Hello Everyone! I hope that everything is treating you well. I am still recovering a little bit from camp, but I wanted to take a moment and share what went on, what I learned, and things like that. It was a great week (technically 5 days) and I think that students, leaders, and everyone involved had a great experience and grew in their faith. So without further adieu...let's talk about camp!First off, camp was a lot different this year. Instead of going to Double-Head Resort in Alabama like we usually do, we went to Panama City Beach, FL and stayed at a Fuge camp. It was a shared experience we did the teaching and worship, while the Fuge staff did the recreation and late nights. It was an interesting thing where we were jammed between two Fuge camps. I think there are Pros and Cons for the different locations, but we had a great experience there.
We had five different themes for camp: Love, Obedience, Sacrifice, Integrity, and Commitment. We talked about the stories of Jonah, Daniel (with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego), Hannah, Nehemiah, and Jeremiah. Through study, quiet time, and worship they were able to dig deeper into what it means to live out those qualities of a Christian.
I had two responsibilities. I was a teacher for 9th-10th grade (I got to co-teach with one of my really good friends Philip Hood so it was really cool) and I was in charge of a room full of 7th graders (Let's say, "No sleep and stinky on three!"). Joking aside, it was very good. It reminded me of something Pastor Mike said. When Pastor Mike was talking to his dad about his little brother, his dad told him this, "Before your little brother was born, I wasn't sure how I could love him as much as I loved you. But when he was born, God made my heart bigger." That's how I felt with the students in my Bible Study and in my room. I have been a Lifegroup leader of the same group of guys for almost 5 years now. We all have a very special relationship and my focus, attention, prayer, and commitment goes toward that group. My thoughts were along the lines of, "I don't know if I could love these 9th/10th graders and these 7th graders as much as I do my old Lifegroup." But, I had a similar experience to Mr. Glenn. God made my heart bigger. Which is a good thing because I don't think I could have survived the 7th graders without it!
It's hard to sum up what I have learned in camp or what I took away from it. I'll sum it up the same way I did for my 9th-10th graders.
- This camp reminded me how big God is and how small and insignificant I am - I learned this several different ways. First was through worship. We all finally got to a point where we didn't care who saw us or what we should or shouldn't be doing, and we all just focused on God and responded. I really saw this on the last two days of camp. People had their hands or arms raised, they were on their knees or chairs, jumping and dancing or sitting and reflecting, some were even physically crying out to God. Normally I would question this but I saw the heart and focus. It wasn't for each other, it was for God. We felt the spirit move and students/leaders were part of something bigger than themselves. The speaker, worship leaders, and even our ministers said that in all their years of ministry, that they haven't experienced a group respond the way this one did. God is up to something big! Second, it helped to reassure me of
who is in control. I'm at a point right now personally where things aren't really black and white. I have been applying for teaching jobs, but I haven't gotten any interviews or anything. There are some that are reviewing my resume', but nothing so far. Luckily I have employment and probably still will if this doesn't work out, but it is still frustrating. The good thing is that I know God has a plan for me. I'm sure that wherever I am and whatever I am doing, things will work out as long as I remember what's important.
- This camp also got me real excited about the future generation. When we think of students in this generation (Millennials as they are called) we typically don't think of positive things. We may see a culture losing some aspect of morals, respect, and even common sense. Yet when I have talked with these students, seen their leadership displayed, and seen how they are really intent on making their faith authentic, I am very encouraged. I think that this group we have coming up is tired of the fake and really wants to change direction. The students respectively pour into the students below them and it shows. I just hope that some of them return from college and become adult leaders. That's when the real fun starts!
Thank you all for reading, and I hope you have a great rest of the day!
P.S. If you would like to help me with my mission trip to Hong Kong, look at the post below to find out how!
