Camp Arrah Wanna

"...You see me when I travel, and when I rest at home. You know everything I do..." -Psalm 139:3

This week at camp has been incredible. So much to learn, new friends, new opportunities...God is too much!
I was in a cabin with one other counselor, and we had 8 fifth grade girls. Out of those 8, 6 had not made a decision to follow Jesus. Each cabin represented a country, mine was Tanzania.

As I prayed for these girls, and had some of my prayer warriors pray for them I came to realization that these girls have no one else praying for them in their lives. I take this foregranted in my own life. What a blessing to have as many people praying for them as I do. It's caused me to really appreciate the prayers going up on my behalf, and all for HIS name sake! Another thought came to mind that even Jesus didn't have a lot of people to pray for Him. Though yes, He is God, He was still fully human. Jesus trusted a few disciples to pray for Him when He would escape the crowds to seek His Father. In this thought, I was also reminded of something Phil once said as he was dying of cancer. He had thousands of people praying for him,, but he was more concerned and interceded for the many who are sick and have no one praying for them. Prayer is a powerful thing. May we never forget that! Thank the people who have prayed you through things. That's what it looks like to lay your life down for another.
All week we studied Psalm 139, and the story of Joseph in Genesis. One of those verses that spoke to me most and stood out was verse 5 how He has placed His very hand of blessing on my head.

We learned that God always has a plan for our lives. That we aren't aimlessly wandering around in life with no direction. Our Creator sees us, and loves us, and is here! We learned that life is going to be hard, we are going to experience sad things, but that there is a purpose in it. Joseph had to learn this. We have to wait on God...for years even! In those years we must remain faithful, and obedient to what He is calling us too. It may be to sit in jail for His name sake for 2 years or more, or to be thrown in a pit...or sold into slavery. Tough pill to swallow. It's hard to pray truly from the depths of our heart, whatever you want Jesus. Your will be done, however that looks. For Your Name sake, Jesus, do what you will.
Our camp pastor was a missionary from Vancouver, Canada, Garrett and his wife Jessica.

I was thrilled to meet them and get to know them, and see what opportunities are in Canada. Pastor Garrett challenged me a lot in the Bible, and in my walk with Christ. It's cool when an adult can go to kids camp and learn stuff too, and grow. I'm hoping to see them again in Canada on a mission trip and see what God is up too there. Pastor Garrett shared some statistics about Canada Spiritually speaking and where he is working in church planting. These statistics make Seattle/Portland look like the Bible Belt of the Pacific Northwest.
>1 out of 3 people are foreign born.
>1 out of 5 people are university students.
>65% are Chinese which leads to a mass Buddist influence
>95% do not know Jesus
>There are only 290 Baptist Churches in ALL of Canada, that is from coast to coast.
-In British Columbia there are only 80 Baptist Churches
-Only 8-9 of these churches actually own property, Pastor Garrett's church is one of them.
>The number one religion in Canada is no religion.
>Pastor Garrett's personal goal is to have 1,000 churches planted by the year 2020.

My girls asked me a lot questions, they were very theology driven, already. Wow! It was so great to listen to them talk, and ask me all these questions. Like many missionaries, in telling the Salvation story we have to start from very beginning. We have to explain creation, and how sin entered the world. It was really neat to watch my girls question things, and openly talk to me and the other counselor as well. One or two of them said that one night they felt someone tap on their shoulder and no one was there. I told them it was Jesus. I really do believe it was. I know at least one of my girls did accept Jesus. 3 of them felt called into the ministry. 10 kids I think was the final number that accepted Jesus, and about 14 felt like they were called into the ministry. Really neat!!
I considered this week how 14 years ago I was one of my girls. A 10 year old at GA...Camp Mundo Vista in North Carolina. It's amazing to see how far I've come, and how 14 years later I'm the counselor. Who knows what God has planned for those kids. I'm glad God allowed me to play a small part in their life...even if they never remember me again. In comparison, Joseph had to wait 13 years from the time he was sold into slavery to when he finally was given rule over Egypt. There is a plan and purpose in the time of waiting.
It's been a challenge for me to work with kids. I feel like I fail in getting through to them, and getting on their level, and loving on them and being patient. It's still and area when I come to the end of myself and just love them as Jesus would that it becomes easy. Jesus love the little children...lalala.
I'm finding the more I work with kids, God is healing the areas of my life that were so deeply hurt as a child. He is Redeeming that part of my life. The more I let go and allow myself to have fun, the more I allow God to heal those exposed feelings. We all have those voids in our life and we try to fill them other things that look like Jesus, and not Jesus Himself. Only He can fill every void we feel. A lot of my kids come from broken families and all they search for is acceptance, and love, everything that isn't being filled by their parents. What an amazing opportunity to constantly direct their attention to the ONE Who made them. Jesus. It's hard for them to see it now as 10 year old's the blessing that comes with not receiving you need from a human. It pushes them to find their everything in Christ alone, to where He has to be their mom, their dad, their friend, their brother, their provider, their bread, their water...everything. Humans let humans down, but God never will.
God continues to work. What a blessing to be apart of it. The opportunity is everywhere here. It's endless.
Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and worship His Holy name.
God bless you, as you seek Him.