on the outside but soft on the inside. He was probably one of the most difficult kids that we had ever had at camp.

This session I have another camper. He is the most homesick kid I have ever encountered. This is his second year at camp. Last summer was fine for him, but so far, this session has been really tough. He too comes from a broken home. He doesn't know where his mom is, because she's an addict and he barely see's his dad. He currently lives with his grandparents.

In dealing with these kids over the past couple of weeks, I have been taught a good lesson about patience. I would like to think that I am fairly patient with kids when working with them at camp but these two have been two extremes. For the first camper, it was a tough 2 weeks with him. He was constantly causing trouble. This week with the other camper, it's been a struggle to keep him engaged and from getting homesick.

These two weeks though have been a good reminder though that God's love extends to everyone. God cares about everyone equally and while we need to love each and every one of our kids, some of these kids need extra love.

In dealing with these two kids who come from very broken homes, I have gained a greater appreciation for the family that I have. I am fortunate to have grown up in the family that I grew up in.

I don't know what will be next for the first camper. My hope is that he took something away from camp that can help him work his issues out and become a better person. Hopefully, the love that we showed him will translate in his life and he will be able to find that same love when he goes back home.

Each and every day is a small step forward with my camper this session. It takes constant attention to keep him on track and motivate him, but each and everyday is a step forward, even if it's just a small one. It it my hope that he too will take something away from this experience that is positive.

We are a week into the third session of the summer. Session 2A is my favorite session of the summer for some reason. The kids this session have been great. We have a bunch of leaders in the cabin and it has made for a great week so far.

Catching Up

It's been a really busy past few weeks. We finished up with 1b last week and are almost through the first week of 2A. The summer is over half-way over. Below I have a few thoughts that I have been writing down from various days.

Monday, July 4th.
As I sat down for breakfast this morning, the song "Stronger" by Hillsong United was playing. As I sat at my table watching my kids, seeing their smiling faces, this feeling of peach and contentment came over me. It was one of those kyrios moments where everything was just right. In the song "stronger" the words from the chorus seemed to stick out. You are stronger, sin is broken. You have saved me. It is written, Christ is risen. Jesus, you are Lord of all.
Until we get to heaven we will live in a broken world. In this world, we will be let down by others. We will continue to sin despite our best efforts not to. Today, that one moment made me feel like none of that brokenness mattered. All that mattered was that one moment and it was good. Thank you God for that boost of medicine!

Tuesday, July 5th
Difficult Circumstances. The trip last night didn't go exactly as planned. We arrived at Jackson Park in Hendersonville for a Lumberjack/car show/ fair in celebration of the 4th of July. When we arrived, the park was empty. Apparently it had been moved to the day before because of weather. So, Jeremy and I got in to the mini van and drove to Bi-Lo to buy stuff to keep the kids entertained.

This morning we had a tribal meeting. to plan where we would camp out and who we would go with. We had already picked where we wanted to go and whom with. Then, at our Tribal Meeting, our Tribal Leader changed it all. It was kind of disappointing. I am paired with a cabin that, let's just say, wouldn't have been my first choice.

Things don't go as planed sometimes. Sometimes we can see abrupt changes as a good thing other times not so much. We made the best out of the trip last night and the kids had a blast. Tonight, for this camp out, I don't know what to expect. I am not to pumped about the other cabin we have to go with. However, I will try to keep an open mind and trust that it will all work out.


Thursday, July 7th

Well, last night I went to Crestridge, the girls camp to see the Doctor. I have bronchitis. Not fun....


The camp out Tuesday night was awesome. We had great weather despite a rocky start. We were able to watch fireworks from the conference center while we were on top of the mountain. We had the best view and it was amazing. In this blog post, I put a few pictures from that camp out.

Over the last day it's become apparent just how much the kids watch us as counselors and how they model our every move.

We have been listening to Aaron Keyes new CD, "Dwell" a lot in the cabin. There is a song "I am not the Same" on the CD. The kids have really liked it and have asked several times if they could listen to it. It's really cool to see God work through these kids through the music we listen to.

I bought another pair of five fingers toe shoes the other day and the kids think they are cool and they want to go home and buy some.

Sometimes it's the littlest things that these kids take note of and that in itself is really cool to see. This is the last full day with the kids and we getting to the halfway point in the summer.