Camp
was incredible!!!!
We made it back from camp on Saturday around 7 p.m. or so. I had so much fun. I had forgotten how much fun (and how much work) it was to be at camp with teenagers. A lot of people asked if we were ready and all I could think in my mind was "More than you know!" God was so loud to me this week about a few things I have been avoiding. Anyway, enough about me...on to the students. I had a few students in my study group (at SLC they call them family groups) that I didn't know AT ALL. It was amazing how God used that to create opportunities to talk openly with them about Jesus and use their life experiences to allow them to explore what God was trying to get them to see. I had one surrender to ministry, I had one admit his anger toward the church and his family, I had a few cross over from trouble-maker to sweet hearts, I had still others to just support each other in ways I haven't seen students do in a long time. It was just awesome....and that's not even a good enough word to explain what the experience was like for me. Scripture was ALIVE in a way that I haven't known before and, like I said, God was loud this week.
The day we left (Friday) we went white water rafting. I have been three or so times before and I have really come to enjoy it. I have gotten over my fear of the water and was able to really have a blast on God's playground. This time, though, I FELL OUT OF THE RAFT!!!!! It was NOT cool. I was literally drowning and was powerless to help save myself. I have never felt so out of control in my whole life. Before you get into the raft (while you are on dry land) the guides give you a tutorial of how to lay in the water after you fall out of the raft and how NOT to drown or get stuck under the rocks that make the white water. I found out that it's not as easy as they tell you. When you get into the boat you have a huge life jacket, a helmet, and a paddle. They cinch up the life jacket so much that you can hardly breathe (or bend over) but they do that so when they pull you up into the boat the life jacket will not slip off over your head. They tell you that if you get thrown from the raft to lay on your back and stick your feet up out of the water so your toes don't get jammed up under a rock and push you forward. All of this is wonderful information....if you can remember it when you're in a panic and rushing through the water and can't breathe or see. Ok, so we hit a rock and I didn't see it so I couldn't brace myself for impact to stay in the raft. I remember hitting and losing my balance and hitting the water. After that I was basically trying to remember to put my toes up and let the current take me through the roughest part of the rapid. Water was rushing into my face and up my nose. I couldn't take a breath and I couldn't see (and I was worrying about my contacts popping out). I hit a rock with my tailbone and turned to hear another guide yelling for me to swim to her boat. As I turned to swim to her boat another current caught me and I couldn't get to her. Another round of floating through the white water...on my back again and toes up. The other boat finally got to me and pulled me into their boat. It must have been a bad place to fall out cause everyone was super concerned for me and kept asking if I was ok. The rapids only go up to class 4 on this river, which was an awesome ride (if you stay in your raft). I must have fallen out on a class 2 or 3. The looks on the faces of the people around me were of great concern and relief that I was ok so it must have been pretty bad (or awesome..lol...however you choose to see it). It didn't FEEL awesome..lol. I should mention that my worst fear is drowning. I'm not the strongest swimmer but can hold my own in a swimming pool. White water swimming is definitely not something I recommend, though, unless you have some sort of weird desire for fear. White water rafting, however, is an absolute BLAST. I recommend anyone take a trip down a river with a good guide and some strong paddling partners. Lots of fun.
Anyway, so I made it home in one piece. I missed my kids but needed the break. I needed a refreshing word from God and I got it. Thanks for all the prayers last week. God moved in a mighty way. Now, we need to pray that since we are home that the students continue to allow God to have His way in their lives.
We made it back from camp on Saturday around 7 p.m. or so. I had so much fun. I had forgotten how much fun (and how much work) it was to be at camp with teenagers. A lot of people asked if we were ready and all I could think in my mind was "More than you know!" God was so loud to me this week about a few things I have been avoiding. Anyway, enough about me...on to the students. I had a few students in my study group (at SLC they call them family groups) that I didn't know AT ALL. It was amazing how God used that to create opportunities to talk openly with them about Jesus and use their life experiences to allow them to explore what God was trying to get them to see. I had one surrender to ministry, I had one admit his anger toward the church and his family, I had a few cross over from trouble-maker to sweet hearts, I had still others to just support each other in ways I haven't seen students do in a long time. It was just awesome....and that's not even a good enough word to explain what the experience was like for me. Scripture was ALIVE in a way that I haven't known before and, like I said, God was loud this week.
The day we left (Friday) we went white water rafting. I have been three or so times before and I have really come to enjoy it. I have gotten over my fear of the water and was able to really have a blast on God's playground. This time, though, I FELL OUT OF THE RAFT!!!!! It was NOT cool. I was literally drowning and was powerless to help save myself. I have never felt so out of control in my whole life. Before you get into the raft (while you are on dry land) the guides give you a tutorial of how to lay in the water after you fall out of the raft and how NOT to drown or get stuck under the rocks that make the white water. I found out that it's not as easy as they tell you. When you get into the boat you have a huge life jacket, a helmet, and a paddle. They cinch up the life jacket so much that you can hardly breathe (or bend over) but they do that so when they pull you up into the boat the life jacket will not slip off over your head. They tell you that if you get thrown from the raft to lay on your back and stick your feet up out of the water so your toes don't get jammed up under a rock and push you forward. All of this is wonderful information....if you can remember it when you're in a panic and rushing through the water and can't breathe or see. Ok, so we hit a rock and I didn't see it so I couldn't brace myself for impact to stay in the raft. I remember hitting and losing my balance and hitting the water. After that I was basically trying to remember to put my toes up and let the current take me through the roughest part of the rapid. Water was rushing into my face and up my nose. I couldn't take a breath and I couldn't see (and I was worrying about my contacts popping out). I hit a rock with my tailbone and turned to hear another guide yelling for me to swim to her boat. As I turned to swim to her boat another current caught me and I couldn't get to her. Another round of floating through the white water...on my back again and toes up. The other boat finally got to me and pulled me into their boat. It must have been a bad place to fall out cause everyone was super concerned for me and kept asking if I was ok. The rapids only go up to class 4 on this river, which was an awesome ride (if you stay in your raft). I must have fallen out on a class 2 or 3. The looks on the faces of the people around me were of great concern and relief that I was ok so it must have been pretty bad (or awesome..lol...however you choose to see it). It didn't FEEL awesome..lol. I should mention that my worst fear is drowning. I'm not the strongest swimmer but can hold my own in a swimming pool. White water swimming is definitely not something I recommend, though, unless you have some sort of weird desire for fear. White water rafting, however, is an absolute BLAST. I recommend anyone take a trip down a river with a good guide and some strong paddling partners. Lots of fun.
Anyway, so I made it home in one piece. I missed my kids but needed the break. I needed a refreshing word from God and I got it. Thanks for all the prayers last week. God moved in a mighty way. Now, we need to pray that since we are home that the students continue to allow God to have His way in their lives.
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