To be honest I wasn't planning on going to Lakeside the second week this year because I knew how exhausting it was and how much it cost, and it also meant that I would have to take off another week from work. I prayed about it for months and decided about two months ago that I was going to go. I'm so thankful that God allowed me the opportunity to go again. I think I would have been sad had I decided not to go.
I knew it would be different without my youth group and it was, but it was a good kind of different. Even though I arrived a little later then most of the campers (about an hour before dinner) I entered Lakeside with such peace. I wasn't upset or stressed out because I was running late and at times had no idea what was going on. I was just kinda on lakeside time.
I ended up switching cabins because there wasn't enough beds in cabin 2. It was such a blessing staying with Jami and her 2 girls from Lima Trinity. I really missed Jami and i guess you could say I just needed those conversations with her.
Having experienced Lakeside the first week I was even more excited to come back and fully serve this camp with all my heart. I dealt with my "junk" the first week and was ready to watch everyone else "kill the pig" I missed White Collar Sideshow on Monday night because I was babysitting staff kids but when I walked back into south you could tell that God had been working in the lives of everyone in the room. It was so powerful. I guess you could say that was our "wed night" from week 1.
I saw the power of Jesus Christ so many times throughout this last week!! On Wed night during devos, Jami told us that our "homework" was that for Thursday night we had to write out our testimony, and then we would read someone else's out loud to the group. A few people were nervous about sharing and some thought that they didn't have a good enough testimony. Jami stayed after and told them that everyone has a testimony. Even if you don't have something life shattering you still have a story. Everyone has a story to share. The very next morning before morning impact one of the counselors got up and shared her testimony. It was so crazy because we had just talked about that the night before.
In her testimony she shared that she had never drank, done drugs, or had sex before marriage. Basically she was a 'good kid" growing up. She shared that she had never had a boyfriend in high school or college and that she prayed that God would send her the person that she was suppose to marry and she prayed that God would only allow her to date the person that she was going to marry. God was faithful and brought that person into her life and now they are married and have 2 kids.
I was blown away by her testimony and thankful that she shared her story with us! I'll be honest in saying that sometimes I feel like the only Christian who doesn't drink, doesn't do drugs and doesn't have sex. But after hearing her story I was relieved to know that I'm not alone and that there are people out there that have the same morals as I do. If you follow God's plan for your life, He will reward you.
Later on Thursday night we shared our testimonies during devos. It took 3 hours to get through everyone's but it was so amazing. It was one of the most amazing devos I have ever experienced in my 11 yrs at Lakeside. People were sharing there hurts and the "junk" in there lives. We were all being real with each other even though we didn't know who's testimony we were reading. It was nice to know that I'm not alone and that people are going through some of the same things I am. My heart also ached that night because I heard some pretty aweful things that some of these teens are dealing with. I guess you could say that at times I'm a pretty niave person and I wanna believe that teens aren't dealing with some of this stuff but in reality they are=(
Friday morning brought two more altar calls. A first time commitment and a rededication. That morning things got really intense. I was sitting next to the girls in my cabin and all of a sudden one of them looks over at me and says "I need to go up there!" I got up outta my seat and walked forward with her, as well as the other girl in my cabin, to the altar. When we got up there I immediately began praying for both of them! That was so awesome to see two of the girls I had gotten to know pretty well over the week accept Jesus Christ as there Lord and Savior!!! During that same altar call another girl that had been coming to our devos also accepted Christ!!! Soooooo amazing!!!!
During the first week of Lakeside I kept saying that something BIG was gonna happen with me at lakeside during the second week and it did! I think it was Wed night when Jami said she had several spots left for her mission trip the end of July. I had thought about going back in May or whenever I had first heard about it but I decided not to. But Wed night I had been given the opportunity again and I prayed about it Wed and I knew I was supposed to go! I called home to make sure I could get more time off work and everything worked out so I'm sooooo excited I get to go to nashville the end of this month for an inner-city mission trip! God is sooooooooo GOOD!!! I feel like if I hadnt been at lakeside this week I would have missed out on this opportunity so Im soooo thankful God brought me there!
I've learned so much these past two week and I'm still trying to soak everything up! I feel like a zombie due to lack of sleep and exhaustion, but I'm ready to head back to Lakeside for one more time this summer on Monday for junior high lakeside! Please keep us all in your prayers=)
No comments:
Post a Comment