...I can smell the bread.
I bet you didn't know that when you signed up to be my supporter, that I would be giving you books to read.
Summer reading if you will.
I always did secretly like summer reading.
Yes I am a nerd. But it's getting me a degree :]
I really do want to say thank you again, for all of you who have given support to me in this whole adventure, whether through prayer, monetarily, or in encouraging words. I cannot tell you how much of a blessing it has been! It helps me keep going, and helps give me reassurance, and adds confidence. Not that I find my confidence in other's encouragement, no. That would be wrong. Not confidence that I am able to handle this- no. Because I know that I can't. Oh no.But it is still so nice to hear the encouragement that I have heard. And to know that money wise, God has provided. And to know that I have people praying for me.. crazy. Thank you so much.
As I enter this adventure, I am very aware of the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing. I have never been a camp counselor. I have never gone backpacking, I have never been taught or played soccer successfully, and so many other little things that I will be experiencing over the next few weeks. BUT God knows everything. I can't handle this, but He is more than big enough.
I go between finding comfort in the idea of not having any idea what I'm doing, and being a little panicky about it, haha. Maybe it means God is going to guide it all, and I just need to trust Him more.
Here are a few more specifics about our trip:
We fly out this Wednesday (tomorrow!), at 5:30p, and will arrive at the camp sometime Thursday evening. The following two days (Friday and Saturday) will be spent in training for us. From July 4-18, we will be doing camp for French youth, ages 14-18 years old, will all levels of English. So French high school students. There will be 40-50 of these kiddos.
The next two weeks (July 20-31) We will be doing camp for French young adults, 18+, with 'good' levels of English. There will be 20 of these people.
After this, we will be flying home, and should be back in Dallas by 3:40pm on August 1st.
We will have worship twice a day, and a message from one of the English counselors (us) or one of the French counselors (who we will be working with). We will also do a lot of hiking, and physical activity (It's camp!) like soccer, volleyball, photography workshops (and other creative workshops) self-expression times, games, art, rock climbing, etc.
I know, sounds like I'm not going to have any fun with these kids :p
I hope they have a blast, and see Jesus through it all.
That is the schedule for those of you who have asked to pray over flights and such (which I greatly appreciate). Please please be praying over these students, as we try to live out Jesus to them. We are not there to beat the Bible into them. We are not there to give them altar calls until they come crying down the aisle. We are there to love them, and share with them the truth of how a relationship with Jesus is the greatest thing you could ever have. It's culturally different, and difficult to be verbal with them about Christ first, you have to kinda 'live them into talking about it'. I'm a very verbal person, so I hope that God speaks louder than I do.
Good thing He's bigger.
Other than this light schedule outline, I have no idea what I'm walking into. And I'm learning to love it.
Which is really weird for me, if you know me. It's taken a lot of work from Jesus for me to say that. And prayer.
I couldn't ask for more. I don't even deserve this.
It amazes me that God loves, and wants to use broken, doubtful, and frustrating little human beings.
It amazes me that God loves and wants want to use me.
What an awesome Father. Teacher, Lover, Friend.
Gah.
Lately, a certain Bible story has been hovering in my mind. And also lately, a similar song on the radio has been standing out to me. I finally re-read the story and looked up lyrics, and, well, you'll see. They speak a lot for themselves. I know that I need to 'hear in between the words' of both, so I thought I would share. The passage is from Matthew 14:
25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." 28"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."29"Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." (Emphasis added).
The song is called 'Walk on the Water Too', by Britt Nicole:
You look around and staring back at you
Another wave of doubt
Will it pull you under
You wonder
What if I'm overtaken
What if I never make it
What if no one's there
Will You hear my prayer?
When you take that first step
Into the unknown
You know that he won't let you go
So what are you waiting for
What do you have to lose
Your insecurities
They try to hold to you
But you know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all it takes
And you can walk on the water too
So get out and let your fear fall to the ground
No time to waste, don't wait
And don't you turn around, and miss out on
Everything you were made for
Gotta be, I know you're not sure, more
So you play it safe, you try to run away
If you take that first step
Into the unknown
He won't let you go
So what are you waiting for
What do you have to lose
Your insecurities
They try to hold to you
But you know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all it takes
And you can walk on the water too
Step out, even when it's storming
Step out, even when you're broken
Step out, even when your heart is telling you,
Telling you to give up
Step out, when your hope is stolen
Step out, you can't see where you're going
You don't have to be afraid
So what are waiting, what are you waiting for
So what are you waiting for
What do you have to lose
Your insecurities
They try to hold to you
But you know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all it takes
And you can walk on the water,
Walk on the water too
Ok. When I hear or read these words, I am able to see how they parallel a lot of the feelings I'm having right now, as I near the jumping point of this adventure. And they both have a lot of truth that speak to those feelings, truth that brings me little pieces of peace (ha) as I float between being nervous and excited. I am very thankful for this peace. I need it so strongly. I know this is only a month, but a month is eternity when you can't feel God with you. (Or is it just me?) Good thing I know He is :]
I'm also thankful that this is not the first time I have felt these things. I've mentioned my first time at camp... It's a fantastic story of God at work, but not the one I have time to post yet here. Just know that I felt very similarly then :] God did fantastic work that summer, last summer, and I know that He will do no less this summer. It is my highest hope that He will use our team and the camp He has set up in France mightily in the lives of the people we will be working with.
Paul says in Acts13, referencing Habbakuk 1:5:
"For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if someone told you."
Pray for this. Pray that God would move and 'do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us'.
For me, Sky Ranch, for France, for Europe, for the United States, for Ghana, for Japan, for China
for the world.
24"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'
29"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill. 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."
-From Acts 17.
There is much more I want to write, but I haven't the time right now. Man, I edit these things so many times before I write them. I have this one too, but not as much as I like. Maybe later I will come back and explain things better. Maybe not. My suitcase is still just over 50 lbs.. so I'm packing things in the backpack tight. I'm really glad I have a bigger backpack now, haha.
Edit: Here is my address there if you would like it, and if you would like to send something, please try and make sure mail would come when I am actually there, hah.
Lauren Capps
Camp des Cimes
La Rivoire
38520 Bourg d'Oisans
France
Thanks!! Love.
And so now I leave you, with much love and blessings. May you truly seek out HIS purpose for your life in His plan. He's the playwright. Find your role, and play it. Dare to make it real. That is my prayer for you.
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