Tuesday, July 9, 2013

RO Week

This last week I got to serve as a support staff member up at camp. As counselors, we take turns supporting each other and when other people are counseling, we help with games, activities, sitting with cabins, and giving the counselors a break when they need it. When we are on rotation, we get to stay in a house with other girls on support staff and it is so much fun! We get up pretty early and don't get to bed until late at night so we are super tired but I love being on rotation! It is awesome to serve at camp from a different side! 

Even though we are not counseling, each morning we take time to be alone and spend time in God's Word. This is something campers, support staff members, and our leadership does. I love it! Last week I was reading and stumbled across this verse "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain" 1 Corinthians 15:58. For a week when I was working on rotation, I thought it was perfect. There was a lot of people getting sick, students getting hurt, and crazy things happening at camp. This verse reminded me to not let the enemy's attempt to hinder us keep us from doing God's work. 

Each week we have four teams that each have a cheer captain from the support staff. I was secretly hoping I wouldn't be chosen as a cheer captain. Not even five minutes after I had that thought, someone on leadership staff walked up to me and told me I was going to be a cheer captain. I was scared I wouldn't be very good at getting people excited for games and knew it meant I would get pied in the face on Tuesday. Once I got over my initial fear of dressing up and having to be crazy, I really enjoyed being a cheer captain and am so thankful that they chose me to be the cheer captain for the blue team last week! Being pied in the face wasn't that bad because the kids loved it and I got a nice shower afterwards:) It was challenging with no voice and when I felt sick, but it was an awesome experience!

Once campers head to bed, the support staff usually goes out and does something together. One night around 11:30, we went to the beach and sat on a cliff and watched the waves crash on the shore. It was beautiful. I love love loooooove the beach and enjoyed sitting on a cliff overlooking the ocean late at night where all you can hear is the water and see the white waves. It was so cool to sit there and pray and worship God as I reflected on my time here so far. I am in awe of how great our God is. The beauty of the beach blows me away every time I go there.

For Fourth of July, we took the students to the top of the hill that overlooked the valley and watched fireworks! I. LOVE. FIREWORKS. It was a fun night with the staff and campers! As we were getting ready to go to bed, I got a phone call that I needed to go to the hospital with a camper in an ambulance that had a severe asthma attack. As the 12 year old was lifted into the ambulance, I was so scared knowing that I needed to be strong for her when she had never been in an ambulance before and her parents were two hours away. I was able to pray for her and the doctors and the nurses as I sat there and had nothing with me but my phone. This late night in the hospital spending time with the sweetest 12 year old I have ever met ended up being the highlight of my week. It was a joy getting to spend time with her and asking her questions learning about her family and asking about her camp experience.

Last week was so much fun and I've learned that junior highers are the most hilarious people!

Loving serving,
Amanda

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Never More Than We Can Handle

Because I want to be an elementary school teacher, I was a little scared when God called me to work with junior high and high school students this summer. Don't get me wrong, I was beyond excited to be working up at Ponderosa at Mount Hermon, but I didn't know how God was going to use me this summer of if I'd even be able to connect with students. Last week was our first week with campers and I had eight girls in my cabin. They were all sophomores in high school. GOD. DID. AMAZING. THINGS. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday were all pretty cool and there was a heavy mist most of the day. Pool games on Monday and field games in the water on Tuesday were pretty cold but we still had a ton of fun! Wednesday we went to the beach and it was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL day. We took all the campers to the beach for the afternoon and we couldn't have had better weather! Thursday and Friday the weather was really warm. On our last night together as a cabin, at midnight we went up onto the field and went stargazing. It was a beautiful night and we enjoyed just laying on the grass looking up at the stars:) One thing I love about being in the mountains is that we can see the stars and vastness of the sky. It reminds me of how powerful and amazing our Creator is.
This last week God taught me a lot. He reminded me of how he NEVER gives us more than we can handle. Each day I had to rely on the Lord's strength for every little thing. I knew that as I led small groups and did activities with my cabin, I need the strength and energy that only comes from God. Each morning I could not get up after only a few hours of sleep on a roll-away bed without knowing that God would provide all I needed. Throughout the week I heard and witnessed so many amazing conversations and students who moved one step closer to Jesus. I was amazed at the power of Christ in the lives of all the students here. Even though some days and moments were hard, God was at work. He was moving in all of our hearts. Not only is God working in the lives of students this summer, but he is working in the lives of our staff. It has been so cool to be encouraged and loved by and to encourage and love others on a phenomenal staff. This summer, I have seen the power of the body of Christ. I am so thankful for the people God has placed in my life this summer.

Learning to trust the Lord more everyday,
Amanda