This was one of the most terrifying and humbling experiences of my life.
My week started out on Saturday afternoon, travelling down to camp with a family friend and another counselor. The day was spent unpacking and setting up for the rest of the staff to arrive. I was blessed to have met two wonderful young ladies that day, Carolyn and Esther. We instantly got along, which is unusual for three, eighteen year old girls.
Sunday was a staff training day. We met Hannah today. And against the odds, yet another girl joined our little pack. And thus began "Giggle Fest 2013"
Monday our campers arrived and stayed until Saturday morning. Boy what a week!
God showed me what it was to be a servant. I spent a week caring for these amazing people, who are so loving, forgiving, and truly amazing. Granted you have to be a little special to deal with this camp as well.... On average the girls and I got about four hours of sleep a night. Most of us woke up at 6 every morning, got our campers up at 7, breakfast at 8, at 10:30 morning activities (crafts, boating, bows and arrows, or music), lunch at 12, Nap time for campers from 1-2, at 3 afternoon activities (cooking, bows and arrows, bible study, boating), at 4 we had swimming or movie, then dinner at 5:30, our evening program at 7, snacks at 8, devotions and campers in bed by 9:30. Was that the end of my day? No. After the campers were in bed, some of us would head off to the staff meeting and then have break until 11 (we would rotate shifts on different days).
The girls and I usually would stay up chatting in the stairwell till about 12:30-1:00 am. Comparing notes on our days, sharing funny stories, or just talking about our lives. We bonded a lot during that week, not sure I could have survived camp with out these wonderful ladies! God truly bless me.
And then come the campers.
The first night, after a very long day, I texted a couple of friends asking for prayer. I was confused about why God had sent me to this camp. Why had he put me here of all places? I wasn't any good at this! But when one of my friends responded with,
"Just remember, God always has a plan, and he might have put you there more for others' benefit than your own."
I realize then, I was thinking about this whole thing wrong.
I wanted to know what I would get out of this week, not realizing that it what I put into the week that mattered. My entire outlook on the week changed.
God did change me that week, it just wasn't in the way I expected.
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