A Change in Pace

Hey everyone!

This past week the four of us went to Youth Camp at Camp Touchet. It was very different from Girls Camp where we given responsibility over 3-5 girls and spent all day with them. We had a very structured schedule: ate with our girls, sat with them in worship, monitored them in free time and discussed everything we'd learned each night in our cabins. Youth Camp was almost a shock after a school teacher run Girls Camp. Since all of the church groups brought sufficient counselors, we weren't really needed to fill that role. Lara and I slept in a cabin with one group and Katherine and Joelle stayed in a cabin with Amber, the only girl from her church who had come.

At first I was very intimidated by the girls in my cabin. Most had tattoos (or were planning them during the week). Most listen to music I've never heard of. And most come from homes that I can't imagine. Two of the girls had recently lost mothers. Some are never told they are beautiful or they are loved. I was sitting in my bed listening to them talk and frantically trying to figure out a way I could relate to them. And I blanked. I come from a family where I am loved and continually told that.

But throughout the week as I prayed for them, it was obvious that God healed relationships and created unity within their youth group.

We also led the 9th grade discussion group after morning worship each day. And when GoNow Missions tells you that you should prepare to be flexible, they weren't kidding. We got the topic of our discussions each morning with about five minutes to throw something together. Now, that is not my style. I like to have stories prepared, other scripture references ready to go, and a page of questions to work with. Not the case here. So it was challenging to lead 25ish freshmen in talking about the book of Exodus. But when we prayed about it, God was faithful! We had a couple of really good discussions and on Wednesday after our discussion there were two girls who stayed to talk. The theme of the week was uprising and we followed Moses's journey from birth to wilderness.

One girl said "We were just thinking... what if we really do this? What if we start the uprising at our school?"

And it hit. They got it. They wanted to live it! So we were able to brainstorm ideas and ways for those girls to serve God and others within their church, school and community. And it was a huge encouragement to be a small part of what God was doing in their lives.

There were numerous decisions made for Christ this past week and I loved being able to stand in the back and watch as students surrendered to the Holy Spirit's call. God is so good. And even without a defined role and without feeling effective and without feeling comfortable, God used me.

Tomorrow we leave to go to Boys Camp where the four of us will be in the kitchen all week. Please pray for us! It'll be long hours cooking and some of us have no cooking experience. That Saturday Lara and Joelle are flying home and Katherine and I will be going to Pilot Rock, OR to do one last VBS and youth leadership program.

It's crazy to think that this summer is almost over. I have come to love the Northwest so much... and there's so much work to be done here! So many people who still need to know Christ's love, so many waiting for answers... but in two weeks I'll be flying home to Austin. I suppose it's bittersweet. The girls on my team- Katherine, Lara and Joelle- have become some of my best friends. We've bonded over Boomerang Express songs and beach campfires and monk costumes and late night talks and trips to the mall on our weekends off. And it's going to be very hard for me to leave these girls, who have been huge encouragements and great spiritual peers and love the Lord so much (!), and return home. At the same time I know that my campus is still... what is it? 80% unreached? So although leaving the northwest hurts knowing that God has so much left to do, I am excited about the harvest which I am coming home to. There are so many students at UT searching for answers, forming their lifeviews and if I've learned nothing else, it's that I have to get out of my stupid comfortable church bubble. I have to get away from ineffective "activities" and invest in relationships, in ministries which reach people. And although I'll miss this place and these people, I know that God's plans are always best and He'll lead me where He will be most glorified.