Week #7

I can't believe camp is almost over. We only have 2 weeks left. This summer has flown by. This week I have a great group of girls! I love them all. I have seven 9 and 10 year olds this week. They are so sweet. Praising God for a great group of girls this week. Praying for energy though. I feel like we all need it. The staff is getting tired and weary so we def. need Gods strength and energy this week. :) I know he will not forsake us this week. Just continuing to trust in him. Thanks for the continued support and prayers. It means a lot. Also Courtney, Adam's sister, is coming again this week. Super excited to have her come and volunteer. Always brightens my week to spend time with her!!

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40: 29-31

Whom shall I send?

I was reading my devos yesterday morning and I came across this verse.

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, "Here I am send me!" Isaiah 6:8

This verse really touched me. It is so easy to forget the reason I am here this summer and to lose focus, especially during week 8, but God has continued to show me this week why I am here. He has showed me that he sent me here this summer to impact these kids lives. God is constantly sending us places that are uncomfortable and that are hard but he uses these situations to help strengthen us and grow us. Sometimes it is very uncomfortable when we are forced to grow and be stretched. I needed to hear this verse this week to remember that God has sent me here this summer. He has prepared me and equiped me to do this work this summer so I need to trust in him.

This week has been tough but I have felt God's presence around me this week and it has been amazing. It is Thursday. We have praise, canoing, capel, lunch, breaking it down, nature, and adventure. We have a fun packed day planned with smores tonight!! Continuing to pray for strength and patience this week, as this week my cabin has been filled with drama, drama, drama. We had a great talk last night and today has been a lot better. Thank God!! :)

Thanks again for the prayers. They mean a lot!!

Week #6 (#8 total)

I can't believe I only have 3 more weeks of camp. It is crazy to think I have been here for 7 weeks total already. This summer has gone by way too fast. I am really missing being in Grand Haven for the summer but this has been an amazing experience. It has pushed me and stretched me in so many new ways. This week I have seven 10 year old.  I really like having this age group. They are way more independent and fun to relate too. Tuesdays are always full of different activities. Today we have nature, praise, chapel, lunch, breakin it down (small group time), sports, and adventure. Also on Tuesday evenings we have girls night with all the girl campers. Tomorrow is pool day!! :) So we are keeping very busy here.

This morning during my quiet time I was reading part of Psalms and I ran across this verse that was very encouraging to read. At this point in the summer it is easy to feel drained because we have already done 2 weeks of training and 5 weeks of camp. I was feeling really drained yesterday so it was very encouraging reading this verse this morning. I know God will give me the energy I need to get through this week. Just relying on him again this week and continuing to pray to him continually for strength everyday!!

Psalm 34: 4-9 (NIV)

I sought the LORD, and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.

Thanks for the continued support and prayers. They mean a lot. Love you all tons!! God is doing amazing things here.

The book of Life and Pictures

Friday was a very exciting day. One of my girls, Carissa, accepted Christ. It was such a special moment. I asked her many questions to make sure she was ready and you could just tell by the look on her face she wanted Jesus to live in her heart. She kept saying now I am going to heaven. I will never forget my little girl. She was such a blessing this week.

Here she! Now my Sister!! :)

Also Courtney, Adam's Sister, came to stay and help out for a couple of days this week. We had such a blast. It was great spending some time with her and getting to know her better. I love Adam's family so much. They are such a blessing to me :) Courtney was such an awesome volunteer this week. I wouldn't have made it through without her help. The girls loved her too. It was so fun to see her interact with all of my girls. It brought a huge smile to my face.

I thought I would attach some picture since I haven't posted many. So below are pictures from camp the past 5 weeks. 3 more weeks to go. A crazy thought!!!

My Supervisor and I on the rescue boat

On pick up, doing health checks

My angel

The start of Week #5 with kids has begun. (Week #7 since I have been at camp) This I think is one of the hardest things mentally being here. At the halfway point because we have all been here and experienced everything 4 times by now so it is hard to act like it is the first week with the kids. I have just felt a little drained as well since the last 2 weeks have been super tough and I was really sick last week. (and still trying to recover) So Monday I was a little down and just felt like I had nothing to give this week but God sent me an angel to brighten up my week and I am so thankful. I have a dwarf in my group this week. She is so adorable and def. an angel from God. She inspires me to be more loving, outgoing, and less insecure. The girls in my group have accepted her so well. They have been a great help with her. She has such an energetic spirit, I feel so blessed to have her in my group this week. She has been the breath of fresh air that I needed. We were walking in the rain yesterday and she started singing "its raining its pouring the old man is snoring.." Just her outlook on things are so positive it turns a frustrating or bad situation into a good one. It is so neat to see how God can speak to me through his children. I have learned so much working here this summer.

Adam surprised me this weekend and bought me the new Casting Crowns Cd and I just love it. The words are so encouraging and uplifting they have helped so much! Another song I love of theirs is called "If We've ever needed you". This song is so amazing. It is about how easy it is to turn away from God and act like we can do it on our own. But it just doesn't work like that. This songs talks about how we need God more and more eachday and especially on the days when we think we don't need him. I have realized while being here that the days I don't rely on God turn out horrible but the days I cry out to God the most are amazing! This song has been so inspiring to me and I love listening to it when I am down and just need God the most. When you call out to God it is amazing to see how he responds and comes to your rescue. I'll attach the lyrics below!

Hear our cry, Lord, we pray
Our faces down, our hands are raised
You called us out, we turned away
We've turned away

With shipwrecked faith the idols rise
We do what is right in our own eyes
Our children now will pay the price
We need Your light, Lord, shine Your light

If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, we're reaching out

All our hearts, all our strength
With all our minds, we're at Your feet
May Your kingdom come in our hearts and lives
Let Your church arise, let Your church arise

If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, we're reaching out
We're reaching out

If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, we're reaching out

If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, reaching out

We need You now
Revive us now
We need You now

Thanks for the prayers..please continue to pray for my health. I have this awful cough that I can't seem to get rid of. Love you all!! 

The Sick Bug

After my post on Monday I got super sick. We went to pick up the kids and during that time I started feeling awful. So we came back and I was so sick to my stomach that I slept on the couch in the program center for an hour. Then I had to go get my girls so I could meet them and take them to dinner. After that I took my tempature and I had a fever. So not fun. Someone took my girls for an hour so I could rest for an hour again. I stuck it out the rest of the night so I could be with my girls. I felt miserable. On Tuesday my fever broke so my unit leader wanted me to stay in bed so I could rest all day. Thank God that a Volunteer came so that she could take care of my girls for the day. I slept all day and couldn't eat anything. (Sleeping all day is super unusual so I knew I was super sick). I took my girls to dinner and stuck it out the rest of the night even though my head and body was killing me. Wednesday I tried taking my girls to breakfast but I was still so sick to my stomach. I went and rested for the morning so I could join my girls at the pool. (since they really wanted me there). The pool was great for me. I felt a lot better yesterday night. This morning I am not a 100% but God is giving me strength so that I can be with my girls because they need me.

God gave me such a great group of girls this week. I am so thankful. I love how God gives you rest when you need it the most. I was getting so burnt out so even though I was miserably sick, God gave me the rest I needed. It is so cool to see how God works. I am so glad to be back with my girls though. They are so adorable and a blessing from God. :)

We listened to this really cool song in devos this morning. It's Casting Crowns new one. I'll post the lyrics here but it talks about laying it all down at Jesus's feet. I love it. It talks about laying down our lifes and giving it to God. I really needed to hear this because it is so easy to just want to control our own life but that is not how it works. God is teaching me to daily surrender my life to him.

At Your Feet lyrics



Here at Your feet, I lay my past down
My wanderings, all my mistakes down
And I am free


Here at Your feet, I lay this day down
Not in my strength, but in Yours I’ve found
All I need, You’re all I need


Jesus, Jesus, at Your feet
Oh, to dwell and never leave
Jesus, Jesus, at Your feet
There is nowhere else for me
There is nowhere else for me


Here at Your feet, I lay my future down
All of my dreams, I give to You now
And I find peace, I find peace

Here at Your feet, I lay my life down
For You my King, You’re all I want now
And my soul sings…


‘Cause I am free (here at Your feet)
All I need (is at Your feet)
I find peace
We’re at Your feet
We’re at Your feet


And I am free (here at Your feet)
All I need (is at Your feet)
I find peace
We’re at Your feet
We’re at Your feet
We’re at Your feet
We’re at Your feet


Here at Your feet
I lay my life down

Relaxation

4th of July was amazing for me. Got to hang out with Adam's family and my family. I am so thankful that our families get along so well. We had a great time just hanging out and catching up. God has blessed me so much. It is so funny how when you are away from the people you love you realize how much they sacrifice and mean to you. Thanking God for showing me this that my family and Adam's family have both been huge blessings and they both have made sacrifices for me. Love them all tons. It was great to relax this weekend. Praying for this week since we lost a female counselor..things will be a little tight but I know God will provide. Anyone want to come and work here for 5 weeks let me know ;)

Thanks again for the prayers...week #4 with kids..it is flying bye so crazy!! Time to go pick them up!! 

FRIDAY!!!

Wow. God is so amazing. This week was one of the roughest yet but God did not leave us. He was by ourside the whole time and we all felt his presence like never before.
Yesterday afternoon was so great for me. My girls for the first time were getting along
and we were all having a blast together. I will miss them so much when they leave tomorrow. God showed me this verse this week which has helped me get through. I have never felt so close to God as I have felt this week. God is so amazing and I am so glad to be able to call him Father.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieveing for us an eternal glory tat far ourweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but wat is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but wat is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18

This verse really spoke to me this week. No matter what I am going through God is using that situation to mold me and shape me. Also even though life can be difficult if we are following Gods calling then we will be blessed someday in eternity. Sometimes I want immediate results but I am learning that God doesnt always give us immediate results and sometimes it is a slow process. But the point is God has called me here for the summer for a reason and I need to trust that.

I was able to see God work in my group yesterday and I have learned to cling to those moments and remember those when I am down. My one girl who has some learning disabilities has been really hard to deal with, but yesterday for the first time she hugged me and she participated in the singing. It was small but it touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes. I saw God in that moment and he showed me that even though I am exhausted and being stretched he is still working.

Thanks for the prayers everyone. They are being felt everyday. God has brought me so much joy and patience this week. It is amazing to watch him work!!

I am excited for a nice relaxing weekend though.

Happy 4th of July Weekend Everyone!!!

WEEK 3

Well, it is almost the ending of Week 3.
I cant believe it is already July. This summer is flying by.
This week has def. been testing me. I have learned so much about patience
and Persevering when it gets tough. I love the girls that God has
put in my cabin this week. I know they are all suppose to be there for a reason.
Yes, it has not always been easy and I am completely exhausted but I have had
to rely on Gods strength to get me through this week. I am amazed when I step back and
look at the situation I sometimes dont know how I am still going but I know its all because
of God. He has been showing me so much this week. I know God put each of these girls
in my cabin for a reason. Thanks for the prayers they mean so much!

I am also so grateful for the staff that I work with. They have been so encouraging and uplifting
to me this week. It is so cool to see how God puts people in your life when you need them the most.
God is blessing me this week and I know he is here helping me through every step of the way.

Thanks again for the prayers. I def. feel them. Miss you all. God is doing great work here. :)

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28