A Summer of Camp

 What an amazing summer it has been!

I started the summer by working in the kitchen.  My day started somewhere around 6 a.m. and ended around 10 p.m. or 11.  For the most part, I enjoyed being in the kitchen. But there were moments when I compared the work I was doing with what the counselors were doing and got a little discouraged because I wasn't working one-on-one with the campers; I didn't feel like I was making a difference by working in the kitchen. Nevertheless, I was glad to be there.
On my way 'home' (aunt and uncle's home about an hour away) for the weekend, I was so full of praise and thankfulness to my Lord for the opportunity to be in a different state and that I had eyes to see the beauty of the hills!
After about four weeks of helping in the kitchen, and after I had become content to work 'behind the scenes', Kevin (the camp boss) had me be a jr. cabin leader.

Sunday came and the campers started arriving to Cabin one.  Suddenly I felt like a mother to eleven girls. One wanted me to do her hair, and help her pick out what she should wear. Another was homesick the whole week. Ellie, the head cabin leader and I carried a stack of Bibles and notebooks to chapel twice a day.  And every single one of our girls went to the nurse at least once a day for something or other. By Thursday, two girls had to be sent home due to fevers.
That first week of cabin leading I learned that you can serve the Lord with your whole heart when you're not focused on things at home, outward appearance, wanting a boyfriend, etc.  It was a long week, but it was worth it!

Half way through the summer I became sick and missed a week of camp.  I was so disappointed! I was physically worn out and ended up sleeping most of the time.

At last I was feeling better (despite having allergies), and returned to camp.  I was co-cabin leader with Ellie again.  That week we had thirteen girls. Most of the girls had been to camp before and we didn't have to keep them in line very much. They knew how to clean the cabin, which resulted in winning cabin clean up one day and they were named the Honor Cabin of the week for their positive attitudes.  Right from the start one of the girls was very homesick and proved to be a challenge for me to deal with.  I was running low on compassion that week and was tired of trying to encourage her day after day.  But with the Lord's strength and prayers from family members, I made it through.

Week three of cabin leading came and my wishful thinking of having an easy group of girls flew out the window. Little did I know this would be my most challenging week of the summer.  Molly and I were the cabin leaders of thirteen girls, four of which came from inner city homes, another one had ADD.  One was homesick most of the week; another seemed to always put up a fuss at dinner time which made her and me late half the time, two of the girls needed love and attention all the time, and most of the girls were totally unmotivated to clean the cabin or get moving to be at chapel on time. There were many a times when Molly and I would just stand still for a second, and take a deep breath in order to make it through the next half hour.
That week I learned what it's like to empty and die to self every day - every hour - as I gave all my attention to the girls in our cabin.

My last week of cabin leading was with Erin, during early teen week.  It was the easiest week of cabin leading.  It was such a nice change to deal with girls in their early teens rather then jr. campers! I didn't have to constantly be on them to get going, or clean up.  Wed. was a fun day, because Erin and her identical twin sister, switched identities.  Both were cabin leaders, so Erin became Catherine and Catherine became Erin for five hours. The moment "Erin" walked into the cabin after staff meeting to wake the girls up, the girls knew something was a little different with "Erin".  Throughout the morning one of them would comment to me about "Erin" acting more like Catherine. All the staff knew about the switch, and had fun pretending like we knew nothing about it when the campers challenged us as to something suspicious going on.

The last week of camp, I was a Pioneer Leader; I watched the young children of the director and nurse.  I was in charge of four children, ages 4 - 7 from 7 a.m. until around 7:30 p.m. Two mid-teenage girls would come by to help from time to time throughout the day.  I got a few hours of break time in the afternoon when the parents were able to have their children with them.  We had Bible stories, crafts, play time, chapel, rest time and meal time.  I felt like a mom always having to tell them to 'please push your cup further onto the table', eat three more bites, use both hands, don't run, wash your hands - with soap, did you say 'thank you?', stay out of the mud puddles, etc. The days were long, but it was a good week.

After nine weeks, camp is over.  I look back at all that took place and all that the Lord took me through. And all He taught me.  I couldn't have made it though without the prayers of my family, and the strength the Lord gave me, minute by minute.  What do I see or think of when I reflect over the summer?

 God's unwavering faithfulness.

His faithfulness to carry me through the day when I only got 5 or 6 hours of sleep.  His faithfulness to not tell the homesick campers to just get over it.  His faithfulness to keep me healthy (despite missing one week). His faithfulness to keep me awake on my way to and from 'home' on the weekends.  His faithfulness to give me energy. His faithfulness to still love me when I was fed up with some campers. His faithfulness to not forget me. His faithfulness to give grace, unlimited. His faithfulness to be a loving God. 

How can I say thanks
for the things you have done for me-
Things so undeserved,
yet You give to prove Your love for me?
The voices of a million angels
Could not express my gratitude-
All that I am and ever hope to be,
I owe it all to Thee.

To God be the glory, To God be the glory;
To God be the glory for the things he has done.
With His blood He has saved me;
With His power He has raised me;
To God be the glory for the things he has done.
Just let me live my life:
Let it be pleasing, Lord, to Thee.
And should I gain any praise,
Let it go to Calvary.
With His blood He has saved me;
With His power He has raised me;
To God be the glory for the things he has done. 

~ Andrae Crouch