Itchin' for Camp 2014

 

 

Tonight was the presentation for our camp experiences from Cedar Glades camp 2013. Five of the ten counselors and five of the kids got up and spoke from the heart. The following is my speech:

Matthew 16:24-25 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

I lost my life last year and I found a new and completely better one this year. Wow what a difference a year can make!

 As many of you know, I accepted the Lord as my savior last year after spending most of my life thinking I was saved at age 9. I remember being baptized, but I didn't remember anything about my salvation experience. Sin didn't bother me. Looking back, I was as lost as could be. Deep down, I knew I was lost all those years, but every time I thought I needed to change my salvation status, the devil would whisper to me otherwise. "You're saved! Don't waste that preacher's time going up there and telling him you need saving." The day I said the prayer with Brother Terry, I was compelled to. I knew I had to. I chalked it up to re-dedication. 

When I was helping teach Vacation Bible School, it was brought up several times about being truly saved. Sometimes kids get saved because they see their friends do it. Some because their parents tell them they should. They never really know the wonderful change that comes into your heart when you accept Jesus into your life. When we were in the training class to be camp counselors, the scenario came up of a child approaching us that she doesn't feel she is saved. Alarms went off in my head. I asked, "What do you say to them if that's what they ask?" Well 9 out of 10 of them are saved but they just have doubts because kids don't know how to deal with the fact they still sin but that doesn't affect their salvation. But what about that one? That one that really wasn't saved back then when she thought she was? How do you know? That Sunday night was pretty miserable not being able to talk to either Brother Blake or Brother Terry. I was conflicted and in complete turmoil. Thanks to Blake, Kari Ann, and Terry, I realized that I was truly saved last year and I needed to make my public declaration of faith followed by believer's baptism. Thank you to my husband for staying around me while I temporarily lost my mind.

I told you that to tell you this:

I was on the verge of an anxiety attack at the very thought of going to camp. Once we got there, a peace settled over me. I knew why I was sent there when on the night of invitation one of our sweet girls came to me bawling her eyes out. I asked why she was so sad and with her answer, I felt a camp come over me. "I don't think I'm saved." I went through all I did so I could be there for this girl. For this moment. We spent the next little bit talking about why she felt like that and what she think we needed to do about it. I don't know if she is completely better with it, but the look on her face said she was. (She's one I pray for often.)

There were so many moments at camp that showed me that He was working in that camp. Every obstacle we encountered had an immediate resolution. I know that when I was told I had to find enough stuff to treat 40 heads and the stuff to treat the beds, my first instinct was, "AT 8:30 AT NIGHT IN IMBODEN, AR?!?!" I said a prayer before I drove off and headed to Walnut Ridge. Two trips and three stores later, we were having spa night in Cabin 3 singing praise songs and having a blast. The grown-ups didn't get to bed until 2:30 that morning and the girls got to have a slumber party! The next morning was donuts and chocolate milk delivered to the cabin instead of traipsing through the rain for powdered eggs and hamburger/sausage patties. How awesome is that?!? The best part is we ended the week with three Finch girls becoming sisters in Christ. 

The Simpkins have already started our list of what we need to bring to next year's camp!

Itching for Camp 2014

Camp was fantastic. It was as memorable as one can possibly imagine your first trip to camp to be. Our first night was pretty uneventful, we were just trying to get them to decide which bunk they wanted. The next day made up for it. Their devotional in the morning was awesome. It was about 2:00 when we suspected that four of the girls that were given to us by another church had lice. It wasn't until after dinner that it was confirmed and the military would have been impressed with the precision utilized in combating the little bugs. I went 45 miles away to the closest store that would have enough treatments for 40 heads while three others started stripping beds and bagging them. It took three stops to find enough, but I got the needed supplies including garbage bags and spray for the mattresses. Two of the other counselors then took them to a nearby town to a laundry mat and overtook all the dryers and begun the "air"-ial (hot air) assault on the critters that might have been in the bedding. I made it back to discover that we aren't allowed to do a preventative treatment with chemicals. So I then drove back to Wal-Mart, bought 4 bottles of lice preventative shampoo and drove back to the camp. These two trips took about 2 hours. We started washing girls' heads about 10:30 pm. Keep in mind these girls went swimming earlier that day, so we used several towels for that. So, we start washing heads. We used every towel in the place washing all those heads! One junior counselor and me, two of the other junior counselors were staging the girls to be ready to get their hair wash and then receive them when they were washed. Military precision for sure! God was all over this. We were laughing and singing. Singing praise and worship songs that we all hear on KLOVE, and of course "Father Abraham" repeatedly! But it was phenomenal how every time we were thrown an obstacle, God gave us a wonderful solution. Can you imagine if this would have happened on the weekend when there were lots of families trying to do their laundry? Instead, the girls were able to use every dryer in the place at the same time and cut the treatment of the bedding in half.  We finally tumbled into bed after 2:00 am.

The blessing the next morning came in the form of donuts and milk since we missed the group breakfast. Unfortunately, it was raining and all the towels that were on the line were now wet again. We had to make more trips to the dryers. It wasn't a problem at all. That day progressed into a bit of panic and chaos. The devil tried everything in the world to mess up our camp. A long story short, those little critters somehow managed to invade 5 cabins total. Our children's church camp had to be cut a day short. But let me tell you, when those three precious souls gave their hearts to Jesus, it made it worth it. I cried my eyes out with joy for those sisters in Christ.

It was when one of the girls came to me crying her eyes out with her heart broken and told me she didn't think she was saved, that was when I knew I was where I was meant to be. I don't think there was anyone there that could have helped her any better than I could at that precise moment. Her heart was broken because she kept doing bad things and couldn't stop. But the relief in her face when she realized that when she was actually one of God's children was worth everything I have been through. Everyone sins. Those who are saved feel bad about sinning. Those who are still lost don't. Even a nine year old can understand it. 

I have already begun my list of things I am bringing with me for camp next year. I can't wait. We are all itching for camp 2014!