WEEK 4: Chains breaking!

Friends-

Such a great last week! Dietrich (pictured) was on the 'Real Life' panel of work crew kids, sharing elements of his life, to help the campers introspect their own lives by sharing elements of their 'story' including family, friends, etc.) He did great. We are still pinching ourselves, dumbfounded that OUR KID, Dietrich Huber, signed up for work crew, hasn't asked to go home, has been knocking the ball out of the park, has campers cheer for him every week, and volunteered to share about his life for 350+ campers.

God was was at work this week from the moment campers arrived. When one of the Cle Elum/Roslyn leaders arrived, she had a message to call home from one of the camper's families.  The camper's father had passed away that morning of a drug overdose. The leader and camper's family worked with the Head Leader and Camp Director to plan a face-to-face visit where the family could deliver the news to the camper, Mackenzie.  Mackenzie's grandparents drove al the way to the property. As non-christians who had no Young Life experience in a town that had just started in 'Upper Kittitas County' this Spring. Delivery of the news was handled with such care and tenderness that the camper's family wanted to offer for Mackenzie to stay at camp if she decided to. The grandparents were offered a stay for the day and overnight if needed by the property. They elected to stay the day. Mackenzie decided that camp was the best place for her to stay with a loving group of friends who cared for her very well. As the club messages Tanya gave unfolded, Mackenzie was particularly touched by Tanya's own personal story about the painful life and loss of her father.  The assignment team would watch as the girls would exchange glances with Mackenzie as Tanya would share different details about her dad.  Mackenzie had a powerful week, and we were so happy that she was surrounded with her leader and friends during this tender time, and messages spoke to her story.

One leader invited me to join her and a camper for a one-on-one.  The camper had been struggling to 'take control' of her own life (using the 'chair' visual) because of some past family trauma.  I sat and listened to this camper tell about her grandmother who suffered from mental illness, who had begun to mistreat her. This was particularly confusing as the grandmother was the spiritual leader of the family. After working through talking about the nature of sin and the purpose God has for each of his children. I was out of ideas. She just couldn’t imagine turning her chair to God. She said she felt like her chair was CHAINED, because of this dysfunctional person.  I had nothing to say to convince her. I felt like we had talked through everything I could think of.  I prayed.  Then the Holy Spirit revealed to me the answer… I reminded her that the she seems to have great boundaries in place with her grandmother-- her parents have a restraining order, she is not allowed to pick her up from school, she is not allowed to talk to her, etc.  She has great boundaries in her day-to day life, and I suggested that she use those same boundaries with her spiritual life- that protecting her ‘chair’/spiritual decisions could be done with the same care and boundaries as the rest of her life. This made perfect sense to her. When I left the table, she said that she was closer to turning her chair to begin a relationship with Jesus. The next morning this camper went to the new believer’s celebration and stood up at the ‘stand so’ of our last club. Praise the LORD for breaking these chains!

CHAINS release!

During the message on sin and the cross, Tanya used 'chains' as a visual for how choosing sin (turning away from life with God) itt leads to the opposite of freedom and joy. It leads to being stuck, heaviness and not getting the joy and full life that we were created to desire and receive when living face to face with God.

At Tanya's night 3 explanation of what Jesus did on the cross to set us free from sin, she unlocked heavy chains, which hold our 'chairs' in the turned away position. When she did this, the room FULL of 350+ campers ERUPTED in applause. This only happened 1 week, but it felt appropriate to cheer for God's act of grace to release us from the consequences of our choice to leave Him out of our lives, and receive us fully to do life together as He created us to do. This is amazing, cheer worthy grace!

The medical team was particularly present for every proclamation activity.  During club, cabin time and quiet times, we noticed the children of the camp doctor were enthusiastically participating-- having their own discussions for cabin time.    For the all camp quiet, all of the children read their own letters from God and wrote a response to to God on the back, just as the campers were invited to.  After all camp quiet, one of the children told her mother that she was ready to 'turn her chair to God'.  Her mother responded, "You don't have to unless you are ready". The daughter responded, "but God wants me to do it now!" So she began a relationship with Jesus and came to the new believer's celebration where we gave her her own bible and she put a tile in the sluice box with her name on it to mark the occasion.  I forget that there is also a ministry to the medical team families!

 

Serving alongside a great team was a joy. None of us serve alone, we are the body of Christ. A speaker, techs, MCs and leaders who set the stage for kids to be ready to hear the gospel, head leaders who support the leaders, prayers and supporters like you who fuel the ministry to keep moving ahead. Thank you for being a teammate in sharing the good news with around 2000 kids this past month, and 17,000 kids this year in the Mountain West Region!