This week began our summer camp season with our fist camp for grade school children Jr. A. Frosty, our speaker spoke from Romans 12 and as I talked to counselors and campers and listened in during Staff Meeting in the mornings I heard wonderful things. Two new Christians were born this week, a boy and a girl both decided to follow God. Other children decided to go deeper with their Lord. I heard about how kids spoke of wanting to take the next step with God, wanting to learn how to obey and become more and more like Jesus each day.

I was able to go down to the campfire on Thursday night and be a part of the singing and sharing out under the stars. No, we didn’t have an actual campfire (the fire danger is intense this year) but we sang together beneath the darkening sky, jumping around to the fast songs (I myself tripped during “Lean on Me” and lost my glasses beneath a pig pile of happy children who were doing the motions to the song) and raising our hands up toward heaven as the music slowed. Then a glowing red flashlight was placed in the fire pit and any child who wished to share took a glowstick and stepped forward. As the wind finally cooled for the evening and a full moon began to rise just beyond the trees, children stood and shared their hearts. 

Some were silly and some were serious and all of them were so very brave to stand and praise God before their peers. “I want to thank God for my new friends.” “I want to thank God for Frosty and how he made us understand the Bible.” “I want to thank God for all the fun I had.” These sentiments were common and heartfelt. It is a big thing to leave home for an entire week and realize that you have made it to the end.

There was one little girl who stood out to me. She didn’t rush through what she had to say. She spoke and then paused, fiddled with the glowstick, and then slowly spoke again. I knew that this particular child had been reluctant to participate in cabin discussions and chapel times. The music was too loud for her, but she listened from outside the lodge where one of her counselors always kept her company. Her counselors tried new ways to make her feel welcome and hoped that she would enjoy camp in the end.

“I want to thank my counselors for sticking with me the whole week. . . and I want to thank God for all the counselors who took care. . . who loved us.”

I am so glad that she realized that her counselors careful care of her was in actuality love. Because if kids can see love in us, then there is hope that they will be able to see God as well. For God has sent us to camp to serve and God Himself is love. So I want to thank our counselors as well, two of my boys were campers this week. Thank you for your sacrifices and you care. Thank you for your love. 

Boo Boo