Dino Butler and Ty Platero were the speakers for chapels this week. They wanted to make this week epic- one that the teens wouldn't forget. And they won't! In the mornings they answered questions the teens had written down.
The questions were very thought provoking and provided lead-ins to great discussions in chapel and devotions! The first night Dino and Ty showed pictures from when they were younger and shared that God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary, if a person is willing to just trust Him. The second night Ty spoke about being prepared- we weren't meant for this life, but for eternity. The third night Dino shared about resisting the enemy- to keep fighting and not give up, because satan won't stop until he destroys us. At the end of the message Dino invited all who were wounded to come kneel at the front and pray. A lot of campers/staff went up- it was a very powerful moment. I had the opportunity to pray with one of my campers for her situation at home and to pray with another girl who was more than ready to accept Christ. It was an amazing privilege to hear her pray and give her life to Christ! God had touched my heart in such a way that after a long conversation with one of our staff I surrendered my life to Christ- I let go of so many things I was holding on to, because I was afraid to let go and trust Him completely. My past, my fears, my family, my future. I felt the chains breaking that had held me in bondage for so long and a peace overwhelmed me. I found out later several other teens accepted Christ or gave things to God this same night. The fourth night Dino talked about how we need to endure. It gets really hard at times and we feel like giving up, but Jesus is standing in front of us with a cloud of witnesses cheering us on to the finish line. It is worth it to persevere! We need each others encouragement to press on. He talked about how Christ endured so much for us. It cost Him his life! It overwhelmed me to tears the pain so many of these campers have gone through, that BABR has been a refuge in the storms of life for many, and that so many have found God for the first time, rededicated their lives, or let go of things. We had to stop campfire at 1 a.m. because we needed to get some sleep. There is one young man- an 18 year old counselor- whose testimony has inspired me beyond words. God has brought Josh through many poor choices he made and used his experiences to bring many of his friends to Christ. He would share bits of his life story with me throughout the summer, and it would be so evident that no one can fall out of the reach of a loving and merciful God. God can take anything we've done and work it out for good. He is such an example of living each day for eternity, making each moment count, and leaving a legacy that points only to Christ. He is living Christ, no matter where his journey takes him. It reminds me to focus on what's important- what will last when I'm long gone from this earth.
It was hard to say goodbye to my girls this week, because I couldn't guarantee when I'd see them again and they had a difficult time realizing this. Only God knows our future.Saturday we had our final farewell for the staff and that was one of the most difficult parts of the summer for me. As I looked in each face down that line, I was reminded of how that person impacted me this summer- how my life will never be the same.
Some made a greater impact than others, but each was important. I held my sister as she tried to make sense of leaving these people that she has grown to love as family. Getting to experience this summer with Beth is something I wouldn't take back for anything. Her growth from the beginning of the summer to the end is only something God could do. I pray with all my heart that God brings many of us back together at BABR, but if He chooses not to, I know we will reunite in heaven. God chose to end the summer with a very tragic event- the death of a young man that I had really come to know the previous two summers. We were left with a lot of pain and unanswered questions. Yet, God had a plan for even this and we continue to trust God to bring good from it. Sunday morning we loaded up to go to the airport in Albuquerque and by late Sunday evening Beth and I were back with our family. The summer may seem like it's ending, but many things are just beginning....I can't wait to see what God does next..... |
| REMEMBER |
