"The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion."
Proverbs 28:1 (ESV)
I thought when I finished work at Center Lake over Labor Day that I'd be done and have to figure out... well, everything.
And that sounds scary.
Odd as it is, one of the first things I'm doing for the fall is going back to camp to serve again. And maybe that's exactly what I need to do.
It's no accident that our theme at camp for 2011 was "Know No Fear." I've been more excited by some themes than others and some have made better t-shirt designs than others (still love my sweet Rebel shirt probably the best!) but this one, at least so far, has probably struck the hardest. The final unit Bob gave us for youth group before he left on vacation and eventually getting his new job in South Carolina was on courage. That unit wasn't far ahead of camp and I had to think about all this stuff in my own life with my family all along the way. No, it definitely wasn't an accident that we talked about being unafraid in this utterly mad world.
After coming home, I'll admit I've been frustrated by being completely unsure of what I'm supposed to be doing, not to mention the job thing. And this whole situation with Dad and how he's doing has been hard too and I haven't been doing well living up to what God wants from me. But I keep thinking if I claim to be a follower of Christ, someone who taught campers and worked with staff this summer on this whole theme of being "as bold as a lion," then I definitely need to be living that out myself. Even though it's hard and incredibly frustrating.
I remember telling kids that knowing no fear didn't mean simply denying the existence of what they were afraid because that doesn't work well. Focusing on what and far more importantly, Who (BIG HINT!), they loved. We serve and follow a great God, and should focus on serving Him, and more importantly, LOVING Him. We might be afraid, sure - but the floods cannot drown love, HIS love, and He gives us strength to stand, as Paul writes in Ephesians.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Fill Us with Power! Give Us Your Courage!
As I write my annual camp update, I look back on how this chapter of my life all began and how, four working seasons later now, I can't help but truly marvel how it all unfolded. Had anyone ever told me that I'd be one of the staffers hanging out with the kids and teenagers at camp and getting to be a part of the process where some of them make their relationship with Christ something real (especially the FIRST TIME)... years ago, I couldn't have believed that as a serious possibility. Now, I can't fathom the thought of stopping. I admit I've become a lifer.
I loved growing up in Ludington, but I don't think I had a great appreciation of the outdoors or how God moved in people's lives in His creation that He gave us. It's a sad thing, really. I loved camping as a kid, and being a camper at Center Lake was tons of fun! I enjoyed when I was taken fishing and doing stuff out in the woods. I still tell stories of when Harold took Dad, Jordan, and me fishing and catching a ridiculous number of salmon and steelhead out on the lake and heaving enough fish to satisfy several cats. Ludington State Park is one of my favorite places to this day, I love the beach, and the thought of leaving all these places behind that I've grown up with still breaks my heart.
But working at camp? Really? ME?!
Really. Maybe the whole tumultuous student teaching experience and having the combined awesome/trainwreck placements and having my confidence absolutely smashed into tiny bits wasn't such an accident after all. It wasn't an accident that I saw Duane at church that Sunday in March 2008 I was home on Spring Break resting. And there I was again this, still working with him and the rest of the crew, now on my fourth season, in a new job, with my campers growing up before my very eyes... and what a summer it was!
Staff training
Admittedly, coming to camp was so much harder this time than in previous years. Leaving behind my family, especially my dad in the shape that he was in was incredibly hard. He and Mom both said they wanted me to work at Center Lake and they wanted me to make them proud and to serve there, but it still didn't make the whole leaving easy when Dad's not well. I pulled onto Bible Camp Road the first time and thought to myself, "What on Earth am I doing HERE?!?!"
Regardless, I pressed on and not only got trained as Core Staff (one of the Worship Directors with Casey!), but as a lifeguard this year! I pretty much wanted to die at the end of learning how to be a lifeguard, but I'm not sorry I did it at all. And staff training, as always, was the weird mix of calm/wild bliss before camp begins. Meeting the new staffers, seeing the familiar faces return, catching up with friends, and seeing some of the previous years SMTs coming up into their new positions as counselors made me incredibly proud (and feel a little old too). It was exciting to see some friends come back to camp after they were gone on hiatus (Mike and Amy Johnson were back after three and four years!). Plus, I got some bonding time with my core group (three pretty great guys if I do say so).
I was quite excited with how things came together with the chapel band, though I will admit at the beginning I was quite nervous. The repertoire wasn't coming and I wasn't sure where to look, I wasn't sure how things were looking as far as personnel after talking to people about where they were working this summer, and having only led worship teams a handful of times prior (though I have done it before)... I was just plain nervous about what things would look like, though at the same time, incredibly excited and hopeful.
But I need not have worried, like it says in Matthew 6. Casey and I ended up with a blistering amount of repertoire-something like 25 songs this year, and the team learned ALL of them despite having to clear the chapel TWICE for weddings. We ended up getting exactly who we needed for personnel both on the stage to sing and play as well as our support in the back with the tech crew - where would Casey and I have been if God hadn't sent Jesse, Amy, and Karl this summer and everyone to work with up front? It helped to meet with Pastor Ryan as well as getting some encouragement from him right before camp started to refocus our hearts on WHY we worship as well as WHO we worship (hint: it isn't just music).
Week 1... Pastor Ken Nichols, speaker
This week was a great way to start camp, though admittedly I was probably as nervous as I'd been since starting my very first week of counseling ever. It was my first time working a week of camp as Core Staff! Don had told us during Core Staff training that as staffers who have worked at camp before, we knew what to do, but I asked a lot of questions like, "Hey Mike... what do I do in 'insert situation here'?" It was a good week to learn a lot of the smaller, detailed things like that and to get my feet wet. The whole "school isn't over in a lot of places" definitely took a slice out of camp, but it gave us a real sense of closeness both as a staff at work as well as with the campers.
Week 2... Junior High Camp in Petoskey. Pastor Ryan Huebner, speaker.
Surprise! Back to counseling I went, and up at High Point. And just to make things more interesting, Dakota (one of my core group dudes and former youth group guys from back home) was my neighbor counselor. It was nice to spend a week working with one of my core group guys to help get him more acclimated to counseling alone, though he really didn't need my help and would have been fine anyway (good work bro, you did an awesome job!). As far as raw counseling goes, this group of junior high guys was about as great as you could get - laid back, go where you ask, and the list goes on. That said, the week still was rather difficult for the fact that we had thunderstorms. EVERY DAY. It began to get incredibly difficult to maintain a positive, upbeat attitude for the campers when over half the camp activities were a washout (two attempts out of two for the climbing tower were massive failures and resulted in the joke that I should never belay with Mike Johnson for fear that adverse weather conditions are sure to result).
Regardless of the nonstop bad weather, my guys assured me that they DID have a good week, and the best was an improvised final Bible study Dakota and I made up on the fly. Friday morning Bible studies tend to be a bit of a drag but he and I on the spot had the guys talk Dakota through not only what it means to become a Christian, but what life as one looks like, and why it matters as if Dakota weren't a Christian and were the type of guy who didn't go to church, didn't read the Bible, didn't know about God, or anything like that. It was exciting to see 16 junior high guys actually get into the Bible study and have that moment of understanding the WHY of its importance. Not only that, a number of the guys wanted to know about the SMT program and I could see a number of them coming back to camp and actually serving there!
On a light-hearted note, Pastor Ryan brought his arm chopping trick and showed it to the kids by threatening to slice my arm off as the crown jewel of his magic tricks. Even though I've witnessed this one before and actually know how it works, it still actually did scare me. But the kiddos loved it.
-Weekend trip to Mackinac Island. Many pictures, bike rides, a game of Ultimate Frisbee, and a deck of oversized cards resulted. I bought a new fedora this time!-
Week 3... Junior/Senior High Ranch Camp in Buffalo. Pastor Nate Schlaud, speaker.
Midway through my rainy week at High Point, Don asked me if I wanted to counsel Ranch Camp. Two weeks in a row of counseling that I wasn't expecting/entirely prepared for is a lot, but I knew I'd regret the chance to NOT spend the week with my Ranch guys again, so I said yes after about 5 seconds and in the end, I wasn't at all sorry.
This was a reunion week - all these campers I'd had at least twice now. Jacob, Tom and I were on our third time together at Ranch Camp together, Evan and I on year 2, and Thomas was on his fourth year (my only camper that I've had every single year!). When I read through my roster, I was so excited to see them all again and furthermore, have some time to bond with them; this cabin was a record-setter in terms of smallness (only 4 this week, as opposed to as many as 9 two years' prior at Ranch and as many as 14 for High School the week after the 9 that same year). And in addition to bonding, I was excited to do some discipleship with them since I already knew them.
And man had they GROWN! Those guys (especially Thomas, who I first met when he was in elementary school and he's now this tall guy in HIGH SCHOOL!) reminded me of how I've worked at camp long enough to see my campers grow up both inside and outside, and it's so exciting. The answers I've heard from these guys in the riding group Bible studies have deepened over the years, which is really cool and a number of these guys also wanted to know about the SMT and Junior Wrangler programs, so I hope to see them back at camp working in the future, too.
Week 4... Pastor Jim Lacy, speaker
After two weeks "on assignment," as I described it (I decided to borrow a term from the news media, which made the SMTs laugh when we all happily greeted each other), I came home to Maple at long last and my Core Staff and SMT housemates! It's so weird - we still saw each other during the week and weekends, but... I still felt like I had missed a ton. It got REALLY lonely being gone from Maple, the other Core Staff, and the SMTs for so long.
This week was probably the most fun of all of the regular weeks by far. I felt like I bonded with all of the campers the most out of all the weeks that I wasn't counseling and I had a chance to actually spend a LITTLE time with some of the other staff when I wasn't working (I'm core staff and not a counselor? What?). Even though this was Fourth of July week and really small again, thanks to lots of families on vacation, the kids had a BLAST and some of the junior high campers (and a few sneaky high school kids who were in junior high cabins) were REALLY interested in coming back as SMTs too. The campers' interest this year seems sky high, which is really exciting.
Week 5... Pastor Ron Sheveland, speaker.
Welcome to the staff reunion week of camp, as well as the most challenging week of our own camps. We had a number of our former staffers (N-Sto, Patrick, and Kris!) return to help us with counseling which was perfect timing - this week was pretty much full at camp, so the timing couldn't have been more perfect.
My core group in particular had some challenges in their cabins. My hope is that I did what I set out to do at the beginning of the summer in making a goal of being the core staff that was there for my guys and that helped make their work easier where I could.
Ron Sheveland was our speaker this week, which was kind of exciting - I remember him from when I was a family camper back in high school and he was just as funny (and interesting, at least to me) as he was when I was a kid. He and his whole family did a great job!
And with that, the regular camps ended and guest groups began...
Week 6 - Valley Family Church, "En Fuego" UNITED 2011
This was my fourth out of four years working with VFC, so it's exciting to see their kidlets become middle schoolers and now, almost high schoolers! By this point, their staffers have started to remember me too, so it's cool to form closer relationships with some of their staff.
VFC taught me plenty. I'll admit, I haven't given this church the chance I should have. Though the Bible doesn't teach open-mindedness (and in fact, to test the spirits whether they are from God, as taught in I John), I wrote off our friends from VFC from the start. Duane reminded our staff how much they value reaching the lost, how much they love their kids, and even if some of the details I disagree with (and might be a problem with me were I to go to chapel), there ARE still things I can learn from them, as I remembered when talking with Dakota.
VFC taught me about thankfulness. A camper who went blobbing (his first time!) came up and thanked me for everything, even though I was lifeguarding a completely different zone in the waterfront. Though not all the campers were as thankful as this dude was, it reminded me that we need to be thankful. All the time (I Thessalonians 5!). And I also learned from their worship that I need to be more open and free with my open worship wherever I am. I'm sure the campers from VFC, like everyone, are a bit more free and open at camp, but they seemed to be completely unconcerned about their appearances and totally lost in the moment with God, and I was really captivated by that idea.
Week 7 - Ward Kids Kamp
Ward Evangelical Presbyterian Church had me a little nervous, admittedly. I wasn't sure how to react to them and they were new to almost all of our staff outside the year-rounders.
I need not have worried. I met their waterfront director and one of their lifeguards almost right off the bat while lifeguarding a staff swim and they, along with the rest of the staff, were all quite nice. Like VFC, they take their ministry to their campers very seriously, though in their own way. I don't understand ALL their methods, but they, like we, have a common objective. And more importantly, it was (and IS) wrong of me to judge them.
Week 8 - Camp Woodside 2011
This week doesn't conjure up much memory except our rockin' core party. I finally got to show my guys a bit of appreciation PIBS-style with Stromboli Monday. I had a blast, and so did Dakota, Mike, and Travis. I unfortunately didn't get to work with the group this week much because... I had to come home to be with my family. It was probably the hardest trip of the summer.
But I'm grateful Dad pulled through okay.
Week 9 - Armada PAL Camp 2011
Working with Armada's group was easily the biggest challenge. I probably wasn't entirely focused because of how Dad was doing anyway, but the issues that come up with an incredibly large group that is also NOT church-based didn't help make things any easier. But regardless, I had to learn to carry on and do what I had to and remind myself of what Don told us during Staff Training so many times: "We are here to SERVE." It was an excellent reminder.
I did have nice digs - having to move out of the Ranch was kinda stinky, but I pretty much had a fortress with the tent from home. A tent labeled for 7 people, porch and everything, all for me!
-Staff comedy bowling, farewells, visit to Coopersville to see Ross!-
BONUS mini-week 10 - Central Wesleyan Church Youth Retreat
Holland and Tustin-it felt like a collision of worlds to staff this camp. Maybe it's because I lived in Holland and also had a large number of students there (over one thousand over the course of my Hope days), but I would have loved to spend time actually talking with these kids since Pastor Brian told me last spring about the constant stream of stories from people who were unchurched before coming to Engedi Church. Central Wesleyan Church planted my own church, Engedi, back in 2005, so to work with the parent church at camp (and meet a couple of Hope students!) was really cool.
This crew was TONS of fun to work with and they had a BLAST. Their speaker, Garrett, met with me before their chapel rally on Friday night and he said he was really hoping and praying for God to move in these kids' lives and asked for prayer from our staff as well. It reminded me of a summer version of Fire & Ice. I'm glad I caught him again on Sunday, and it seems that lives were changed over this camp experience!
-One week off to sleep and the man camp-IN with N-Sto, Nato, and Dakota-
Long weekend 11-Labor Day Family Camp
The annual Family Camp! What a time it was. I always get a little bummed because I don't get to spend much time listening to chapel, but as I think about it, hanging with the kids (little kids for the first time ever in four years of family camp and one springtime Annual Meeting for Converge!) lets the parents enjoy it without being distracted by their kids needs and the kids get to do camp. It's worth it.
This year seemed like a man staff reunion - I thought it was going to be just N-Sto and me along with Mike & Amy, (we scored MACKINAW as our digs, YEEEAAAAHHH!!!!) we saw like half the guys from GR come up. I think this might also be the first Family Camp I didn't touch a rope since getting checked to belay. It was downright weird. Though I did earn a right nice raccoon burn.
So what are the big things I learned after around 13-14 weeks at Center Lake?
-"We're here to serve" is what it looks like to love your neighbor. It doesn't matter, even if I hate what I'm doing, or people are acting like jerks despite what I'm doing for them. I spectacularly failed at that this summer and still do, but I'm learning.
-I really, really, REALLY loved working in the worship arts area. It was an absolute joy. And I need to figure out if that means something more than just I liked my summer 2011 job.
-I'm still thinking hard about that conversation I had with Dakota about what our worship with others on Sundays looks like. Still processing.
-I couldn't be more grateful for the support EVERYONE at Center Lake, Temple Hill, and Cornerstone for helping me get through the summer with how my dad's health was/is. I still think if I had to face this situation anywhere that wasn't home, camp probably was one of the best places to have to be. And maybe, knowing me, it was the best place. Don tells us that it's no accident campers were there, and I don't think it's an accident that I was there at camp this summer, either. To work, or be ministered too. So to everyone (friends, colleagues, fellow church members, etc.): THANK YOU.
It was a great summer. Hard. Challenging. Growing. And lots of fun. And I'd do it over again in a heartbeat.
I loved growing up in Ludington, but I don't think I had a great appreciation of the outdoors or how God moved in people's lives in His creation that He gave us. It's a sad thing, really. I loved camping as a kid, and being a camper at Center Lake was tons of fun! I enjoyed when I was taken fishing and doing stuff out in the woods. I still tell stories of when Harold took Dad, Jordan, and me fishing and catching a ridiculous number of salmon and steelhead out on the lake and heaving enough fish to satisfy several cats. Ludington State Park is one of my favorite places to this day, I love the beach, and the thought of leaving all these places behind that I've grown up with still breaks my heart.
But working at camp? Really? ME?!
Really. Maybe the whole tumultuous student teaching experience and having the combined awesome/trainwreck placements and having my confidence absolutely smashed into tiny bits wasn't such an accident after all. It wasn't an accident that I saw Duane at church that Sunday in March 2008 I was home on Spring Break resting. And there I was again this, still working with him and the rest of the crew, now on my fourth season, in a new job, with my campers growing up before my very eyes... and what a summer it was!
Staff training
Admittedly, coming to camp was so much harder this time than in previous years. Leaving behind my family, especially my dad in the shape that he was in was incredibly hard. He and Mom both said they wanted me to work at Center Lake and they wanted me to make them proud and to serve there, but it still didn't make the whole leaving easy when Dad's not well. I pulled onto Bible Camp Road the first time and thought to myself, "What on Earth am I doing HERE?!?!"
Regardless, I pressed on and not only got trained as Core Staff (one of the Worship Directors with Casey!), but as a lifeguard this year! I pretty much wanted to die at the end of learning how to be a lifeguard, but I'm not sorry I did it at all. And staff training, as always, was the weird mix of calm/wild bliss before camp begins. Meeting the new staffers, seeing the familiar faces return, catching up with friends, and seeing some of the previous years SMTs coming up into their new positions as counselors made me incredibly proud (and feel a little old too). It was exciting to see some friends come back to camp after they were gone on hiatus (Mike and Amy Johnson were back after three and four years!). Plus, I got some bonding time with my core group (three pretty great guys if I do say so).
I was quite excited with how things came together with the chapel band, though I will admit at the beginning I was quite nervous. The repertoire wasn't coming and I wasn't sure where to look, I wasn't sure how things were looking as far as personnel after talking to people about where they were working this summer, and having only led worship teams a handful of times prior (though I have done it before)... I was just plain nervous about what things would look like, though at the same time, incredibly excited and hopeful.
But I need not have worried, like it says in Matthew 6. Casey and I ended up with a blistering amount of repertoire-something like 25 songs this year, and the team learned ALL of them despite having to clear the chapel TWICE for weddings. We ended up getting exactly who we needed for personnel both on the stage to sing and play as well as our support in the back with the tech crew - where would Casey and I have been if God hadn't sent Jesse, Amy, and Karl this summer and everyone to work with up front? It helped to meet with Pastor Ryan as well as getting some encouragement from him right before camp started to refocus our hearts on WHY we worship as well as WHO we worship (hint: it isn't just music).
Week 1... Pastor Ken Nichols, speaker
This week was a great way to start camp, though admittedly I was probably as nervous as I'd been since starting my very first week of counseling ever. It was my first time working a week of camp as Core Staff! Don had told us during Core Staff training that as staffers who have worked at camp before, we knew what to do, but I asked a lot of questions like, "Hey Mike... what do I do in 'insert situation here'?" It was a good week to learn a lot of the smaller, detailed things like that and to get my feet wet. The whole "school isn't over in a lot of places" definitely took a slice out of camp, but it gave us a real sense of closeness both as a staff at work as well as with the campers.
Week 2... Junior High Camp in Petoskey. Pastor Ryan Huebner, speaker.
Surprise! Back to counseling I went, and up at High Point. And just to make things more interesting, Dakota (one of my core group dudes and former youth group guys from back home) was my neighbor counselor. It was nice to spend a week working with one of my core group guys to help get him more acclimated to counseling alone, though he really didn't need my help and would have been fine anyway (good work bro, you did an awesome job!). As far as raw counseling goes, this group of junior high guys was about as great as you could get - laid back, go where you ask, and the list goes on. That said, the week still was rather difficult for the fact that we had thunderstorms. EVERY DAY. It began to get incredibly difficult to maintain a positive, upbeat attitude for the campers when over half the camp activities were a washout (two attempts out of two for the climbing tower were massive failures and resulted in the joke that I should never belay with Mike Johnson for fear that adverse weather conditions are sure to result).
Regardless of the nonstop bad weather, my guys assured me that they DID have a good week, and the best was an improvised final Bible study Dakota and I made up on the fly. Friday morning Bible studies tend to be a bit of a drag but he and I on the spot had the guys talk Dakota through not only what it means to become a Christian, but what life as one looks like, and why it matters as if Dakota weren't a Christian and were the type of guy who didn't go to church, didn't read the Bible, didn't know about God, or anything like that. It was exciting to see 16 junior high guys actually get into the Bible study and have that moment of understanding the WHY of its importance. Not only that, a number of the guys wanted to know about the SMT program and I could see a number of them coming back to camp and actually serving there!
On a light-hearted note, Pastor Ryan brought his arm chopping trick and showed it to the kids by threatening to slice my arm off as the crown jewel of his magic tricks. Even though I've witnessed this one before and actually know how it works, it still actually did scare me. But the kiddos loved it.
-Weekend trip to Mackinac Island. Many pictures, bike rides, a game of Ultimate Frisbee, and a deck of oversized cards resulted. I bought a new fedora this time!-
Week 3... Junior/Senior High Ranch Camp in Buffalo. Pastor Nate Schlaud, speaker.
Midway through my rainy week at High Point, Don asked me if I wanted to counsel Ranch Camp. Two weeks in a row of counseling that I wasn't expecting/entirely prepared for is a lot, but I knew I'd regret the chance to NOT spend the week with my Ranch guys again, so I said yes after about 5 seconds and in the end, I wasn't at all sorry.
This was a reunion week - all these campers I'd had at least twice now. Jacob, Tom and I were on our third time together at Ranch Camp together, Evan and I on year 2, and Thomas was on his fourth year (my only camper that I've had every single year!). When I read through my roster, I was so excited to see them all again and furthermore, have some time to bond with them; this cabin was a record-setter in terms of smallness (only 4 this week, as opposed to as many as 9 two years' prior at Ranch and as many as 14 for High School the week after the 9 that same year). And in addition to bonding, I was excited to do some discipleship with them since I already knew them.
And man had they GROWN! Those guys (especially Thomas, who I first met when he was in elementary school and he's now this tall guy in HIGH SCHOOL!) reminded me of how I've worked at camp long enough to see my campers grow up both inside and outside, and it's so exciting. The answers I've heard from these guys in the riding group Bible studies have deepened over the years, which is really cool and a number of these guys also wanted to know about the SMT and Junior Wrangler programs, so I hope to see them back at camp working in the future, too.
Week 4... Pastor Jim Lacy, speaker
After two weeks "on assignment," as I described it (I decided to borrow a term from the news media, which made the SMTs laugh when we all happily greeted each other), I came home to Maple at long last and my Core Staff and SMT housemates! It's so weird - we still saw each other during the week and weekends, but... I still felt like I had missed a ton. It got REALLY lonely being gone from Maple, the other Core Staff, and the SMTs for so long.
This week was probably the most fun of all of the regular weeks by far. I felt like I bonded with all of the campers the most out of all the weeks that I wasn't counseling and I had a chance to actually spend a LITTLE time with some of the other staff when I wasn't working (I'm core staff and not a counselor? What?). Even though this was Fourth of July week and really small again, thanks to lots of families on vacation, the kids had a BLAST and some of the junior high campers (and a few sneaky high school kids who were in junior high cabins) were REALLY interested in coming back as SMTs too. The campers' interest this year seems sky high, which is really exciting.
Week 5... Pastor Ron Sheveland, speaker.
Welcome to the staff reunion week of camp, as well as the most challenging week of our own camps. We had a number of our former staffers (N-Sto, Patrick, and Kris!) return to help us with counseling which was perfect timing - this week was pretty much full at camp, so the timing couldn't have been more perfect.
My core group in particular had some challenges in their cabins. My hope is that I did what I set out to do at the beginning of the summer in making a goal of being the core staff that was there for my guys and that helped make their work easier where I could.
Ron Sheveland was our speaker this week, which was kind of exciting - I remember him from when I was a family camper back in high school and he was just as funny (and interesting, at least to me) as he was when I was a kid. He and his whole family did a great job!
And with that, the regular camps ended and guest groups began...
Week 6 - Valley Family Church, "En Fuego" UNITED 2011
This was my fourth out of four years working with VFC, so it's exciting to see their kidlets become middle schoolers and now, almost high schoolers! By this point, their staffers have started to remember me too, so it's cool to form closer relationships with some of their staff.
VFC taught me plenty. I'll admit, I haven't given this church the chance I should have. Though the Bible doesn't teach open-mindedness (and in fact, to test the spirits whether they are from God, as taught in I John), I wrote off our friends from VFC from the start. Duane reminded our staff how much they value reaching the lost, how much they love their kids, and even if some of the details I disagree with (and might be a problem with me were I to go to chapel), there ARE still things I can learn from them, as I remembered when talking with Dakota.
VFC taught me about thankfulness. A camper who went blobbing (his first time!) came up and thanked me for everything, even though I was lifeguarding a completely different zone in the waterfront. Though not all the campers were as thankful as this dude was, it reminded me that we need to be thankful. All the time (I Thessalonians 5!). And I also learned from their worship that I need to be more open and free with my open worship wherever I am. I'm sure the campers from VFC, like everyone, are a bit more free and open at camp, but they seemed to be completely unconcerned about their appearances and totally lost in the moment with God, and I was really captivated by that idea.
Week 7 - Ward Kids Kamp
Ward Evangelical Presbyterian Church had me a little nervous, admittedly. I wasn't sure how to react to them and they were new to almost all of our staff outside the year-rounders.
I need not have worried. I met their waterfront director and one of their lifeguards almost right off the bat while lifeguarding a staff swim and they, along with the rest of the staff, were all quite nice. Like VFC, they take their ministry to their campers very seriously, though in their own way. I don't understand ALL their methods, but they, like we, have a common objective. And more importantly, it was (and IS) wrong of me to judge them.
Week 8 - Camp Woodside 2011
This week doesn't conjure up much memory except our rockin' core party. I finally got to show my guys a bit of appreciation PIBS-style with Stromboli Monday. I had a blast, and so did Dakota, Mike, and Travis. I unfortunately didn't get to work with the group this week much because... I had to come home to be with my family. It was probably the hardest trip of the summer.
But I'm grateful Dad pulled through okay.
Week 9 - Armada PAL Camp 2011
Working with Armada's group was easily the biggest challenge. I probably wasn't entirely focused because of how Dad was doing anyway, but the issues that come up with an incredibly large group that is also NOT church-based didn't help make things any easier. But regardless, I had to learn to carry on and do what I had to and remind myself of what Don told us during Staff Training so many times: "We are here to SERVE." It was an excellent reminder.
I did have nice digs - having to move out of the Ranch was kinda stinky, but I pretty much had a fortress with the tent from home. A tent labeled for 7 people, porch and everything, all for me!
-Staff comedy bowling, farewells, visit to Coopersville to see Ross!-
BONUS mini-week 10 - Central Wesleyan Church Youth Retreat
Holland and Tustin-it felt like a collision of worlds to staff this camp. Maybe it's because I lived in Holland and also had a large number of students there (over one thousand over the course of my Hope days), but I would have loved to spend time actually talking with these kids since Pastor Brian told me last spring about the constant stream of stories from people who were unchurched before coming to Engedi Church. Central Wesleyan Church planted my own church, Engedi, back in 2005, so to work with the parent church at camp (and meet a couple of Hope students!) was really cool.
This crew was TONS of fun to work with and they had a BLAST. Their speaker, Garrett, met with me before their chapel rally on Friday night and he said he was really hoping and praying for God to move in these kids' lives and asked for prayer from our staff as well. It reminded me of a summer version of Fire & Ice. I'm glad I caught him again on Sunday, and it seems that lives were changed over this camp experience!
-One week off to sleep and the man camp-IN with N-Sto, Nato, and Dakota-
Long weekend 11-Labor Day Family Camp
The annual Family Camp! What a time it was. I always get a little bummed because I don't get to spend much time listening to chapel, but as I think about it, hanging with the kids (little kids for the first time ever in four years of family camp and one springtime Annual Meeting for Converge!) lets the parents enjoy it without being distracted by their kids needs and the kids get to do camp. It's worth it.
This year seemed like a man staff reunion - I thought it was going to be just N-Sto and me along with Mike & Amy, (we scored MACKINAW as our digs, YEEEAAAAHHH!!!!) we saw like half the guys from GR come up. I think this might also be the first Family Camp I didn't touch a rope since getting checked to belay. It was downright weird. Though I did earn a right nice raccoon burn.
So what are the big things I learned after around 13-14 weeks at Center Lake?
-"We're here to serve" is what it looks like to love your neighbor. It doesn't matter, even if I hate what I'm doing, or people are acting like jerks despite what I'm doing for them. I spectacularly failed at that this summer and still do, but I'm learning.
-I really, really, REALLY loved working in the worship arts area. It was an absolute joy. And I need to figure out if that means something more than just I liked my summer 2011 job.
-I'm still thinking hard about that conversation I had with Dakota about what our worship with others on Sundays looks like. Still processing.
-I couldn't be more grateful for the support EVERYONE at Center Lake, Temple Hill, and Cornerstone for helping me get through the summer with how my dad's health was/is. I still think if I had to face this situation anywhere that wasn't home, camp probably was one of the best places to have to be. And maybe, knowing me, it was the best place. Don tells us that it's no accident campers were there, and I don't think it's an accident that I was there at camp this summer, either. To work, or be ministered too. So to everyone (friends, colleagues, fellow church members, etc.): THANK YOU.
It was a great summer. Hard. Challenging. Growing. And lots of fun. And I'd do it over again in a heartbeat.
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