Here we are 3 weeks away from camp #3--it's honestly a bit surreal. A year ago preparation was happening for the first Hidden Place camp. My mind is blown when I think back to all God has done during that time.
Preparation is well underway on this side--bible studies are finished, forms are funnelling in, leaders are in place, shopping has been (mostly) done, and stress levels are a bit higher than normal. It as at this time that the fears begin to flood my mind. Will enough kids show up? Will our leaders get along? Will the weather be good? Will the charter buses show up? Will someone get hurt? Will someone be left out?
And as those fears come through, I am reminded that this is God's--I'm just a small part of it. If we have 50 kids or 75 kids, it will be ok. In the hiccups and moments that don't go so smoothly, God is still there. He has something to teach each one of us involved. And as cliche as it may seem, He is in control. And at the end of the day, if one child comes to know Him personally, it is all worth it. All the money--all the resources--all the time--all the effort--all the fears--all the anxiety. It is all worth it. And I couldn't think of anything else I would rather spend my life doing.
A new creation is our theme. And God has been challenging me so much in that lately. At church last night, Richard challenged us to be who we are in Christ. We are holy. We are righteous. We are hidden in Christ.
We are His. So let's be His. Just as we will talk about with our children in a few weeks, being His doesn't mean let's "act" like we are His. It isn't all about behaviour--it's about our hearts. And when our hearts are so in love and in awe of who Jesus is and what He has done for us, we can't help but become something new.
I'm so excited for October 6th to get here. Ever time the first day rolls around I struggle to sleep. I am so giddy just thinking about how incredible it's going to be. The small things are my favourites--seeing our kiddies load onto a huge bus, many for the first time. Arriving at camp and seeing their faces light up seeing the beauty of the J-life farm. Seeing them pile their plates full of food and then being amazed that they actually eat it all. Trying to get them to sleep the first night. Trying to keep them out of the showers ALL day. Teaching them the superman prayer. Watching the first child pray to accept Christ as Saviour--and then the next one and the next one. Watching them laugh at all the white people trying to dance. Watching them learn new things, and teach us new things as well.
I could go on and on.
For now, I sit here expectant. I can't wait to see what all God is going to do. I can't wait to get there. I can't wait to meet each of the kids that will be at camp. I can't wait to see lives and hearts changed by the gospel.
Preparation is well underway on this side--bible studies are finished, forms are funnelling in, leaders are in place, shopping has been (mostly) done, and stress levels are a bit higher than normal. It as at this time that the fears begin to flood my mind. Will enough kids show up? Will our leaders get along? Will the weather be good? Will the charter buses show up? Will someone get hurt? Will someone be left out?
And as those fears come through, I am reminded that this is God's--I'm just a small part of it. If we have 50 kids or 75 kids, it will be ok. In the hiccups and moments that don't go so smoothly, God is still there. He has something to teach each one of us involved. And as cliche as it may seem, He is in control. And at the end of the day, if one child comes to know Him personally, it is all worth it. All the money--all the resources--all the time--all the effort--all the fears--all the anxiety. It is all worth it. And I couldn't think of anything else I would rather spend my life doing.
A new creation is our theme. And God has been challenging me so much in that lately. At church last night, Richard challenged us to be who we are in Christ. We are holy. We are righteous. We are hidden in Christ.
We are His. So let's be His. Just as we will talk about with our children in a few weeks, being His doesn't mean let's "act" like we are His. It isn't all about behaviour--it's about our hearts. And when our hearts are so in love and in awe of who Jesus is and what He has done for us, we can't help but become something new.
I'm so excited for October 6th to get here. Ever time the first day rolls around I struggle to sleep. I am so giddy just thinking about how incredible it's going to be. The small things are my favourites--seeing our kiddies load onto a huge bus, many for the first time. Arriving at camp and seeing their faces light up seeing the beauty of the J-life farm. Seeing them pile their plates full of food and then being amazed that they actually eat it all. Trying to get them to sleep the first night. Trying to keep them out of the showers ALL day. Teaching them the superman prayer. Watching the first child pray to accept Christ as Saviour--and then the next one and the next one. Watching them laugh at all the white people trying to dance. Watching them learn new things, and teach us new things as well.
I could go on and on.
For now, I sit here expectant. I can't wait to see what all God is going to do. I can't wait to get there. I can't wait to meet each of the kids that will be at camp. I can't wait to see lives and hearts changed by the gospel.
