Youth Camp 2

Ok. So I cannot talk about Youth Camp, without talking about the randonnee (ron-da-nay)

or the hike. It was my first overnight backpacking type trip, and I was naturally nervous, as were a few of the campers around me. But once we got going, and I found my pace, and started taking pictures, I was great. Thank God He kept us safe, and energized; we had already been running around camp for a week, and this gave me the second wind I needed for the rest of Youth Camp. Once we got to our camping spot for that evening, I got to sit with some girls while dinner was generously being prepared, and play. Yes. I said play. We giggled, took jumping pictures (example below), and A girl named Celine and I played the 'figure out who it was that just poked me with that piece of tickle-y grass' game. It was hilarious! What a joy to be, and give the chance to others to be, a five year old kid again. What freedom, and inhibition I was able to see, and know that she was allowing me to see it! And she loved it! It spread fast, (Alisha was soon pulled into our game, and then it grew exponentially from there) and there was a long night of grass-poking. I will never forget the feeling of pure joy I had.

Those leaders really knew what they were doing trekking all 70-some-odd campers and staff up there. The dynamics of the group immediately began a-changing. Funny how that happens.

But I digress. That night, we had a campfire (one of my most favorite things), and sang, along with more giggling and shadow puppets. Some of the girls that were with me don't yet have a high level of English, and I think we all know the extent of my French, but these were such simple joys, that they didn't need words.

Thank you Lord for grass, cameras, and shadow puppets!

The next morning, we all had what is called SOLO time. Where for two hours, you sat. Away from everyone else, undistracted time to do whatever you could think of. Whatever you wanted. It's a great time for the kids, because they may never have had to sit and rest/deal with thoughts for that long alone in God's beautiful creation. Again, how perfectly planned. It's also a great time for us staff, I know that I almost never get two full hours to do 'whatever', much less in that beautiful environment. For a while I journaled, and read, but the rest of the time, I just sat. Tried to wrap my mind around all around me, tried to soak things in. I was able to just sit, and devote my attention to God's incredible creation around me. It was awesome, really. I could talk about it for a long time. The area was beautiful; here's another picture to share:

After that, we had lunch and started the hike to the next camp site. It was also beautiful, and I had the opportunity to stand on the edge of a cliff. I could not take it all in, the scenery looks almost as if you could just jump into it, like a picture, or reach out and touch it, because it's just so big it's hard to grasp. I had a great conversation with a new friend, Debora about this, and other things, silly and serious. It was great to talk with her!

We had our campfire going, and it started to thunder. The clouds moved in, and there was talk of watching them, in case we needed to relocate quickly. How we would have relocated 70 people quickly, in the rain, in any sort of organized manner, I don't know, but thank God, He kept the thunder, lightening, and rain as a show. Oh, we got soggy :] But it was awesome to watch. I can't describe what it was like hearing, and watching, and feeling the storm come in. Experiencing it, staying out in it (yes, I did) and marveling at just the power of it all.

It was one of the best feelings. I never want to forget it.

The next day, we hiked thankfully down to hot showers, and a hearty chicken-pot-pie lunch.
As I mentioned before though, the dynamics f the group had changed; God was opening these kids up from the hike on. What great work He does!

Girls night

Also, another significant event was the Girls Night we had with the campers. The French counselors came to us and wanted us to join, which we loved. It was full of chocolate cookies, tea, and nail painting. You just can't go wrong with that stuff on a girls night :] I also had the opportunity to talk with the girls about how their identity is not in how they look, and how their value of themselves and each other must not be there either. It will change, and fade. I'm only 21, but I do know these things, hah. Also, I got to share about how God loves us no matter what we look like, or how we perceive ourselves. Which is pretty big stuff, if you really think about it; I'm afraid we lose the truth in that because we hear it so often.

Anyway, girls night was fun, and I walked away with the French flag painted on my nails, and hopeful that God was right in saying that His word will not return void. I know that He encouraged me through many of these girls!

Ah. Now, this is no where near the end of what happened at Youth Camp, but it is the end of what I will tell you. Next: Adult camp.

If you could also say a prayer for the camp, it would be great. I know they are all finishing up 'Family Camp' this week, so pray over the exhausted staff who remained, and over the families there they are ministering to.

Pray for those who have gone to Camp des Cimes this summer, the youth, and adults, and the relationships that God began there.

Pray for the girls on my team and I, as I know we are getting ready to go back into school mode, and we may or may not be fully adjusted yet.

Pray for my fellow Aggie friends, we were in at least ten different countries this summer, (and many more cultures) and they may be feeling a bit of this same reverse shock affect.

Thank God for what He did this summer, through these little and broken humans. He is so good.

"And I pray that you, rooted and established in love may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19