We finished out the school year strong and I'm so blessed to have had these students in my class. One of my students said they got saved at the end of the year, which was incredible news!
We took an end of the year trip to Holiday World- No students left behind, only one freakout on a roller coaster, lots of water rides, I got my screams in while everyone laughed, we left with tired smiling faces. The trip they talked about all year.... complete.
My grandmother passed away the week before Beth and I left, so we missed the funeral (celebration of her life) which was difficult for both of us finding closure. My grandma fell asleep here on earth and woke in the presence of her Savior. She was such a faithful servant and a wonderful example of one who displayed God's love and forgiveness to all around her. I rejoice that she is now eternally in the presence of her Heavenly Father and the certainty one day I will see her again.
In seeking God about my purpose for this summer He revealed to me that He wants to show me a new perspective of who He is (in a deeper, more real way) and what He wants to do in and through me as I allow Him. He's in this process of healing and opening my heart past the pain of hurt and change. In turn I want my campers to fall more in love with this amazing God and to experience Him in a personal way. My prayer is for every person who comes to Broken Arrow to encounter God in such a way that they cannot leave the same. I'm going with great expectation knowing my God can do BIG things!
I am blessed to work with this great group of people the next 8 weeks.
Camp week one... check. Some things I learned this week: UNO was motivating for my campers and I could play even while sleep deprived. Never say no to a camper that asks you to play basketball and you may find you actually enjoy it. Laughter is a good stress reliever. Be honest- we are all in the same boat. Last, my wranglers were amazing! Each one blessed me so much this week.
Camp week two... What a challenging and blessed week this has been! I see why the warfare was great as last night one of my campers that I'd been praying for got up and shared at campfire she accepted Christ last night and there were questions about salvation from another camper too. There is a battle for these campers souls! I'm humbled that Beth came alongside me to encourage me to press on when things were really tough. God is doing amazing things in her! We are all exhausted and ask God each day for his grace to continue strong. Highlights of this week include playing soccer with my campers with staff vs campers (we won 5-4 but it was close), hearing one of my girls say camp is important to her because she learns so much about God, dance sessions during dodgeball, the sliming of Josh Hillis when the campers said their verses and books of the Bible (even though it ended with me covered in slime too), and the list goes on...
My heart is breaking today. We lost a member of our family way too soon. I didn't get to say goodbye and going home knowing she won't run and greet me at the door with her chipper self is hard to comprehend. But God reminded me through the tears..... The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
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| Last Christmas together |
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| A rare moment of stillness for our energetic Patches |
