Serving at YL camp for 3-4 weeks is hard work, yet is one of the best seats available to see God at work up close. I love sharing these stories with you. This 4th of July week was our smallest camp; exactly 100. (last week was 260, the group arriving today is almost 300.) We all prayed for the significance of there being 100. Like Jesus, who leaves the 99 to go after the one lost sheep, that we would each pray for and look for the 'one.' There were no shortage of 'the ONE' kids. Lost sheep. And Jesus did not disappoint.
One kid from Vancouver, Demarii, came in with 'walls' up. His story was that he had been arrested as a kid for selling drugs. He is a gifted basketball player, potentially D-1 level. He shared with our all-star 'adult guest host' Stan Price, while shooting hoops together on the last full day, that he had no relationship or background with God. We prayed all week for him. On the last night, our musician Etu, shared his story of his dad dying, his anger with God, and entering into a life as a kid of selling drugs, then being invited to YL camp and meeting Jesus. Demarii was moved and shared that it broke him, realizing that his story did not seem to fit with anyone's or with God, but that eve, he turned his 'chair' around, he put a 'rock on the pile', and placed his name on the cross. We were moved to tears, blown away by whatever the 'yada yada yada' that took place between free time and the evening on Day 4. Jesus still lifts lost sheep on his shoulders.
One kid serving at camp knew his brother was here as a camper. Alfonso seemed completely disengaged and apathetic all week, shrugging off the messages and his leader. I wish I knew the 'yada yada yada' in between his demeanor all week and that the last morning, he put his name on the cross expressing his commitment to start a relationship with God. Alfonso's brother couldn't believe his eyes and they hugged like long long brothers reuniting. Such a beautiful sight.
One girl named Sierra was shopping alone in the camp store. Sarah, who serves in there, connected with her and not only helped her find what she was looking for, but made a deep connection, asking good questions about how her week was going and about her life back home. After buying her items, she asked if she could just stay in the store and keep talking. Sierra and Sarah kept talking for another hour. After the store closed for the day, Sarah wrote her name on the palm of her hand to remember to pray for her. Sarah is a list person, holding to the value that names matter and to intentionally write names down to remember it and to prompt us to pray. The next day, they saw each other and the camper noticed her name 'Sierra' written on Sarah's hand. She asked to look at her hand and was moved to tears and asked what inspired that. Sarah shared how God has our names 'written on his hand' (Isaiah 49:16.) She ran to her leader, sharing how she felt so loved and seen. This was part of the 'yada yada yada' that led Sierra to put her name on the cross. So good to share God's love so deeply.
This week was a restless bunch. One of the cabins of boys from Lake Oswego had been heard plotting how they could push the limits enough to get sent home early. After multiple pranks on other cabins, disrespectful talk and behavior, being assigned to do two hours of landscape duty in the 100 degree sun, they finally crossed the line and awakened my camp directorly, papa-bear limits to actually call each of their parents at 12:45am on the final night and have them drive to camp to pick up their kids early in the morning. We were done. Sneaking out at midnight up the steepest, most dangerous hill (hella steep, rattlesnake-riddled) I know of at midnight was enough for me. It was the most loving thing to do for these kids. And for the rest of camp which could not function with them there in this mindset. Praying for these 6 boys to have taken a lesson just for them at camp, not the one our speaker prepared, but hopefully the Holy Spirit will deliver to them. Phew!
At all-camp worship, where the whole team of those serving (work crew, summer staff, a-team and camp property teams), Gallo shared about the importance of lamenting in our prayers. There are many things that really bother us in life; anger, sadness, loss, depressing and anxious feelings, shame, guilt or loneliness. We often carry these feelings without taking them to God in prayer. We feel like we can only praise him, yet Jesus modeled in the garden of Gethsemane how we need to be authentic when praying: "Father, if there is any way that you would take this cup of suffering from me, but not my will but yours be done." And half of the Psalms in the Bible are laments. We then gave our whole team an opportunity to practice this kind of prayer that starts in rugged honesty and ends in praise. Such a gift to show these young people (and old!) how to engage God rather than sit in their pain alone. Prayer is a gift!
It was such a joy to have an amazing group of adult guests from so many years of my life be here this past week, and my YL leader Dave (and Kris) Ringoen is coming today to be a guest this week.
Janna is doing awesome on WC, Dietrich continues to thrive (thank you Jesus!) and Tanya has been such a blessing to everyone here, even filled in as a Head Leader on night one and hosted a huge party.
This crew who just arrived is our final of three weeks. Stories are ready to be unfolded before our eyes, with mysterious 'yada yada yadas' that we can't explain how, as we pray and partner with God!
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