It is finally here! The ridiculously long overdue blog post I keep mentioning. Patience is a virtue, and I sure have tested yours. But don't fret, the wait is over my friend!
The Plunge 2010:
Camp was beyond wonderful. I am so blessed that I was able to take the week and be there for both junior high and high school. The Lord really did a lot that week and I am so grateful that I was able to witness all that I did. Let me begin with Junior High camp, and per usual, I will stick with the list format.
1. I was the camp nurse. It wasn't my favorite, but I was glad I could serve in a different way.
2. As the camp nurse, I got my own room. And my own bathroom. Victory (in Jesus). But, being the humble and kind hearted person that I am, I was more than willing to share my private bathroom with my two best friends that also happened to be there. You are welcome, LG and DG ;)
3. I discovered that junior high kids are really terrible about remembering to take there meds. Each night was a late night tracking these kids down.
4. I had one boy who had an asthma attack while at camp. He had to wait it out for an hour and half for his mom to drive up to bring him what he needed. The good thing about the whole experience is that I was able to talk with him a lot and get to know him pretty well.
5. There were a lot of junior highers that came to know the Lord at camp, and ultimately, that's what its all about! Praise Him! :)
Now for high school camp:
1. Being a team leader for high schoolers was absolutely wonderful! It was such a blessing to have this opportunity!
2. My team was Amazon River. We ended up getting 3rd in rec, which wasn't half bad if I do say so myself. Especially considering the fact that we didn't really win a lot of games. I was really proud of my team for their attitudes all week. They all had so much spirit. We even had a few boys take over and lead on team in cheers and excitement. It warmed my heart. We really were able to have a lot of fun.
3. My co-leader was also pretty tight. He came with Bay Area church. He was older (his daughter was actually a student at camp), but he was a really good balance for me. We were basically total opposites, which I think worked well for our team. It just seemed to work. I was a little hesitant being paired with someone I had never met or heard of, but it really was a good experience!
4. I was able to get to know one girl on my team really well. I had known her before camp, but the Lord really worked it out so that I could get to know her much better. It is funny how being able to talk with someone else, encourage them and pray with them always seems to bless us just as much. I was so grateful for that.
5. There were also 3 boys on my team who I got to kind of "call out" the last night. These 3 guys were great to be around all week. They were natural leaders within our group as well as outside of our team. I also was really encouraged by how insightful they were on spiritual things. All in all, I was really encouraged to be around them. I was able to talk to them specifically about what had been on my heart for them that week. They have such potential to be strong spiritual leaders and my heart just ached for them to step into that leadership role and recognize the call on their lives. They were all really receptive to what I had to say to them, which I was grateful for.
6. Luke Johnson was the speaker. If you have ever heard him, you know that it was wonderful. He is an absolutely fantastic preacher. I think we could all tell that though he was able to communicate so effectively, the Spirit had total control over everything he was saying. I know I certainly got a lot out of everything that he said. He was such a blessing to have at camp. I wish I could put into words all that I learned while I was there, but just take my word on it.
7. Lauren, Luke's wife, was able to come with him this year. Also such a blessing. She is so sweet! I got to talk with her a bit during the volleyball tournament. She is just so easy to talk to and be around. She just has a warm and welcoming spirit about her.
8. Camp was totally exhausting, but the Lord was faithful to provide us with the energy we needed for each day. There is part of me that loves being that gross and hot and tired. It makes you feel like you've accomplished something. With that being said, I loved getting home and taking a shower and a nap.
9. The best part of camp were all the salvations. I don't know the total number or anything... but we had 2 students on my team get saved! It was truly wonderful! :)
The Wedding:
1. Let me just say that after being IN a wedding, my wedding fever has probably quadrupled.
2. Being in a wedding is way more stressful than attending a wedding. For what thats worth.
3. The wedding planner was absolutely crazy. In fact, we referred to her drill sergeant Pam. That's pretty much the only way to describe her. She was so intense. But I will give her some credit. She was ver well prepared and organized.
4. The wedding went well. Only one minor thing went wrong in the ceremony, but even that was solved quickly. Things rand smoothly and I think Kelly and Ryan enjoyed the day.
5. After we left the wedding, me and DG were suddenly way more clear on what we want for our respective weddings. That is always fun.
6. We headed home right after the reception. That was a little rough because we were so exhausted and it was dark out, but thanks to caffeine and blaring music we were able to make it home safe and sound.
That is all for the update for now. I will try and blog a little more as the summer comes to an end. But, clearly I haven't been very reliable in that respect, so try not to hold your breathe. ;)
