Back from Camp

YES!
   I am still alive! I have not fallen off the face of the earth, I am not sick or paralyzed. But I have been extremely busy and preoccupied this summer. If you have been following my blog for very long, you know that every year I attend a church camp at the end of July. Well, at the end of June, I left home for a month to intern at that church camp. It is nearly four hours away. I hardly ever had cell service, so it was a long time being away from home. Even longer for my mom. No matter; it was the best summer of my life.

   There were eight interns, two staff members, and the directors and their family that ran the camp. The first week, all we did was clean the camp grounds, buildings, and bathrooms and get to know each other. I have to say I have never seen such big spiders! The first one we found, I think was a Missouri tarantula. Ugh!!
 
   Anyway, the second week was kids' camp. They were all so adorable. We had a great team that came and did the program for the kids. Even the adults enjoyed it!

   The next week was junior high camp. We had a great first couple of days and then on Wednesday, we had a huge storm that knocked down a few big trees, put the whole area out of power, and knocked out our water until the next morning. We had to send over two hundred kids home early. We were out of power for over three days, and I wondered if we were going to have to go home. But finally, on Saturday, night the power came on! We rushed to get the campground ready for the seniors that were coming on Monday. We got it all done in one day and went out to celebrate that night.

    The next day we welcomed about two hundred more campers to the camp grounds, and we had a great week! On Saturday, everyone, including us interns, left and went home. It was the best experience I have ever had at camp. I am so glad I went. The opportunity to minister to so many kids simply by being there to lead games, greet them at the door at mealtime, talk to them during meals, just being Jesus with skin on... it was really wonderful. My biggest goal, to make the kids feel included and talk to as many as I could so they didn't feel ignored or left out, was rewarded when one of the girls came up to  me and said as much on the last day. It was amazing to me.

   Anyway, that's where I have been. I start college on Monday, so it may be a while until I post again. Or not. We will see. But for now, God bless you all and be with you.

   Emily
   Teen for the Lord