He's Too Good

on more than a dozen occasions this week i have thought "God is way too good to me." camp has been a blast. we are just now finishing up our second session and looking forward to a little break. we will leave lukenya getaway tomorrow for three weeks away from camp and more of a focus on local ministry. we plan on doing some feeding projects, church visiting, and orphan hugging. needless to say internet will be even more sparse than it is now so don't expect to hear from me for quite some time.

but please continue to pray. i am blown away by the faithfulness of my friends and family, their commitment to pray for us, and of course the Lord's continued blessings through such supplications. staff and campers have been sick, logistical nightmares have plagued us, and every day i see the devil trying to get a small foothold anywhere he can. thank God i havent been hit with any of the sicknesses going around, but it breaks my heart to hear people sneezing, coughing, and not being able to talk. please continue to pray for health and healing, especially as we leave the confines of our secluded camp grounds.

this week has been more lifeguarding, rock climbing, and all around running about. the weather has been perfect this week, early mornings are chilly as well as the evenings but the majority of the day is hot hot hot. we havent had any rain this week and the sun has been in full force (i have quite the tan). the other day i saw a girl do a flip underwater for the first time. when she came up she had that "pure unadulterated joy" look on her face. i have seen it happen other times too, kids making it to the top of a climb, singing camp songs, or watching a real live torch fight take place inches from their face. this is why camp exists. our theme song for the summer says "my soul longs for You, nothing else will do." the other night amanda was saying how much it made her heart smile to hear the kids sing that. many of the kids who attend camp are not christians, have never learned about God, or are even from other religious backgrounds. she said "they sing it and some of them dont even know it yet, that their soul longs for Him." and its so true.

there are a million other stories i would love to tell but dont have the time and im sure would bore you after a while. just know that i am amazingly happy, beyond words. that i do miss home and family and friends. know that the Lord is amazing and faithful and full of love and passion and is always ready to sweep you off your feet.

Kicking Off Camp

Camp is moving at the speed of light! We are just about half way through our first week of camp. But lets start from where I left off, sorry it has been so long, I’ll try to stay more caught up.

We had a great overnight camping trip with the four kids whose parents were running the marriage retreat. We drove around Hell’s Gate Park and found some fun animals, warded off the baboons from breakfast, and went on a gorge hike. Saturday afternoon our leadership team retreat began at Naivasha Country Club. It was a beautiful time for our team to share our hearts with each other, discuss a vision for our summer, and spend quality time together before the rest of the summer staff arrived. Last Monday we picked up 16 members of the summer camp counselors! That began our official staff week of planning and training for camp. Our team is beautiful! It blesses my soul to be surrounded by a community of people who share the same heart as me. Each of us at some point have heard the same call from the Lord, drawing them to this place this summer. It is not fair to be so blessed. While our week was filled with logistical nightmares and busyness, we stayed focused, got everything done, and shared in deeply meaningful worship throughout. Toward the end of the week we had a camp out where the staff got to see some of their first giraffes and hear lions moaning throughout the night.

Sunday was our first official day of camp. Our theme this year is “New” - “Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, the old is gone the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17. Our goal is to share the gospel every day with all 83 campers; letting love, joy, transformation, and Christ-centered community abound. This first week of camp is like “dress rehearsal.” Being our first time at a new location with a new director and many new staff, we celebrate our many learning opportunities. While evil tries to get us down (rain, miscommunication, over heating vehicles, etc) we do not even acknowledge his power. I believe with all my heart that prayer moves this camp. When I think about the amount of prayer that my and everyone else’s support team has bathed us in, combine with the faithful hearts of those serving here, the enemy doesn’t have a chance. I see it in others and myself, this is where we are meant to be. Today I chased baboons off of my climbing routs, life guarded some crazy middle schoolers, and danced my heart out at a disco (while wearing an afro of course...well, just at the disco). The rest of the week is sure to be just as much fun, if not more...

Thank you all for loving me so much and keeping in touch. Hearing from home is always a huge blessing, it is what keeps me going and keeps me filled up. Please continue to pray. Thank the Lord for His unfailing love, mercy, and grace.

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