Get Excited!!

So we finished our first week of camp on Friday at about 8:30! The last van rolled away and Madisynne and I headed back in for a 4 hour nap, which was well deserved and WONDERFUL! We were so blessed by having some amazing youth leaders who we will miss so so much, and by the end of the week we both felt that we had truly been called to this work with each other this summer. Yes, there were tear fests and midnight walmart runs and times where we ran around like chickens with our heads cut off, but in the end, we know that God's work was done, and that is our ultimate goal.

One amazing story that I witnessed was of one boy who had led worship for alot of the nights, but I found he had trouble taking the spiritual side of things seriously. Many times the worship felt more like a performance and we had trouble with some issues throughout the week. However, when I asked him to pray after the last time that he led worship, he bowed his head and prayed that God would allow them to take all that they had learned this week and apply it to their lives back at home. To not leave the unity and servanthood here, but to take it back with them. That is EXACTLY what that evening program was about and I hadn't gotten into the message of the night yet, but he basically took the words out of my mouth. It was amazing to see God truly work through anyone, even when sometimes we're not sure He's going to :)

So today we started our PreTeen week, thus the title - "Get Excited!!" Preteens are a blessing to work with. They require more energy and more excitement, but they're more than willing to give it back THREEfold! The singing and videos and games went so well tonight because all the kids want to do whatever it is we have planned, with very little complaint. We had a great start with lots of cheers and prayers, and we are looking forward to quite the week. We have 73 total this week so be praying that we DO have energy and patience with things that will go wrong, and that God will continue to show Himself to us through these kids and through the adult leaders as well. He is always faithful, that's one lesson I'll have down by the end of this summer! :)

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and GLORIFY your FATHER in heaven. :)

-Kristaw/Hope