A real update...
Let me warn you, this LJ may turn out to be incredible long, because I'm going to be giving an update for my entire week! Well, as you all know I've been sick with bronchitis for the first week of camp. Go figure! But God has been pretty stinkin' faithful in letting me chug along. I'm sorry I haven't been able to e-mail or call all of you personally, but the story is that I wake up at 6am and don't go to bed till 1am. I could call you at 1? J/K! Anyways... I was very lucky to have an extremly rock hard group this week. I learned a lot from them, and was encouraged by our discussion of the scriptures. We laughed so much at sites, many of them are avid "Napoleon Dynamite" quoters. The two students who probably taught me the most were guys by the name of Broc and Kyle. They both dressed goth, and seeing them walk into my Bible Study room, and my so "quick to judge" nature I'm thinking I have to people who don't know Christ and about how much I was going to get to share with them. Boy was I wrong... they taught me. Broc, was the most kind spirited person. He shared his testimony with the camp about how he used to be so angry that he got kicked out of school. His dad disowned him and his mom went to jail for attempted murder. He told us about how he met a friend who was Satanist, and how he too became a satanist and would read the Satanistic Bible every day, faithfully. He ended up going to a Centrifuge camp and in his own words was "convinced that God didn't save nobody". Everyone was so emotional and he thought it was stupid. He hated God. One night a youth minister shared with him about jesus, and he stayed up all night thinking about it. He said he felt this tugging at his heart, and he responded. He said he never went back to the cult, and that God has given him such peace. Its true, he has to be the most tender-hearted person I've ever met... I can't imagine him angry. Amazing how God changes hearts.
As for sites, they were not what I expected them to be, but that was a good thing. I know a lot of you were praying specifically for the Aids ministry I was going to be taking my group to, so I will mainly tell you about that. We didn't see any Aids patients when we went, but who we did encounter was a man fromt he Red Cross who shared about the ministry. He was not a Christian, and my students just kept asking all these deep questions. Finally they asked him about how he felt about the church and Aids community. At first he didn't want to give his opinion, but I'm so glad he did... He said "The church doesn't seem to want anything to do with us, but when they do... all they do is want to shove Jesus down our throats. Let me tell you something about my people... they don't know nothing of Jesus when they are hungry, thirsty and hurting." He went on and on about how he wasn't religous and didn't really believe in God.
I love honesty! We had incredible conversations about what the church should look like, and about loving people. It was sooooo goood. I'm most excited about how I will se this man every week, hopefully we will show him the difference.
They students also had an opportunity to share Christ with a girl at the apartment complex we were at, she was 22. All in all, I'm very pleased with the week. I definatly have some kinks to work out of the Bible Study material.
As for my "spiritual" well being. I'm tired... I think mostly from being sick. I napped this afternoon and I'm looking forward to some spiritual rest tomorrow. Pray that I would continue to be faithful in my time with God. I don't want to get caught up in going through the motions of camp. I want to love these youth and give myself away to them... so to speek.
Funny story, to end this off.... I had my first "C.O.W." as the staff terms it. It simply means Counselor Of the Week. HA! Its horrible that they have a name for this. My campers were trying to set me up witht their 26 year old counselor... I was pretty embarresed... because what do you say to campers? I used it as a teaching opportunity about trusting God, and sharing my story about relying on God to bring me my husband. They didnt' act to shocked when I told them that I haven't dated. Usually I get the "Oh my GOSH" reation and they think I'm crazy! There were some girls I got to really encourage through the process.
Anyways, we had about 20 people that felt like they were being called into missions and many others who gave their life's to Christ. Broc shared Christ with a guy who was involved is Wicca, and he eventually accepted Christ! Pretty cool, huh?! Well, I think we are about to go see a movie, so goodnight for now. Don't stop going to battle for me. I'm really learning how to rely on my times of battle in the mornings. Hopefully I'll find some time to share with you about what God is pressing on my heart and how I feel like he has really begun bringing the change I've been praying for, for a while. Thanks for your support guys, I love you, Mel
As for sites, they were not what I expected them to be, but that was a good thing. I know a lot of you were praying specifically for the Aids ministry I was going to be taking my group to, so I will mainly tell you about that. We didn't see any Aids patients when we went, but who we did encounter was a man fromt he Red Cross who shared about the ministry. He was not a Christian, and my students just kept asking all these deep questions. Finally they asked him about how he felt about the church and Aids community. At first he didn't want to give his opinion, but I'm so glad he did... He said "The church doesn't seem to want anything to do with us, but when they do... all they do is want to shove Jesus down our throats. Let me tell you something about my people... they don't know nothing of Jesus when they are hungry, thirsty and hurting." He went on and on about how he wasn't religous and didn't really believe in God.
I love honesty! We had incredible conversations about what the church should look like, and about loving people. It was sooooo goood. I'm most excited about how I will se this man every week, hopefully we will show him the difference.
They students also had an opportunity to share Christ with a girl at the apartment complex we were at, she was 22. All in all, I'm very pleased with the week. I definatly have some kinks to work out of the Bible Study material.
As for my "spiritual" well being. I'm tired... I think mostly from being sick. I napped this afternoon and I'm looking forward to some spiritual rest tomorrow. Pray that I would continue to be faithful in my time with God. I don't want to get caught up in going through the motions of camp. I want to love these youth and give myself away to them... so to speek.
Funny story, to end this off.... I had my first "C.O.W." as the staff terms it. It simply means Counselor Of the Week. HA! Its horrible that they have a name for this. My campers were trying to set me up witht their 26 year old counselor... I was pretty embarresed... because what do you say to campers? I used it as a teaching opportunity about trusting God, and sharing my story about relying on God to bring me my husband. They didnt' act to shocked when I told them that I haven't dated. Usually I get the "Oh my GOSH" reation and they think I'm crazy! There were some girls I got to really encourage through the process.
Anyways, we had about 20 people that felt like they were being called into missions and many others who gave their life's to Christ. Broc shared Christ with a guy who was involved is Wicca, and he eventually accepted Christ! Pretty cool, huh?! Well, I think we are about to go see a movie, so goodnight for now. Don't stop going to battle for me. I'm really learning how to rely on my times of battle in the mornings. Hopefully I'll find some time to share with you about what God is pressing on my heart and how I feel like he has really begun bringing the change I've been praying for, for a while. Thanks for your support guys, I love you, Mel