We have exactly one week of camp left before I leave and I can't believe it. I feel like I'm just now getting to know people well and it breaks my heart to think that I will never see most of them again. However, I praise God for all of the conversations and laughs and time spent together.
Last week was the girl guards and rangers. It's basically the SA equivalent of the boy and girl scouts. The week was spent in classes earning badges about anything from swimming to hiking to team sports to native american lore. And the week ended with an Indian program where we all dressed up and performed and had a ball around the campfire.
This precious girl had a really beautiful yet broken week. Tuesday night God began to work on her heart and tell her that it was time for her to get saved this week. Friday afternoon she received a letter from her mom saying that her father had committed suicide three days prior. Even though I had absolutely no way of relating to her God was present and gracious. My heart goes out to her especially but to all of my girls that I've had this summer.
I've made some awesome friends this summer and I know that these memories will last a while but that the lessons I have learned and the things I've seen God do will last forever. And the seeds that have been planted are far more than anything I could ever hope for. Camp Paradise Valley now holds a piece of my heart, the same way that India and Atlanta do and I will be forever grateful. I love how God continually takes me out of my comfort zone and guides me into growth with Him.
This summer I learned and am thankful for:
- The power of the Armor of God
- what a healthy and effective Body of Christ looks like
- Never stomp on a wolf spider
- Sometimes all you have to do is laugh
- Sometimes all you can do is cry
- The only thing you have to have in common with someone is Salvation and passion for Jesus Christ
- Encouraging words come from the least likely of places
- Beauty is EVERYWHERE you just have to look with the right eyes (heart and body)
- God's presence is all over all the time
- No child is too young to "get it"
- Nature is one of the coolest and scariest things ever simultaneously
- Air conditioning is priceless
- Yearbooks are the best thing ever
- Camp is one of the coolest places for kids (myself included) to first encounter the living God.
Praise God for Camp Paradise Valley and my time here. I have no idea what next summer holds (and right now I do not feel lead to come back, although I would absolutely love to) and I am praying over my upcoming school year which makes me more than a little nervous to think about.
More CPV posts will come with time I'm sure. There's so much it's hard to sit and narrow down and write.
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