2010: Summer Story #5

This story is not about a specific camper in general but rather about a group of campers. It all began when I dropped by our Eureka Camp Site one Friday afternoon. On Fridays after lunch the entire camp comes together to watch a fun movie. Most of the kids enjoy this time and look forward to it. On this particular day that I stopped in I came into the movie as always and sat down with a few campers. As I was sitting there I noticed a light on in a room right next to our movie. Out of curiosity I got up to investigate. As I approached the door I was surprised by what I found. Inside the room where 3 girls reading their Bibles. This is some what strange as most of the campers don't ask to do this during the movie. Since I didn't want to disturb them I went to find their counselor to see what was going on. After speaking with the counselor I found out that they had simply asked to read their Bibles instead of watching a movie. How exciting it was to see children reading their Bibles and filling their life with the truth rather then watching a movie for enjoyment.

2010: Summer Story #4

This next story comes from Eureka. There was a little boy in Eureka who came a long way and still has some more growing to do. Thanks to our fearless and patient directors (shown in picture) and the work of God, this little boy showed great change.

When the Boy first arrived at camp he had a real hard time focusing, listening, and obeying. It got to the point on the first day that we debated calling his parents to pick him up early. But at the request of the directors, he stayed to finish out the day. This was an early sign of the desire by the directors to see God work in the Boy's heart. As time moved on we developed a plan that would show Christ's love and to provide good structure for him to follow. It was a very slow process and many long days but as the summer continued on it was clear that God was working in this Boy's heart. By the end of the summer he began to listen and obey the staff. He wasn't perfect and still had trouble listening from time to time but there was definite change in his life. At this point I do not know if he has accepted the free gift of salvation and so I would ask you to pray that God softens his heart. We still get the chance to see him in the school year with the various programs we do (Parents' Night Out, Fall Frenzy, Camp 11/11) and we hope and pray that one day he will receive this precious gift.

2010: Summer Story #3

This story is about a young Boy from one of our Peoria Sites. He was a believer in Christ when he arrived at Camp but his relationship with God only continued to grow while he was with us. He was an expetional camper. He deserved our "I Am 3rd" award every week. This award went to the camper who put God 1st, Others 2nd, and themselves 3rd. He also brought his Bible to camp each day which inspired others to do the same. He would read his Bible when he had the chance and loved to know as much as he could about it. He loved knowing the Bible so much that when a Staff member finished their last week, the boy said that he was sad to see her go because he enjoyed talking about the Bible with her. He had a true desire to know God's word.

Another interesting part to this story is the Boy's desire to tell others about Christ. One day when Brad (Executive Director) came to camp, the boy asked if Kayla (Ministry Coordinator) was coming to camp. Brad told him no and the boy went off to play. On another day Brad again came to the camp and the Boy asked if Kayla was coming to camp. Brad told the Boy not today and then asked the Boy why he needed Kayla. The Boy responded by telling Brad that he had asked Kayla for a wordless book (gospel presentation tool) to share with his friends. With a smile on his face Brad went to his car to get a wordless book for the Boy. He was excited that he now had his own wordless book to share with others. How exciting it is to see children with a desire to spread the gospel.

2010: Summer Story #2

Here is another story from the summer.

This story is about a young girl from one of our Peoria Camps. This young lady was a believer when she came to Camp, but God was causing her to grow. This year she developed a passion for God's word and was reading and remembering it. One day instead of playing during a game time she chose to read her Bible. She was also taking this knowledge and applying it. She was one of the campers that was always willing to hold open doors or carry something for the group. She was also very obedient and did what she was asked the first time. She was not only applying God's word to her life but she was hiding it in her heart. Each week of the summer we had a memory verse for the campers to learn. This girl know each of them and could recite them when asked. How great it is to see young people diving into God's word and memorizing it. Praise the Lord for the work he has and is doing in this girl's life.

More stories to come...

2010 : Summer Story #1

Over the next few weeks I will be posting stories of what God has done in the lives of campers. Each week will feature a different camper and their story.

The first story is one that has been in progress for 3 years now. This boy is 7 years old and has attended our Christian Center Camp for the last 3 years. In his first year with us, on the first day of camp, he was very close to being sent home. It was clear that this boy would require a lot of patience. Through that year and the years to follow, the staff were dedicated to praying for this young man. Mid way through his first summer the gospel was shared with him and he made a profession of faith. From that point he began to grow. It was a slow process but God was at work. Fast forward to this year, God's work in his life is clearly evident. This young boy was running to the front of the line to open the door for everyone one. He listens well to the Bible stories and even asks questions about them. He was willing to pray in front of the camp as well as in front of his group. He even received the Camp Champ bracelet this year, which is the award that encompasses all the other awards we have (Leadership, Respect, Unconditional Love, Gratefulness, and many others). This is not to say that he is perfect, God is still working on him as he is working on all of us. But the change that we have seen in his life can only be explained by the work of God through the Spirit. Praise the Lord for His work and the changed heart of this young boy.

Stay tuned...More stories to come!

Green Means Go

Its right around the corner and there is a lot to be done. We are just under 20 days until the first day of camp. Let me start by telling you a little bit about what has happened since I last posted something. We had the last Eureka Parents Night Out around a month ago. It went great and the kids had a lot of fun. We have also had 124 people apply to serve at camp this summer. As of now we have hired around 95 of them. We still have a few spots to fill but to be honest with you we are almost done hiring staff for this summer. Next, a lot of my projects are almost complete. The curriculum is done and just needs to be printed out and placed into binders. The group binders (which is a binder with a lot of different resources for staff) is also done and needs to be printed and bond. Today I will be working on the schedules for 3 of our 6 camps and next week I will be preparing for training and getting camp sites ready.

A Few Prayer Request
1. Would you PAUSE & PRAY that God will guide us as we finish hiring staff.

2. Would you PAUSE & PRAY that God will help us not to be overwhelmed by what needs to be done, but that we would take it one step at a time and accomplish the tasks we have.

3. Would you PAUSE & PRAY that God will prepare my heart for a summer of ministry to both campers and staff members.

Thanks for your prayers and keep pressing on!

53 Days Left

Last Friday we had a Peoria Parents' Night Out. It was our last one of the season, but it was a great one. The weather was so nice that we got to go outside and play capture the flag. We also had a Bible lesson and went bowling. It was a great night and a great opportunity to reconnect with campers and staff. Thanks for your prayers.

God has also blessed us with more staff applications. A few weeks ago things were not looking the best but now we seem to be doing well. We have even had a few more guys apply. We could still use more people but we know God will provide our needs. Thanks for your continued prayers in this area.

Looking Ahead . . .

1. Next Friday we have our last Eureka Parents' Night Out. It should be another great night. Would you PAUSE and PRAY for the safety of the campers and staff. Would you also PAUSE and PRAY for good opportunities to reconnect.

2. We have another staff interview session on April 20th. Would you PAUSE and PRAY that God will give us wisdom as we go through this process.

3. The summer is 53 days away. Would you PAUSE and PRAY for all the preparation that goes into a summer. Things like field trip planning, daily schedules, arranging buses to come as needed, director training, staff training, printing off and putting together all of our material, and many other things.

Thanks for your prayers.